SMU loses All-Conference center to NCAA transfer portal

SMU senior offensive lineman Alan Ali is in the NCAA transfer portal, according to On3’s Matt Zenitz. The four-year starter for the Mustangs accepted an NFLPA Bowl Game invite in early December but is now in the transfer portal. The bowl game takes place on Jan. 26.

After redshirting the 2017 season on the Hilltop, Ali started almost every game for the Mustangs from 2018-2021. He’s an academic standout and helped SMU to top-15 finishes in scoring offense from 2019-2021.

Coming out of high school in Fort Worth, Texas, Ali chose SMU despite holding several Power Five offers. He had offers from Arizona State, California, Colorado State, Iowa State, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Tulsa and Virginia.

The 6-foot-5, 309-pound center will have plenty of suitors from programs yearning for more experience now that he’s available.

Ali filled in at several positions on the offensive line when injuries popped up from Sonny Dykes’ squad. The head coach praised his versatility.

“He’s done a great job of doing that,” Dykes said in October. “He’s incredibly unselfish and that’s what I like so much about this team … nobody really cares if it’s going to be hard for them, or what if it doesn’t work, or that type of thing. They just welcome the challenge and do it for their teammates.”

With Dykes’ departure from SMU for TCU, it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine a reunion between the two. Since this is Ali’s first transfer, he’ll be immediately eligible at his new home with one year to play.

Ali joins 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 However, once a player enters the portal, the current scholarship is no longer valid.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.