The UCF Knights got some fantastic news on Monday afternoon, as they learned that one of their best defenders will actually be returning to Orlando after initially entering the transfer portal and committing to play for another program in 2025.
Chasen Johnson, a freshman defensive back from Sanford, Florida, played in all 12 games for UCF in 2024, recording 18 total tackles and two pass breakups in his first season at the collegiate level.
Johnson entered the portal after the season concluded, and quickly became one of the most popular defensive backs available. Just a few days after the portal window opened, Johnson committed to play for Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans. Then, just days later, Johnson actually signed papers with SMU to play for Rhett Lashlee’s Mustangs.
Luckily for UCF fans, he had a change of heart and ended up coming back to his home state, announcing his decision via Instagram on Monday.
“Knight Nation, I’m Home,” he said. “Once a Knight, Always a Knight. Let’s run it back!”
In total, Johnson played 452 snaps for UCF as a true freshman and started four of the final five games. In addition to USC and SMU, Johnson also received interest from South Carolina, Auburn, and Baylor, so getting him back in Orlando is certainly worth writing home about.
The transfer portal officially opened on Monday, December 9, 2024, and will remain open until Saturday, December 28, with an exception for players on teams who play bowl games after the window closes. According to NCAA data, 2,273 FBS football players entered the transfer portal in 2023-24 school year, with 1,558 (68.5%) undergraduates and 715 (31.5%) graduate transfers. Of the entrants, 57% reported that they enrolled in another school, 8% withdrew their names from the portal, and 35% are still active, transferred to a non-NCAA school, or left their sport.
The Heartland College Sports Twitter account is an excellent resource for keeping up with the latest Big 12 news and announcements. Make sure you check out our HCS member forum to connect with other Big 12 sports fans.
