FAMU football to 'tap into' the NCAA Transfer Portal spring window for team needs, depth (2025)

Table of Contents

What positions will FAMU football target in the NCAA Transfer Portal's spring window? Florida A&M Football 2025 Recruiting Class

The NCAA Transfer Portal is open for business.

Football players nationwide will look elsewhere to continue their careers by entering their names in the portal from Wednesday until it closes on April 25.

will be active in the transfer portal’s spring window.

But the portal is secondary to Rattlers head coach James Colzie III. The second-year FAMU coach will prioritize speaking with his players currently on campus before fully immersing himself in the portal to round out FAMU’s roster.

The Rattlers’ exit meetings are scheduled for this week. Players will meet with coordinators, position coaches, and Colzie.

“It’s important for us to make sure we make the right decision about the guys we currently have,” Colzie told the Tallahassee Democrat.

“I know everybody wants to worry about the portal, and don’t get me wrong, we’ll tap into it a little bit. But I think we got to take care of the 90-plus guys we have right now.”

The transfer portal has gifted FAMU.

FAMU football to 'tap into' the NCAA Transfer Portal spring window for team needs, depth (1)

Conversely, the portal has also taken away from FAMU.

Most notably, FAMU lost many key players during Colzie’s first offseason months after the Rattlers won the Black College Football National Championship under former head coach Willie Simmons.

Colzie’s hoping to have minimal portal departures from this FAMU team.

“I like every single one of our guys here. But obviously, guys may be looking for other opportunities or unhappy with their role,” Colzie said.

What positions will FAMU football target in the NCAA Transfer Portal's spring window?

To replace players, Colzie wants to get the “right guys” for his FAMU football team instead of name-chasing in the portal.

Atop Colzie’s portal wish list is a “big-time pass rusher.” Landing that would add to FAMU’s defensive line, which returns starters from last season, such as James Ash, an All-Southwestern Athletic Conference Second-Teamer, James Gardner Jr., and Davion Westmoreland.

FAMU football to 'tap into' the NCAA Transfer Portal spring window for team needs, depth (2)

Colzie, on FAMU’s coaching staff since 2022, has seen how the trenches have worked wonders for the Rattlers, who ranked near the top of the nation’s defensive statistics with star linemen like current Indianapolis Colts defensive end Isaiah Land, among others in past years.

“I know what it does for our defense,” Colzie explained. “I’ve seen our defense’s success when we had one and then when we didn’t last year.”

Colzie also wants to shore up the trenches for new co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Cedric Williams.

FAMU football to 'tap into' the NCAA Transfer Portal spring window for team needs, depth (3)

The Rattlers return NCAA All-HBCU selection Ashton Grable and All-SWAC first-teamer Charles Davis for the 2025 season. However, FAMU lost key offensive linemen to graduation, such as former HBCU All-American Jalen Goss and four-year starter TJ Lee.

“I still think we’re looking for about two or three pieces as far as the offensive line goes,” Colzie said. “Our first five or six are pretty good, but I want to make sure I get [Williams] what he needs.”

Florida A&M Football 2025 Recruiting Class

FAMU football to 'tap into' the NCAA Transfer Portal spring window for team needs, depth (4)

Quarterback

RJ Hayes, Marianna High School
Tyler Jefferson, Central Michigan
Roman Purcell, Indiana

Running Back

Tre'avis Jones, Coffeyville Community College
Jamal Hailey, Western Michigan

Wide Receiver

Jacobi Hall, Marianna High School
Kenyon Holden, Marianna High School
Moses White, Hillsborough High School (Tampa, Florida)
Tyreik Thorpe, Iowa Central Community College
Kenari Wilcher, Illinois

Tight End

Gavin Hill, Florida

Offensive Line

David Gardner, Dr. Philips High School (Orlando, Florida)
Trenterius Lovett, Coffeyville Community College
Gozy Okeke, Iowa Central Community College
Mozell Williams, Rutgers

Defensive Line

Alijah Alexander, Stetson
DJ Jones, Virginia
Sammy Mitchell IV, Western High School (Davie, Florida)
Jahon Myers, Kennesaw State
Xavier Perkins, Florida State

Linebacker

Justice Cross, Murray State
Ryan Hall, Northwest High School (Germantown, Maryland)

Defensive Back

Jayden Bradford, Florida State
Chase Dexter, Air Force Preparatory
Daylyn Ditson, East Carolina
TeQuan Latimore, Charlotte
Caleb McKenzie, South Dakota
Isaiah Murphy Sink, Jones High School (Orlando, Florida)
Jalik Thomas, Appalachian State
Dion Villiers, Tennessee State

Kicker

Andrew Abu-Akel, Western Michigan

Cooper Badics, Edward Waters
Emilio Bacardi, Lake Mary High School

Punter

Alexander Davis, Mississippi Valley State

Long Snapper

Alex Moscoso, Florida Memorial

Gerald Thomas, III is a multi-time award-winning journalist for his coverage of theFlorida A&M Rattlersat the Tallahassee Democrat.

Follow his award-winning coverage onRattlerNews.comand contact him via email atGDThomas@Tallahassee.comor on the app formerly known as Twitter@3peatgee.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU football assessing team needs for transfer portal spring period