South Carolina defensive back headed to transfer portal

A third USC football player is in the portal.

Third-year South Carolina defensive back Joey Hunter announced Monday morning his plans to transfer. Hunter played in three games this season and nine games in his Gamecocks career.

He’s the second Gamecock to announce his departure plans since the regular season ended, and third departure overall. (Safety R.J. Roderick left the team during the season.)

College football players have been entering the transfer portal at a record level ever since the NCAA eliminated a rule that required non-graduates to sit out a season at their new program in April 2021. Every player now has a one-time waiver to transfer to a new school without penalty.

The NCAA did crack down on mid-season transfers, though, by approving a new “transfer window” system this August. Under new guidelines, college football players can only formally enter the portal in a 45-day window from Dec. 5 to Jan. 18 and a 15-day window from May 1 to May 15.

Hunter, a former three-star recruit from Georgia, played in four games as a true freshman in 2020 to preserve his redshirt and only in two games in 2021 before suffering a season-ending left shoulder injury.

Hunter appeared in three games for South Carolina in 2022 (wins against Charlotte, S.C. State and Vanderbilt) but didn’t record any statistics. He finishes his USC career with zero career tackles.

In a Twitter post on Monday morning, Hunter thanked God, his family, his friends and his teammates for “for making South Carolina a home to me and becoming the (lifelong) brothers through the relationships we created in the Garnet and Black.”

“For that I’ll forever be grateful,” Hunter wrote.

South Carolina players in the transfer portal

DB Joey Hunter — Dec. 5

OL Jordan Davis — Nov. 30

DB R.J. Roderick — Oct. 17