In the transfer portal era of college football, retaining star players has become just as important as adding them.
Liberty, which won the Conference USA Championship in its first season in the league in 2023, has proven capable of that. After announcing he was entering the transfer portal, Kaidon Salter, the Group of Five Player of the Year, decided to come back to the Flames for 2024. That should help them remain competitive in CUSA.
Other teams will be aiming to keep their best players while continuing to bolster their rosters. Here’s a look at players who have left CUSA teams and who have joined programs in the league going into 2024, according to 247 Sports. These lists consist only of players who have made their new teams known and don’t include players still in the transfer portal.
FIU Transfer Portal Tracker
| Name | Old Team | New Team | Pos. |
| Tyler Patterson | FIU | W. Florida | P |
| Jeremiah McClendon | FIU | S. Illinois | DB |
| Will Prendergast | FIU | Colorado St. | DL |
| Christian Pedersen | FIU | Morehead St. | TE |
| Latarie Kinsler | FIU | Florida A&M | EDGE |
| Daniel Ogundipe | UTSA | FIU | OL |
| Phillip Houston | FIU | Colorado | OL |
| Jordan Guerad | FIU | Louisville | DL |
| Avery Huff | FIU | La. Tech | LB |
| Nazeviah Burris | Stetson | FIU | WR |
| Juju Lewis | Georgia Tech | FIU | WR |
| Adrian Cole | FIU | Arkansas St. | DB |
| Grayson James | FIU | Boston College | QB |
| D’moir Jean-Baptiste | FIU | Edward Waters | DB |
| Jaleel Davis | NC State | FIU | OL |
| Eddie Walls III | Bethune-Cookman | FIU | EDGE |
| Giovanni Davis | UT Martin | FIU | EDGE |
| Kris Mitchell | FIU | Notre Dame | WR |
| Desna Washington | New Mexico | FIU | WR |
| Ben Shellenback | Tusculum | FIU | OL |
Jacksonville State Transfer Portal Tracker
| Name | Old Team | New Team | Pos. |
| Patrick Taylor | Georgia | Jax St. | DB |
| Chris Hardie | Jax St. | Ole Miss | EDGE |
| Travis Collier | Jax St. | N. Alabama | DB |
| Larry Worth | Jax St. | Arkansas | LB |
| Kekoura Tarnue | Jax St. | W. Virginia | DB |
| Andrew Paul | Georgia | Jax St. | RB |
| Earl Woods III | Jax St. | Kennesaw St. | QB |
| Cam Williams | Jax St. | Georgia St. | EDGE |
| Tyler Bride | Minnesota | Jax St. | DB |
| Devin Baldwin | Jax St. | Memphis | DL |
| Brannon Spector | Clemson | Jax St. | WR |
| Michel Dukes | USF | Jax St. | RB |
| Sterling Galban | Jax St. | UMass | WR |
| Xavier Bausley | Jax St. | W. Virginia | OL |
| Kamari Stephens | Jax St. | Arkansas St. | EDGE |
| Yessman Green | Jax St. | UTEP | DB |
| Reginald Hughes | Ole Miss | Jax St. | LB |
| Tyler Huff | Furman | Jax St. | QB |
| Quinzavious Warren | Jax St. | UTEP | DL |
| Zion Turner | UConn | Jax St. | QB |
| Demarcus Lacey | N. Alabama | Jax St. | WR |
| Griffin Brewster | Kent St. | Jax St. | QB |
| Samario Rudolph | UAB | Jax St. | WR |
| Cam Jones | Cincinnati | Jax St. | OL |
| Josh Knapp | VMI | Jax St. | DB |
| Kam Snell | Gannon | Jax St. | DB |
Kennesaw State Transfer Portal Tracker
| Name | Old Team | New Team | Pos. |
| Destun Thomas | Memphis | KSU | WR |
| Christopher Townsel | USF | KSU | DB |
| Tylon Dunlap | Georgia St. | KSU | EDGE |
| Earl Woods III | Jacksonville St. | KSU | QB |
| Carlos Allen Jr. | KSU | Houston | DL |
| Chance Gamble | KSU | Georgia Southern | DB |
| Jacob Kettels | Montana St. | KSU | OL |
| Deontre Morris | KSU | Georgia Southern | DB |
| Andre Craig | KSU | Alabama | WR |
