Texas A&M tight end Blake Smith hits NCAA transfer portal

Texas A&M tight end Blake Smith hit the NCAA transfer portal on Monday, according to On3’s Matt Zenitz. The sophomore had two receptions for a one-yard gain this season, which was his first as a contributor for the Aggies.

After redshirting in 2020, Smith hit the field twice in 2021, playing against Mississippi State and Prairie View. 

Smith was a three-star prospect coming out of Southlake Carroll High School in Texas, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

The 6-foot-4, 255-pound tight end will have three years of eligibility to play two seasons at his next program. Since this is his first transfer, he will be immediately eligible to play in the fall.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

Transfer portal background information

The NCAA Transfer Portal, which covers every NCAA sport at the 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 starts with the 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 and everything is off and running. 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 However, once a player enters the portal, the current scholarship is no longer valid.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 cover their scholarship.

The database is a normal database, sortable by a variety of topics, including (of course) sport and name. A player’s individual entry includes basic details such as contact info, whether the player was on scholarship and whether the player is transferring as a graduate student.