Former 4-star South Carolina running back leaving via transfer portal

South Carolina sophomore running back Djay Braswell intends to leave the program via the NCAA transfer portal, GamecockCentral has confirmed. On3’s Pete Nakos first reported the news on Tuesday.

After playing in six games as a true freshman due to injuries to older backs, Braswell did not log any stats in his second year on campus.

Ironically, his biggest moment as a Gamecock didn’t come with the ball in his hands. In 2023, Braswell picked up a huge block in pass protection that gave quarterback Spencer Rattler just enough time to find Xavier Legette for a touchdown against Kentucky. The touchdown proved to be the winning score in a 17-14 ballgame.

Braswell was a consensus 4-star prospect in the 2023 class out of Washington County High School in Sandersville, Georgia.

Thanks to a 2024 redshirt Braswell should have three years of eligibility remaining. He will draw Power 4 interest in the transfer portal.

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Djay Braswell South Carolina Bio

* 2023-24 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll

Second-year running back who looks to compete for playing time in a completely revamped room… has top-end speed and is a home run threat with the ball in his hands… saw limited action as a true freshman in 2023.

2023 (Freshman)

True freshman running back who joined the team in the summer… appeared in six contests… carried the ball a dozen times for 25 yards… caught three passes for 35 yards… made his debut against Furman, rushing four times for 17 yards including a season-long nine-yard burst… had five carries for four yards and caught two passes for 28 yards, including a long of 30 against Vanderbilt… also saw action against Mississippi State, Jacksonville State, Kentucky, and Clemson… named to the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll.

HIGH SCHOOL

Running back prospect who graduated from Washington County in Sandersville, Ga. in 2022… rushed for 974 yards as a senior, averaging 6.8 yards per carry, leading the Golden Hawks to the state 2A playoffs as a senior… coached by former Georgia football star Robert Edwards… rushed 80 times for 1,091 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior… also runs track at Washington County… won the Georgia 2A state 100-meter title as a junior with a clocking of 10.72 and captured the 200m gold in 21.99… was a state qualifier in the sprints as a sophomore after posting 10.75 and 22.02 marks… considered the 21st-best prospect in Georgia, the 16th-best running back in the nation and No. 245 overall, according to the 247Sports Composite… rated the 21st-best player in the Peach State, the 15th-best running back in the country and No. 223 overall in the On3 Consensus… ranked as the 22nd-best player in the state, the 15th-best running back in the country and No. 249 on the ESPN300.

PERSONAL

Dontavius B. Braswell Jr. was born Dec. 29, 2004… is a sport and entertainment management major.

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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 is done 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 and everything is off and running. The compliance office has 48 hours to comply with the player’s request and that request cannot be refused.

The portal has been around since Oct. 15, 2018, and the new calendar cycle within the portal begins each August. For example, the 2021-22 cycle started Aug. 1. During the 2020-21 cycle, 2,626 FBS football players entered the transfer portal (including walk-ons). That comes after 1,681 entered during the 2019-20 cycle and 1,709 during the abbreviated 2018-19 cycle. In comparison, 1,833 Division I basketball players entered the portal during the 2020-21 cycle after totals of 1,020 in 2019-20 and 1,063 in 2018-19.

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