| Donovan Westmoreland | South Carolina | KSU | LB |
| Christian Moss | Virginia Tech | KSU | WR |
| Qway McCoy | ULM | KSU | DB |
| Jackson Manning | UMass | KSU | TE |
| Mason Bowers | Coastal Carolina | KSU | OL |
Liberty Transfer Portal Tracker
| Name | Old Team | New Team | Pos. |
| Chase Mitchell | Liberty | Vanderbilt | OL |
| Mike Jarvis | Wisconsin | Liberty | DL |
| Jason Duclona | UCF | Liberty | DB |
| Ethan Crisp | Vanderbilt | Liberty | LB |
| Julian Gray | NC State | Liberty | WR |
| Charles Yates Jr. | Old Dominion | Liberty | DB |
| Brenton Williams | Auburn | Liberty | EDGE |
| Errol Rogers Jr. | Liberty | SE La. | WR |
| DJ Geth | N. Carolina | Liberty | OL |
| John Paul Flores | Louisville | Liberty | OL |
| Reese Mooney | Liberty | North Texas | QB |
| Aidan Vaughan | Wisconsin | Liberty | LB |
| Olan Robinson | Liberty | Alabama A&M | LB |
| Dominick Hill | Temple | Liberty | DB |
| CJ Daniels | Liberty | LSU | WR |
| Elijah Canion | Purdue | Liberty | WR |
| Kobe Singleton | Liberty | Oregon St. | DB |
| Ryan Burger | App State | Liberty | QB |
| Preston Hodge | Liberty | Colorado | DB |
| Kendy Charles | Liberty | Duke | DL |
| Jaylon Jimmerson | Liberty | Sam Houston | DB |
| Tyson Mobley | Coastal Carolina | Liberty | WR |
| Teylor Jackson | E. Carolina | Liberty | LB |
| Jordan Norwood | Liberty | Incarnate Word | LB |
| Bryan Whitehead | Liberty | Arkansas St. | DL |
| Eli Hall | Wake Forest | Liberty | DL |
| Tysheik Galloway | Liberty | W. Georgia | DL |
| Amari Williams | Liberty | Lamar | EDGE |
| Robert Rahimi | Liberty | San Jose St. | DB |
| Johnathan Bennett | Liberty | The Citadel | QB |
| Donte Lee Jr. | Shaw | Liberty | WR |
| Alex Oliver | VMI | Liberty | DB |
| Jahmar Brown | Coastal Carolina | Liberty | DB |
| Aakil Washington | Liberty | S. Alabama | LB |
Louisiana Tech Transfer Portal Tracker
| Name | Old Team | New Team | Pos. |
| Pig Cage | UTSA | La. Tech | DB |
| Avery Huff | La. Tech | Florida A&M | LB |
| Zion Hopes | La. Tech | Stephen F. Austin | DB |
| Zyion Claville | La. Tech | Texas Southern | WR |
| Emmonte Davis | La. Tech | Incarnate Word | DB |
| CJ Harris | Kent St. | La. Tech | LB |
| Blake Thompson | Iowa St. | La. Tech | DB |
| Donerio Davenport | Texas St. | La. Tech | RB |
| Jimmy Holiday | W. Kentucky | La. Tech | WR |
| Mekhi Mason | Syracuse | La. Tech | LB |
| Cayden Hawkins | Wyoming | La. Tech | LB |
| Avery Huff | FIU | La. Tech | LB |
| Kyle Maxwell | La. Tech | Washington St. | WR |
| Blake Ochsendorf | La. Tech | LSU | P |
| Brevin Randle | La. Tech | UTSA | LB |
| Keenan Landry | Florida | La. Tech | DL |
| Sifa Leota | North Texas | La. Tech | LB |
| Jordyn Morgan | UNLV | La. Tech | DB |
| Carson Bruno | La. Tech | TCU | OL |
| Dakota White | La. Tech | Houston | OL |
| Cyrus Allen | La. Tech | Texas A&M | WR |
| Jamarcus Jones | UAB | La. Tech | WR |
| Ashanti Cole | Grambling St. | La. Tech | OL |
| Jacob Barnes | La. Tech | Tulane | K |
| Zarian McGill | ULM | La. Tech | OL |
| Hank Bachmeier | La. Tech | Wake Forest | QB |
| Jonah Brewster | La. Tech | Houston Christian | OL |
| Emmonte Davis | C. Oklahoma | La. Tech | DB |
Middle Tennessee Transfer Portal Tracker
| Name | Old Team | New Team | Pos. |
| Xavier Williams | UCF | MTSU | QB |
| Jalen Rayam | MTSU | UTEP | LB |
| Bryce Bailey | MTSU | UT Martin | WR |
| Jalen Montgomery | MTSU | E. Kentucky | RB |
