With the rise of the transfer portal in college sports, teams are having more roster turnover than ever before. Ferris State is no exception to that.
Over 2,700 total players have entered the transfer portal for the 2025 season in football and basketball alone, and multiple Ferris State teams have been dismantled because of it.
Ferris State football, basketball and hockey have gone under major roster movements during their offseason.
As for Bulldog football, coming off of their third national championship in four years, the team took a hit during the spring transfer portal window by losing their leading passer, rusher, both starting offensive tackles and other key players.
Most notably, they lost Harlon Hill finalist and starting quarterback Trinidad Chambliss to Ole Miss, a DI program. In addition to losing Chambliss, they also lost last season’s rushing leader in running back Kannon Katzer, who is still uncommitted but has garnered interest from DI programs.
Other key losses on the offensive side of the ball include starting left tackle Bryce George, who committed to Iowa, starting right tackle Lawrence Hattar, who committed to Michigan and slot receiver Deion Small and receiver Tyrese Hunt-Thompson, who both missed all of 2024 with an injury and are still uncommitted.
For defense, Ferris lost many key starters, including DII All-Americans such as linebacker Sefa Saipaia and safety Justin Payoute. Saipaia has since committed to Western Michigan, while Payoute remains uncommitted.
Every player has a different reason for transferring, but Saipaia believes he has done everything he has needed to as a Bulldog.
“I accomplished everything I have needed to here,” Saipaia said. “Three rings, All-American, defensive captain, I have nothing left to prove so I decided to throw my hat in the ring. I always felt like I was a DI athlete and I want to prove that.”
The portal is something that the football program has been familiar with when it comes to bringing players in, but the program has not seen this many key players leave during an offseason through transferring.
Head coach Tony Annese acknowledges these circumstances and the challenges it takes when his team’s players get taken by DI schools.
“We sit here and develop our players and when they get taken by bigger schools we don’t reap any of the benefits,” Annese said. “It’s all just very different and something we will have to figure out as time progresses.”
While football may have taken the biggest hit with subtractions, other Ferris sports have also seen players leave for different reasons.
Both the men’s basketball and the hockey teams experienced coaching changes this offseason, with basketball coach Andy Bronkema accepting the head coaching position at Central Michigan and hockey coach Bob Daniels retiring after 33 years with the Bulldogs.
Under Bronkema’s tenure, the Ferris basketball team impressively lost just one player to the transfer portal, which is rare in this state of college athletics.
However, with Bronkema accepting the position with the Chippewas, he brought three Bulldog players with him.
Junior center Nathan Claerbaut, freshman guard Jaxson Whitaker and incoming freshman Jalen Kampen have all followed Bronkema to Central Michigan.
The choice for Claerbaut, an all-GLIAC defensive team member in 2024, was not the easiest.
“It wasn’t a very easy decision,” Claerbaut said. “I talked a lot with my family about it, and they were so supportive. It has always been my dream to play Division I basketball, and I had to take that opportunity.”
Ferris is still searching for its next men’s basketball head coach.
Bulldog hockey is going through something similar to men’s basketball.
After Daniels’ departure, Ferris hired Long Island head coach Brett Riley.
Utilizing the portal, Riley brought in five of his players from Long Island, freshman Brian Morse from Maine and junior Nic Belpedio from Colgate.
With the departure of Daniels, Ferris lost five players to the portal, junior Travis Shoudy to Colorado College, sophomore Cole Burtch to Augustana, junior Caiden Gault to Northern Michigan and freshman Matt Corbet and Connor McDonough, who are both uncommitted.
The transfer portal will continue to change the landscape of Bulldog athletics as the offseason drags forward.