Now, for everyone’s favorite love-to-hate, hate-to-love period on the college football calendar.
The transfer portal, ready or not, is coming. Even before it officially opens, the market is in a frenzy.
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The dates and rules for the college football transfer portal have changed slightly ahead of the upcoming offseason. The window for player entry has been significantly shortened, and the opening date has been pushed back to the New Year.
But that isn’t stopping the action. So far, six Missouri football players have signaled an intention to enter the portal. Most of those players were freshmen or reserves, or both, in the 2025 season, but there are notable exceptions, like starting wideout Joshua Manning. Across the country, big names, including some high-profile quarterbacks, are planning to test the portal waters.
But, because of the approved rule changes, there likely will be more than two weeks before you begin to see Mizzou and others land commitments.
Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming portal window, including all the noteworthy rule changes, when it will open and how active Mizzou is expected to be when it does:
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Here are transfer portal changes Missouri football fans should know
Two major changes are coming to the transfer portal this year.
First: The winter transfer portal window has been moved back and shortened. It will now be open for new entries from Jan. 2-16 in 2026.
Second: There is no more spring transfer portal window.
That means the total period for players to enter the portal is a full month shorter than the portal windows from two years ago. Last season, the combination of the winter and spring windows meant the portal was open for 30 total days. One year earlier, the combined window time was 45 days.
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Now, it’s down to 15 total days, all in January.
There are two more notable rule changes that will apply this year.
For schools that have had a head-coaching change, players may officially enter the portal five days after a new coach is hired. They have 15 days to enter the portal once that period begins, but only if the coaching change occurs after Jan. 2. Previously, a 30-day portal window opened immediately after a coach left or was fired.
Also, graduate students are now required to use the same portal window as everyone else, instead of being able to transfer at any time through the spring.
Altogether, this likely means you won’t see any commitments to Mizzou until January.
Sep 20, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz on field against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
If it’s not open yet, why am I seeing players enter the portal?
You might see some reports and announcements — like the six Mizzou players who are expected to transfer — from players, indicating they’re going into the portal. There’s an important distinction to be made here in a majority of cases, including all of the Missouri players currently who are expected to transfer.
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More: Will Jamal Roberts return to Missouri football? Eli Drinkwitz makes plea
More: Starting Missouri football wide receiver to enter transfer portal
These players are not officially in the portal yet. And they won’t officially be in the portal database until Jan. 2.
The players, like Mizzou wide receiver Joshua Manning and defensive end Javion Hilson, can only currently announce that they intend to enter the transfer portal.
There’s no rule against declaring what you’re going to do in the future, but their paperwork won’t officially process until the opening date on Jan. 2. Schools aren’t technically allowed to contact them until that date either, but you can bet your bottom dollar that rule isn’t uniformly being followed.
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Missouri football transfer portal needs
This could be a busy portal window. For starters, the SEC is moving to 105 scholarships, up 20 spots from 85 this year. That means Missouri has some breathing room to take additional players.
But the Tigers also have several significant needs.
“A couple of players at this position, maybe a couple of players at this position that we already know is going to have, you know, people graduating and whatnot,” Drinkwitz said Dec. 3. ‘And then the rest of that would be based off of the attrition, right? Our ability or inability to sign or re-sign players. We have quite a few guys on multi-year contracts already, so we’ve been ahead of that game, … and we have guys that aren’t on two-year contracts that have made decisions on what their future looks like here. And if that means that they go to the portal, then we’ll have to replace them in the portal.”
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Cornerback, linebacker and defensive tackle stand out on defense as positions that the Tigers possibly will be looking for multiple additions.
Wide receiver, both offensive tackle spots and, now, potentially a backup running back are the most glaring positions to target on offense.
It will be interesting to see if the Tigers test the quarterback market, which is already moving at a furious pace. Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby, Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola and Florida’s DJ Lagway are among the high-profile names who have already indicated they intend to transfer. There will be more.
More: QB carousel will be worse than anything coaching carousel could ever become
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Mizzou doesn’t necessarily need a quarterback if it feels confident moving forward with either Beau Pribula or Matt Zollers. But that doesn’t mean the Tigers won’t chase one.
How college football transfer portal works
The transfer portal is almost exactly what is advertised on the box: An online database (portal) that players looking to change schools (transfer) can enter. Players notify their respective institutions of their decisions to transfer, and within 48 hours, their name goes in the database.
Once that happens, other schools can contact that player.
If a player is in the portal, they do not have to commit to a new team by the Jan. 16 entry deadline. That date is only for entering the portal; players can sign up for a new school at any time afterward.
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Is there a limit on players Missouri can get from the transfer portal?
Sep 20, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) is sacked by Missouri Tigers defensive tackle Chris McClellan (7) and defensive end Damon Wilson II (8) during the first half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
No, there is no limit on the number of players Missouri can add from the transfer portal.
The size of the Tigers’ portal haul will depend on who returns, in addition to the 19-player recruiting class that signed earlier in December. The Tigers are waiting on significant NFL Draft decisions from third-year players like defensive end Damon Wilson II, middle linebacker Josiah Trotter and left tackle Cayden Green.
The SEC will again operate under a 105-player scholarship limit in 2026, up from 85 last season. That is back to being on par with the rest of the Power-conferences.
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One of the more intriguing challenges will be how coaches handle their portal shopping in one swoop. With no more spring portal, the roster that shows up for spring camp is the same roster that will show up for games in the fall.
“I think the biggest challenge with the January-only portal is that you’re going to have one crack at the egg,” Drinkwitz said Dec. 16. “And once you get your roster set, it’s set. There’s no way to fix it. So, it’ll be interesting to see how everybody approaches spring football now, moving forward. When you’ve got 105 guys, and somebody gets injured, there’s no going in the portal to find somebody. So, we’ll see how that all plays out. Again, what we’re being asked to do every day is a brand new day.”
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: What Missouri football fans need to know about transfer portal changes