| Ryan Hoerstkamp | Missouri | MTSU | TE |
| DJ Riles | MTSU | Georgia St. | QB |
| Jaylen Ward | MTSU | Florida A&M | WR |
| Kyle Lowe | MTSU | Georgia St. | QB |
| Marcus Miller | UNLV | MTSU | OL |
| Hayes Sutton | Duke | MTSU | WR |
| Omari Kelly | Auburn | MTSU | WR |
| Felix Hixon | South Carolina | MTSU | DL |
| Gamarion Carter | Vanderbilt | MTSU | WR |
| Quindarius Dunnigan | MTSU | Michigan St. | EDGE |
| Keylan Rutledge | MTSU | Georgia Tech | OL |
| Elijah Metcalf | MTSU | Marshall | WR |
| Jakobe Thomas | MTSU | Tennessee | DB |
| Justin Olson | MTSU | Charlotte | WR |
| Sterling Porcher | MTSU | Texas Tech | OL |
| Brendon Harris | Wake Forest | MTSU | DB |
| Sam Brumfield | MTSU | Virginia Tech | LB |
| Zaylin Wood | MTSU | Vanderbilt | DL |
| Richard Kinley II | MTSU | Memphis | EDGE |
| James Monds III | Indiana | MTSU | DB |
| Marley Cook | MTSU | Miami | DL |
| Ellis Adams | Tenn. Tech | MTSU | OL |
| Brian Brewton | UConn | MTSU | RB |
New Mexico State Transfer Portal Tracker
| Name | Old Team | New Team | Pos. |
| Derek Burns | Troy | NMSU | EDGE |
| Myles Norwood | NMSU | Ball St. | DB |
| Denver Warren | NMSU | Sam Houston | DL |
| Trent Hudson | NMSU | Miss. St. | WR |
| Kale Edwards | Montana | NMSU | EDGE |
| Makhilyn Young | NMSU | Vanderbilt | RB |
| Da’Marcus Crosby II | Sam Houston | NMSU | DB |
| Dakerric Hobbs | Sam Houston | NMSU | DB |
| Jabril White | Cincinnati | NMSU | DB |
| Gabe Peterson | NMSU | Houston | EDGE |
| Eli Stowers | NMSU | Vanderbilt | TE |
| Mike Washington Jr. | Buffalo | NMSU | RB |
| Justin Beadles | Houston | NMSU | EDGE |
| Jordan Vincent | NMSU | Utah St. | DB |
| Kaden Stanton | NMSU | Tulsa | OL |
| Josiah Cox | Arizona St. | NMSU | DB |
| Avery Morris | UTSA | NMSU | LB |
| Deuce Hogan | Kentucky | NMSU | QB |
| Naki Fahina | UNLV | NMSU | DL |
| Mehki Miller | NMSU | Cincinnati | DB |
| Nikhil Webb Walker | NMSU | Colorado | EDGE |
| JJ Dervil | NMSU | Northern Iowa | DB |
| Keyshaun Elliott | NMSU | Arizona St. | LB |
| Sterling Webb | NMSU | Missouri | DL |
| Gavin Frakes | NMSU | Virginia | QB |
| Gabriel Iniguez Jr. | NMSU | Utah St. | DL |
| Zachary Haynes | NMSU | Miss. St. | P |
| Myles Rowser | NMSU | Arizona St. | DB |
| Andre Seldon | NMSU | TCU | DB |
| Diego Pavia | NMSU | Vanderbilt | QB |
| Dion Wilson Jr. | NMSU | Syracuse | DL |
| Jeremiah Vessel | NMSU | UNLV | DB |
| Jonathan Brady | NMSU | Cal | WR |
| Jae’vone Brown | NMSU | SE Okla. St. | OL |
| Logan MacGregor | NMSU | Alabama A&M | LS |
| Nick Session | Okla. St. | NMSU | DB |
| Jordin Parker | NMSU | W. Michigan | WR |
| Reggie Akles | NMSU | UConn | DB |
| Malachi McLean | NMSU | UConn | DB |
| Myles Norwood | Iowa St. | NMSU | DB |
| Ta’ir Brooks | NMSU | N. Arizona | WR |
| Blaze Berlowitz | NMSU | Vanderbilt | QB |
| Santino Marucci | Wake Forest | NMSU | QB |
| Matt Lawson | Northwestern | NMSU | DL |
| Tyler Devera | NMSU | Elon | TE |
Sam Houston Transfer Portal Tracker
| Name | Old Team | New Team | Pos. |
| Zachary Session | Sam Houston | McNeese St. | OL |
| Denver Warren | NM St. | Sam Houston | DL |
| Quincy Wright | Oregon St. | Sam Houston | DL |
| Da’Marcus Crosby II | Sam Houston | NM St. | DB |
| Dakerric Hobbs | Sam Houston | NM St. | DB |
| Xavier Ward | Sam Houston | San Jose St. | QB |
| Marcus Moore | N. Texas | Sam Houston | DL |
| Austin Smith | Memphis | Sam Houston | TE |
| Fernando Garza III | Texas A&M | Sam Houston | TE |
