One of the more surprising transfer moves of the offseason came with the Colorado tight end Seydou Traore decided to enter The transfer portal on April 30, after only a few months with the program. Traore, a four-star transfer and one of the Buffaloes’ biggest surprises of the offseason, completed spring training at Boulder before deciding to make a second switch that same offseason.
When asked by 247Sports what led to the decision to leave Colorado, Traore said he wants to play wide receiver in the 2023 season.
Traore was one of the top tight ends in college football for Arkansas State last year, catching 50 passes for 655 yards and 4 touchdowns en route to first-team all-conference honors. The 1.80m tall, 100kg London native posted a receiving score of 89.6 PFF last season, ranking fourth among tight ends and seventh among all FBS pass catchers. Traore is currently ranked 8th in the total available players in the 247Sports transfer ranking with a rating of 91.
Now, as Traore searches for a new school, he hopes to use what he learned on his first portal run to find the right place for his future.
“It’s not easy to choose the right home, but don’t be afraid of adversity,” Traore told 247Sports via Twitter direct messages.
Since Traore re-entered the transfer portal on April 30, he has remained a popular name for schools needing help catching passes. Traore has posted bids from Illinois, Oregon, Western Kentucky, Miami, Purdue, North Texas, Washington State and Arkansas.
As he ponders his next school, Traore said his priorities are simple.
“I’m looking for a school that can develop me and allow me to show my skills,” said Traore.
As a second-time transferist and non-graduate, Traore is no longer eligible for the NCAA’s one-time transfer waiver, which allows a player to play at their new school immediately. That means Traore will have to submit a waiver if he wants to play in 2023.
“Yes, I plan to apply for an exemption,” Traore said. “I want to compete! Sitting it out is not something I will ever look forward to or be satisfied with!”
Traore said he has not finalized any official visits but possible trips are “in the works”.
The NCAA launched the transfer portal on October 15, 2018, offering athletes the opportunity to explore their options. Players do not need to get permission from their coaching staff to transfer. All you have to do is ask Compliance to provide their name. It usually takes 24 to 48 hours for a player to honor their request.
Schools are free to contact a player without restrictions as soon as their name appears on the portal. While a player entering his name on the transfer portal means he intends to explore his options, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s leaving the school. A player is free to withdraw his name at any time. However, schools are not required to keep a player on a scholarship once they enter the portal.
According to sources, 3,083 FBS players entered the transfer portal in the 2021-22 transfer cycle. That’s an increase from 2,646 in 2022, 1,692 in 2019–20, and 1,717 in 2018–19.
Get the latest news on 247Sports football and basketball transfer portal.
This huge increase can be attributed to the NCAA’s new policy that allows student-athletes to make a once-in-career transfer without missing a year abroad. This means that all players entering the transfer portal for the first time are immediately eligible to play at their new school as long as they meet an NCAA-mandated registration deadline.