BYU football spring transfer tracker: Keelan Marion surprises with portal entry
Spring football is over at BYU, but the work has just begun when it comes to cutting down the Cougars’ roster before the start of the 2025 season.
The $2.8 billion House settlement hasn’t been approved yet, but college football teams across the country are hurriedly bracing to remove 20 or more players from their rosters in preparation for the 105-player limit that will take effect in fall.
The settlement still needs to be approved by U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken, who suggested during a recent hearing that the roster limits be adjusted “to grandfather in a group of rostered people” set to lose their spots on teams if the caps come into play, according to the Associated Press.
But the NCAA and its five largest conferences, including the Big 12, countered that such a move late in the process would “cause significant disruption” to what schools have been planning since last fall.
Several schools have already made roster cuts in anticipation of the July 1 settlement date that will also usher in an era of around $20 million in annual revenue shared with school’s athletes while paying hundreds of millions more in back damages to former athletes who said they were illegally prevented from earning money off their name, image and likeness.
So where does that leave the Cougars? Offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick said after spring practices wrapped up that some cuts will be made “right away,” even though the final roster doesn’t need to be trimmed to 105 until the final day of fall camp.
“Even though there’s a roster cut put out there by the first game, we’re always going to give feedback to our players,” head coach Kalani Sitake added. “That’s what spring is. We want to let them know where they stand, what we see, and their position on the depth chart.
“Feedback is a gift. We’re going to be able to have a conversation with them, and then help them decide what is the best thing for their future.”
But not all portal departures are about cuts and feedback. Returning starter Keelan Marion announced his intention to enter the transfer portal Friday — after the first-team All-American kick returner totaled 1,125 yards and seven touchdowns on 76 receptions since transferring to BYU from UConn.
Marion, who had 38 career kick returns for 881 yards and three touchdowns, told On3 he will enter the portal as a graduate transfer with two years of eligibility remaining — and following a spring practice session where he was one of the standouts in the receiver room following injuries to Chase Roberts.
“I don’t think I’m a flashy guy; we just go out and make plays,” Marion said. “I’m ready to roll. Anything gets called, at the snap of a finger, I’m ready.”
Announcements of players entering the NCAA transfer portal began once the spring window opened April 16. Here’s a running list of those announced intentions of athletes moving on from the university.
Nuuletau Sellesin, DT, RS-Senior (Woods Cross, Utah via Weber State)
Carson Tujague, DT, RS-Freshman (Crozet, Virginia)
Justice Ena, OL, RS-Freshman (Smithfield, Utah)
Nathan Hoke, DE, RS-Freshman (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Nason Coleman, TE, RS-Sophomore (Chandler, Ariz.)
Landon Rehkow, P, RS-Sophomore (Veradale, Washington)
Koa Eldredge, WR, RS-Sophomore (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Porter Small, DE, Freshman (Springville, Utah)
Keelan Marion, WR/KR, Gr. (Atlanta, Georgia)
Chika Ebunoha, S, RS-Junior (Tucson, Arizona)
