The transfer portal has significantly impacted college athletics over the past couple of years. It has affected the Eastern Michigan University football program since its season concluded on Nov. 30 with a 26-18 loss to Western Michigan University.
The portal includes 16 players on the Eastern Michigan roster in 2024. All of these players have made this decision since Dec. 2. This again marks another significant year of turnover for the Eagles, who did not make a bowl game for the first time since 2020 after dropping their last five regular-season matchups.
The players who have decided to depart Ypsilanti for a different school are Jesús Gómez (Puebla, México), Oran Singleton (Clewiston, Florida), Owen McGraw (Garden City, Michigan), Markus Allen (Dayton, Ohio), Daiquan White (Fairburn, Georgia), Emil Burton (Romulus, Michigan), Quentavius Scandrett (Lovejoy, Georgia), Quinn Fracassi (Howell, Michigan), Drew Viotto (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario), Cole McElvany (Milan, Michigan), Ryan Kingston (South Bend, Indiana), Elijah Jackson-Anderson (Flint, Michigan), Kenyon Bower (Sacramento, California), Quinn Kelly (Chicago, Illinois), Zion Fonnua (Euless, Texas), and Dylan Camp (South San Francisco, California).
Most of them are undecided because they have only been in this position briefly. Many names here have made a significant impact on the program. Gómez is the biggest name among all the players leaving. He made 46 field goals in his career at Eastern Michigan. He tallied a career-high of 57 yards at Washington on Sept. 7. He becomes EMU's latest kicker to hit the portal with one year of eligibility. His predecessor, Chad Ryland, did the same thing in 2021. He went to Maryland for the 2022 season and now plays in the NFL for the Arizona Cardinals.
The wide receivers will have to take on a new role in the 2025 campaign for the Eagles, as Singleton and Allen are two of the faces of the transfer portal for EMU. Three receivers for Eastern Michigan recorded more than 600 yards, and Singleton and Allen were two. They had 651 and 639 yards respectively. EMU had 2,832 yards of receiving in the 2024 season, and more than 45% of that production is now in the portal and will not be around in 2025
The rushing game also takes a massive hit for EMU with Jackson-Anderson exploring other opportunities. The Flint native rushed for 218 yards on the season, including two touchdowns. He was third on the team in rushing yards behind Delbert Mimms III (Indianapolis, Indiana), who entered the NFL Draft, and quarterback Snyder (Lakewood, New York), who is out of collegiate eligibility.
At the moment, Scandrett is the most significant piece on the defensive side in the portal. He had 28 solo tackles and 55 total for the 2024 season. Scandrett played 41 games throughout his career wearing an Eastern Michigan uniform, and he now hits the portal with one more year of eligibility.
Another threat on the defense this past season that is now in the portal is defensive back White. He had 17 solo tackles in 2024, which was sixth on the team. White played in all 25 games the two years he was at EMU.
Furthermore, the statistics and facts listed above are primarily from players who impacted the team during the 2024 season. Some did not play in 2024, and some only played a few games. While a few transfers played a great deal and would like to jump to the next level, some look to get more playing time.
All this comes as the Eagles seek a bounce-back season in 2025. They finished the 2024 season with a 5-7 overall record and went 2-6 in MAC Play. Eastern Michigan will have a turnover roster, as 12 players left the program with eligibility expiration.
There is still more time for players to make their decisions since bowl season is in the next month, but 28 players, through eligibility and transferring, have moved on to their next chapter.
The Eagles open the 2025 season on Saturday, Aug. 30 at Texas State. They have home games in their non-conference schedule against Long Island University on Sept. 6 and the University of Louisiana on Sept. 20. They also have a road game at the University of Kentucky on Sept. 13.
For more information on the Eastern Michigan University Football program, please visit The Eastern Echo's website.