| Dylan Frazier | SMU | Sam Houston | DL |
| Jaylon Jimmerson | Liberty | Sam Houston | DB |
| Nyquee Hawkins | Virginia Tech | Sam Houston | DB |
| Jase Bauer | C. Michigan | Sam Houston | QB |
UTEP Transfer Portal Tracker
| Name | Old Team | New Team | Pos. |
| RaQuan Thompson | UTEP | Marshall | DL |
| Davis Burns | UTEP | N. Arizona | DB |
| Elijah Boyd | UTEP | Bowling Green | TE |
| Dimitri Madden | UTEP | Akron | DL |
| Nick Scalise | UTEP | UNLV | OL |
| TangiTangi Pongia | UTEP | Sacramento St. | OL |
| Jalen Rayam | Middle Tenn. | UTEP | LB |
| RJ Whitehead | Tulane | UTEP | OL |
| Aluma Nkele | UTEP | Minnesota | OL |
| Landon Hullaby | Texas Tech | UTEP | DB |
| Hunter Rapolla | New Mexico | UTEP | EDGE |
| Corey Wren | TCU | UTEP | RB |
| Xavier Smith | Austin Peay | UTEP | DB |
| Jaylon Shelton | Texas St. | UTEP | DB |
| Tray Dunson | Gardner-Webb | UTEP | LB |
| Yessman Green | Jax St. | UTEP | DB |
| Steven Hubbard | UTEP | Vanderbilt | OL |
| Joshua Sloan | UTEP | Memphis | P |
| Calvin Hill | Texas St. | UTEP | RB |
| Jevon Jackson | Austin Peay | UTEP | RB |
| Skyler Locklear | Austin Peay | UTEP | QB |
| Trey Goodman | Austin Peay | UTEP | WR |
| Brennan Smith | Austin Peay | UTEP | OL |
| Kenny Odom | Austin Peay | UTEP | WR |
| Ashton Nickelberry | Austin Peay | UTEP | WR |
| Dillion Williams | N. Texas | UTEP | DB |
| Kory Chapman | Austin Peay | UTEP | DB |
| Quinzavious Warren | Jax St. | UTEP | DL |
| Isaiah Wright | Austin Peay | UTEP | OL |
| Marquez Taylor | Austin Peay | UTEP | RB |
| Dylan Brown-Turner | Florida St. | UTEP | LB |
| Kam Thomas | Austin Peay | UTEP | WR |
| Torrance Burgess Jr. | UTEP | Texas St. | RB |
| Dorian Hopkins | Tulsa | UTEP | LB |
| Jeremiah Ballard | UTEP | Tulsa | WR |
| Jaden Smith | E. Kentucky | UTEP | WR |
| Devin Goree | Missouri St. | UTEP | EDGE |
| Tyrin Smith | UTEP | Cincinnati | WR |
| Deion Hankins | UTEP | Texas St. | RB |
| Kelly Akharaiyi | UTEP | Miss. St. | WR |
| Torey Richardson | UTEP | Temple | DB |
| McKel Broussard | UTEP | E. Washington | DB |
| James Neal | UTEP | Texas St. | LB |
| Jalen Rudolph | UTEP | Grambling St. | DL |
| Kanious Vaughn | UTEP | Utah | EDGE |
| Jostein Clarke | UTEP | Bethune-Cookman | WR |
| Justin Mayers | UTEP | Colorado | OL |
| Kobe Hylton | UTEP | Oklahoma St. | DB |
| Trez Moore | UTEP | Texas St. | DB |
Western Kentucky Transfer Portal Tracker
| Name | Old Team | New Team | Pos. |
| George Hart III | Arizona St. | WKU | RB |
| Jalen Hampton | Elon | WKU | RB |
| Marquis Black | WKU | Gardner-Webb | DL |
| Jai Eugene Jr. | Tulane | WKU | DB |
| Ta’ron Keith | WKU | S. Florida | RB |
| Jackson Smith | Kentucky | WKU | K |
| Bryce Childress | Troy | WKU | WR |
| Zach Edwards | Troy | WKU | DL |
| Keyshawn Swanson | Troy | WKU | DB |
| Blake Austin | Troy | WKU | OL |
| JaQues Evans | WKU | Baylor | EDGE |
| TJ Finley | Texas St. | WKU | QB |
| Bronson Barron | WKU | S. Utah | QB |
| Ze’Vian Capers | WKU | Gardner-Webb | WR |
| Jalil Rivera-Harvey | Marshall | WKU | DL |
| Jimmy Holiday | WKU | La. Tech | WR |
| Aaron Key | WKU | UConn | LB |
| Kendrick Simpkins | WKU | Baylor | DB |
| Kent Robinson | Texas A&M | WKU | DB |
| Devonte’ Mathews | Nicholls St. | WKU | DB |
| Jared White | WKU | Tarleton St. | P |
| Terreance Ellis | Alcorn St. | WKU | LB |
| Josh Sterns | WKU | Gardner-Webb | WR |
| Tom Ellard | WKU | Northern St. | P |
