Clemson tight end enters the NCAA transfer portal

Tight end Jaelyn Lay is headed into the NCAA transfer portal. The 2019 signee contributed little in terms of stats on the field for the Clemson Tigers, but Lay is proud of his contributions off the field.

With two catches in three seasons on his resume, Lay also added a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice.

The tight end is a Riverdale, Georgia, native. He was a four-star prospect coming out of Riverdale High School in the 2019 class. He chose Clemson and Dabo Swinney over 21 other offers and enrolled early for the spring semester.

Last Game in the Valley As a Tiger🔥 Graduating 🎓2.5 years w/ a B.A in Criminal Justice / Athletic Leadership Minor in the Spring is even Better Thank You Death Valley🧡💜

#TMC 🏁 🏈 pic.twitter.com/JLnGvUdLWL

— J . L A Y 🐙 (@1JLay) November 20, 2021

After a six-catch performance in the 2021 spring game, Dabo Swinney predicted a big year for Lay, though that never materialized. Lay is a massive tight end at 6-foot-6, 270-pounds

“I need to see Jaelyn put his hat on somebody once we get some live ball, but just fundamentally and all that stuff,” Swinney said. “That’s easy. If you ask me who are the two most improved guys I’ve seen on this offense. Jaelyn has really improved and Ajou–incredible. He’s gonna help us in a big way.”

Lay will be immediately eligible to play at his next program as this is his first transfer.

Transfer portal boom

The NCAA Transfer Portal, which covers every NCAA sport at Division I, II and III levels, is a private database with names of student-athletes who wish to transfer. It is not accessible to the public.

The process of entering the portal goes through a school’s compliance office. Once a player provides written notification of an intent to transfer, the office enters the player’s name in the database. The compliance office has 48 hours to comply with the player’s request.

Once a player’s name shows up in the portal, other schools can contact the player. Players can change their minds at any point and withdraw from the portal. However, once a player enters the portal, the current scholarship is no longer valid. In other words, if a player enters the portal but decides to stay, the school does not have to reoffer a scholarship.