James Madison had one of the best seasons in school history in 2023. With a record of 11-1, they dominated their division the SBC East of the Sun Belt Conference. Unfortunately, anytime a smaller program has success, the larger programs tend to start poaching talent. Head coach Curt Cignetti took the Indiana job and since then, players have also been leaving via the portal. Star receiver Elijah Sarratt announced today that he will be testing the waters of the transfer portal.
JMU Nation thank you 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/svjzlyToCf
— Elijah Sarratt (@elijah_sarratt) December 16, 2023
James Madison WR Elijah Sarratt Enters Transfer Portal
Sarratt announced on X this morning his intentions. “First I want to thank God for where I am today. While JMU is still an option, I want to thank y’all for everything! With that being said, I am entering my name into the transfer portal with 2 years of eligibility left,” he said in a statement. During his sophomore campaign, he had 74 catches for 1,076 yards and eight touchdowns. In his statement, he did leave the door open to returning.
Testing The Waters
I would be surprised if some Power 5 conference team didn’t give Sarratt a look. His production speaks for itself and there is no shortage of programs that are looking for wide receiver help. Likely it will depend on what kind of NIL deal he can receive and the playing time he is promised. If he doesn’t get what he wants, he can return to the team and test the portal next year.
James Madison is hoping that Sarratt returns but this is what happens to the smaller programs in the new college football landscape.