| Demarko Williams | Ole Miss | WKU | DB |
| Kisean Johnson | Alabama St. | WKU | WR |
| Stacey Wilkins | ULM | WKU | OL |
| Chandler Matthews | Limestone | WKU | LB |
| Vincent Murphy | WKU | Tulane | OL |
| Desmyn Baker | WKU | Southern Miss | LB |
| Wes Dorsey | WKU | UCF | OL |
| Mason Williams | WKU | Incarnate Word | OL |
| CJ Kiss | Notre Dame College | WKU | TE |
CUSA QBs Transfer Portal News
Former Texas State QB T.J. Finley Commits To Western Kentucky
T.J. Finley is going to another Group of Five school. The former Texas State signal caller is heading to Western Kentucky.
With Jayden de Laura committing to Texas State, Finley entered the transfer portal less than a week after Finley announced he would be coming back to play for the Bobcats in 2024.
Finley made the All-Sun Belt honorable mention list as a redshirt sophomore in 2023. The former LSU and Auburn quarterback threw for 3,439 yards, 24 touchdowns, and eight interceptions while completing 67% of his throws and rushing for 81 yards and five touchdowns this past season.
Diego Pavia of New Mexico State Committing To Vanderbilt
Diego Pavia, New Mexico State’s former quarterback who led the Aggies to a Conference USA Championship appearance in 2023, is transferring to Vanderbilt, where former NMSU head coach Jerry Kill is now an assistant.
Pavia threw for 2,973 yards, 26 touchdowns, and nine interceptions on a 60% completion rate this past season. He also ran for 925 yards and seven touchdowns. The year before, he threw for 1,450 yards, 13 touchdowns, and nine picks on a 53% completion percentage while rushing for 508 yards and six scores.
Liberty’s Kaidon Salter Exits Transfer Portal
Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter announced he was entering the transfer portal after leading the Flames to a Fiesta Bowl appearance. However, he has since announced he was returning to the Flames.
Salter was the 2023 HERO Sports G5 College Football Player of the Year. He threw for 2,876 yards, 32 touchdowns, and six interceptions while rushing for 1,089 yards and 12 scores in 2023.
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CUSA Transfer Portal News
Liberty Defensive Lineman Kendy Charles Transferring To Duke
Kendy Charles, a former standout defensive lineman for Liberty, announced he has committed to Duke.
He totaled 26 tackles, 4.5 for loss, with three sacks, two quarterback hurries, and a fumble recovery in 2023. Over the last four years, he has 77 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and nine sacks.
Liberty’s C.J. Daniels Commits To LSU
C.J. Daniels, one of the top wide receivers in Conference USA in 2023, has committed to LSU. He made the all-conference second team in 2023.
Daniels caught 55 passes for 1,067 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023. That includes his eight-catch, 79-yard performance against Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl.
UTEP’s Tyrin Smith Transferring To Cincinnati
Tyrin Smith, who tallied over 1,000 receiving yards in 2022 for UTEP, announced he has committed to Cincinnati, which now plays in the Big 12.
Smith played in just four games in 2023, catching 19 passes for 191 yards and one touchdown. However, the year before, he chalked up 1,039 yards and seven touchdowns on 71 receptions en route to All-Conference USA honorable mention honors. He tallied 570 yards and four touchdowns on 33 catches in 2021.
