The top-ranked uncommitted player in the transfer portal is no longer a free agent.
Oklahoma defensive lineman David Stone, who entered the transfer portal Friday evening, has now withdrawn his name from the portal and will remain with the Sooners, 247Sports has learned.
Oklahoma had worked the last two days to get him to remain in Norman instead of leaving for another team. Mission accomplished as he’ll now stick with the Sooners. New Oklahoma general manager Jim Nagy posted a celebratory tweet shortly after news broke regarding Stone’s decision Sunday night.
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— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_Sooners) April 20, 2025
Stone was a Class of 2024 five-star recruit and had ranked as the best available player in the transfer before deciding to stay at Oklahoma. Stone, who ranked as the 17th-best overall prospect in that 2024 recruiting class, posted six tackles as a freshman with the Sooners last season.
What is the NCAA transfer portal?
The portal is an online database that players will enter their name into if they decide to pursue a transfer. Players notify their current school’s compliance office that they wish to put their name into the portal — typically, players’ names show up within 48 hours. Coaches have access to the database and can contact any player who has entered.
When will the transfer portal open?
College football has two transfer windows: one following the regular season and one following spring practice. The spring window will open April 16 and close April 25. Graduate transfers are allowed to enter at any time, however. There is also an exception made for players on a team whose head coach departs. Once a head coach exits a program, a 30-day transfer window is triggered for the entire roster.
Is a player forced to leave his school after entering the portal?
No. In fact, players sometimes withdraw their names from the portal and end up staying with their respective programs.
Oftentimes, however, the decision to enter the portal comes with some amount of displeasure on either the player’s side or the program’s side. Most players who enter the portal do not return to their previous school, and they’re often removed from the team immediately upon entering.
