A look at the new transfer portal rules: windows and signing rosters
OXFORD, Miss. — Will Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin reclaim his title as the “Portal King” in the next edition of the portal games? There have been some changes to the rules since last year, so we thought we would take a minute and go over the finer details of it all.
NCAA Transfer Portal Windows
On August 31, 2022, the NCAA Board of Governors adopted new rules regarding transfer portal timelines. Prior to that date, if you were an undergraduate transfer you could enter your name in the portal at any time. However, after the rule change, FBS athletes will be allowed to enter only during two windows.
The first, a 45-day period, will start the day after championship selections are made. This year, that means the window opens December 5. The second window will be instituted from May 1-15 so players can enter the transfer portal after spring camp.
Grad transfers will be allowed to enter the portal during any time.
Signing Rosters:
Initially, schools were only allowed to sign up to 25 players (high school and transfers combined) per recruiting cycle. Now, however, programs will be allowed to sign as many athletes during the cycle as they would like — as long as their rosters remain under the 85-scholarship cap per recruiting cycle.
For all the latest from the recruiting trail and transfers to the ‘Sip, check back here on the website and on all our social media.
Hotty Toddy!
Lee Ann Herring-Olvedo
Lee Ann serves as the Director of Recruiting for The Rebel Walk. She sees college football the way championship programs do—from inside the personnel room. Every evaluation, every roster move, every recruiting battle tells a bigger story about identity, culture, and how a program is built to win in December, not just July.
With more than 15 years covering the SEC and the national recruiting landscape, Herring-Olvedo has built a reputation as one of the sport’s most respected personnel-driven voices—blending film evaluation, roster construction, and long-term program vision through a true front-office lens. Her coverage of powerhouse brands like Ole Miss Rebels and Kentucky Wildcatshas consistently gone beyond headlines, focusing instead on the blueprint behind winning programs: development, fit, culture, and recruiting strategy.
That foundation was formed early at Brown University, where she worked in player personnel and recruiting while competing as a student-athlete. Inside those recruiting operations rooms, she learned how elite organizations are truly built—through relentless evaluation, relationship building, projection, and trust in the board. Those experiences shaped the way she studies the game today: part scout, part storyteller, part architect.
Her analysis and reporting have appeared across major platforms including ESPN, NFL coverage spaces, USA Today Sports, and Saturday Down South. She also brought her personnel-minded approach to the airwaves as an on-air analyst for the Wake Up 502 College Football Show on Big X Sports Radio 96.1, where she became known for combining film-room detail with a wider understanding of roster identity and program trajectory.
In 2025, covering the rise of Houston Cougars football under Willie Fritz reignited the part of the sport that first drew her into football—the culture, the edge, the belief that a roster can reshape an entire city. That inspiration led to the launch of Coogs 365 Sports, a platform built to cover Houston athletics through a true scouting and recruiting lens while connecting the emotion of the game to the heartbeat of H-Town.
Now, Herring-Olvedo returns to The Rebel Walk where with an even deeper perspective shaped by years inside recruiting circles, national SEC coverage, and hands-on evaluation experience. Her return brings a familiar voice back to Ole Miss coverage—but with an evolved lens rooted in roster architecture, player development, and the modern realities of building championship-caliber football in the NIL and portal era.
For Herring-Olvedo, recruiting has never been about stars beside a name. It is about identifying competitors, projecting growth, and building a locker room capable of sustaining success. Her philosophy mirrors the best front offices in football: stack traits, trust culture, and never stop building.
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