How the SDSU football team fared during this transfer portal cycle

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With the college football transfer portal having closed on Jan. 16, the 2026 South Dakota State football team is about as complete as it will be before next season kicks off on Sept. 5 at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium against New Haven.

Here's a list of who is coming into the program, who left the Jackrabbits in the portal and the impacts they could have on next season.

Who's In?

Ife Current (6-foot-2, 195-pound CB): Current is moving up to the FCS level for the first time while going to his fourth school in five years. He started at Missouri Southern State and stayed for two years, then spent a year each at Texas-Permian Basin and Nebraska-Kearney. All three are Division II programs.

Current recorded 71 tackles, 10 pass breakups and two interceptions over two seasons at Missouri Southern State, then played three games for Texas-Permian Basin before receiving a medical redshirt.

Last year, at Nebraska-Kearney, the corner recorded 55 tackles, 45 solo, broke up four passes and intercepted four. That included a two-pick game against Washburn and a pick six against Chadron State.

Current is a long cornerback who's physical at the line of scrimmage and has great instincts going downhill to make tackles. He uses his long arms to bump receivers off their routes early and wrap up ball carriers when most others can't. The fifth-year corner also appears to hit pretty hard and isn't afraid to make his presence known to receivers, running backs and tight ends alike.

Current, a three-star transfer according to 247Sports, only has one year of eligibility left, but appears to be able to help a young defensive backfield right away.

Cooper Starks (6-foot-5, 329-pound IOL): Starks is dropping to the FCS level after spending two seasons at Vanderbilt. He only played in one game as a freshman and has two years of eligibility remaining.

Starks never started a game, but played in nine for the upstart Commodores this season. He was ranked as a three-star transfer by 247Sports after being a three-star recruit coming out of high school.

Starks is a big body with center and guard flexibility and will instantly be the biggest body on a Jackrabbit offensive line that is only losing two seniors.

Tristan Alvano (6-foot-2, 185-pound K): Alvano is moving to South Dakota State after spending three years at Nebraska. He wore the redshirt during his second season as a Cornhusker after playing three games, giving him two seasons of eligibility remaining. The Omaha, Nebraska, native only appeared in two games this past season, both on kickoff duty.

Alvano holds the Nebraska freshman record for longest field goal, drilling a 55-yard attempt against Purdue. He went 12-for-19 on field goal attempts in his first two seasons and was a perfect 39-for-39 on extra point attempts.

Alvano will likely compete for the starting kicker job and has the track record to at least get some game reps this season.

Who's Out?

Luke Marble (6-foot-4, 200-pound QB): Marble will be moving on to the United Athletic Conference's West Georgia after just one season as a Jackrabbit, marking his third school in as many years. Marble's first collegiate year was spent at Northern Illinois.

The redshirt freshman quarterback played in six games for South Dakota State this year and got lots of run in three of them. He went 13-for-21 for 189 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a 35-14 win over Murray State, was 7-for-16 for 89 yards and a touchdown in a 38-7 loss to North Dakota State and finished 17-for-29 for 181 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a 24-12 loss to Indiana State. He split time this year with Chase Mason and Jack Henry.

Marble will be joining a West Georgia program that finished 8-3 in its second season at the FCS level. Marble, a Georgia native, is transferring to a school just 55 miles from his hometown of Smyrna, Georgia, and should have a chance to compete for the starting job against Davin Wydner, the Wolves' incumbent starter.

Jalen Lee (6-foot, 200-pound S): Lee was an all-around stud for the Jackrabbits this year, and the three-star safety transfer will be moving to sunny and warm Conway, South Carolina to play for Coastal Carolina next season.

Lee was all over the field, recording 63 tackles, 39 solo, intercepting three passes, breaking up two and forcing a fumble. His top games were a two-interception, six-tackle performance against Murray State and a seven-tackle performance with his line forced fumble against FCS runner-up Illinois State.

The Chanticleers are bringing in a new head coach in Ryan Beard, formerly at Missouri State, so Lee will likely have the opportunity to get some serious playing time at his new school.

Luke Womack: (6-foot-4, 195-pound WR): Womack, a freshman from Happy Valley, Oregon, will be transferring closer to home to the Big Sky's Northern Colorado. Womack didn't get on the field in his one and only season in Brookings, but his size, athleticism and pedigree could make him an option at some point for the Bears.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Who did South Dakota State football get, lose in the transfer portal?

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