Go ahead and add Eastern Michigan to the burgeoning list of schools bitten by the football transfer portal.
According to 247Sports.com, EMU’s Jalen Phelps has entered the NCAA transfer database. An Eastern Michigan football official subsequently confirmed that the defensive back has signaled his intention to leave the Eagles.
As of yet, the player has not confirmed his intentions publicly.
Now, for what’s seemingly becoming a daily disclaimer when it comes to transfers.
As we’ve stated myriad times in the past, a player can remove his name from the portal and remain at the same school. At this point, though, other programs are permitted to contact a player without receiving permission from his current football program.
NCAA bylaws also permit schools to pull a portal entrant’s scholarship at the end of the semester in which he entered it.
Phelps was a three-star member of the Eastern Michigan football Class of 2016. The Georgia product will be leaving EMU as a graduate transfer. The 2020 season will be his final year of eligibility.
In his four seasons with their Eagles, Phelps appeared in 42 games, starting nine of those. He played in just four this past season, which allowed him to take a redshirt and preserve a season of eligibility.
In those 42 appearances, Phelps was credited with 88 tackles and eight passes defensed.
Phelps is at least the second Eastern Michigan football player to leave in a little over a month. In mid-June, defensive lineman Ty Eddington entered the portal.
EMU is coming off a 6-7 campaign that ended with a QuickLane Bowl loss to Pitt. The Eagles have now played in a bowl game three of the past four years, the only time in school history that’s ever happened.
Chris Creighton’s 28 wins (in six seasons) are already fifth-most in the program’s history.
