Florida OL Noel Portnjagin to enter transfer portal

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The latest Florida Gator to announce his departure from the football program is redshirt freshman offensive lineman Noel Portnjagin, who posted a statement to social media on Tuesday, Dec. 23, confirming the news.

“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to be part of this program and for everyone who has supported me along the way,” Portnjagin wrote in a statement. “I want to thank my family for their constant encouragement, and my coaches, teammates, trainers and staff for pushing me every day and helping me grow both on and off the field. The relationships I’ve built, the lessons I’ve learned and the memories made during my time here will always stay with me.

“After a lot of reflection and thoughtful conversations with those closest to me, I have decided to enter my name into the NCAA transfer portal. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this chapter. I’m thankful for the foundation built here and excited for what’s next.”

Noel Portnjagin at Florida

A native of Germany, Portnjagin signed with Florida as a three-star recruit in the 2024 cycle. He played semi-professional football in the German Football League before heading to the U.S. for college. He chose Florida over Auburn and South Carolina, among others.

Portnjagin only played in one game with the Gators. He made his debut in the Gasparilla Bowl against Tulane, playing five snaps.

“Noel Portnjagin, when you get a chance to meet this guy, this is one heck of a story,” Billy Napier said after the 2024 early signing period. “This guy is 19 years old. He’s been playing semi-professional football. Plays against 20 and 30-year-old men. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he gets in a van and drives an hour and a half for team practice, and he gets back in the van and drives back to his community. He does individual practice the other days of the week.

“This guy is a freak athlete. He’s 6-5, 330 pounds. He runs around. Go watch his tape. This guy is one of the more impressive players in the class. He comes to our camp, we see him, and it’s immediate. We’re like who is he? And then every camp he goes to, he gets a scholarship offer. …So he’s a heck of an athlete. Very bright. Speaks three languages. He’s impressive.”

Florida Gators in the transfer portal

Florida has lost 18 players to the transfer portal this offseason, including Portnjagin. For an up-to-date list of players in the portal, check out Gators Wire’s tracker.

On offense, quarterback DJ Lagway, running back KD Daniels, wide receivers Tank Hawkins, Aidan Mizell, Mike Peterson Jr. (walk-on) and Muizz Tounkara, offensive linemen Devon Manuel, Marcus Mascoll and Enoch Wangoy and tight end Amir Jackson are departing.

Defensive lineman Tarvorise Brown (walk-on), linebacker Grayson Howard and defensive backs Jordan Castell, Josiah Davis and Teddy Foster are also gone.

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators football OL Noel Portnjagin to enter transfer portal

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