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GAINESVILLE, Fla.– Since its early exit in the Women’s College World Series, the Florida Gators have been a victim and a beneficiary of the NCAA Transfer Portal with five departures and two additions.

Florida Gators on SI quickly breaks down each move as the Gators turn the page from the season to the offseason.

The Departures

Of the five portal departures, infielder Mia Williams headlines the group after transferring to Texas Tech following a breakout sophomore campaign. Williams, who was named to the All-SEC Second Team last season, hit 19 home runs while plating 44 total runs.

Her departure on June 4 came as a surprise as she held down second base over the last two years while dramatically improving at the plate, going from a .164 batting average as a freshman to a .335 average as a sophomore.

Rounding out the departures are a pair of rising sophomores in outfielder Kylie Shaw and catcher Makenna Bellaire, both of whom left high school a year early to enroll at Florida, alongside rising junior infielders Alyssa Hovermale and Layla Lamar.

Shaw has since committed to Auburn, Hovermale to South Carolina and Lamar to Arizona. Bellaire has yet to announce her future plans.

The Additions

The Gators have added two players to its roster so far, both of whom came from fellow SEC programs.

Former Mississippi State catcher/outfielder Ella Wesolowski, the first to commit, joined after two seasons with the Bulldogs, while Missouri infielder Madison Walker followed suit after two seasons with the Tigers.

Wesolowski saw a slight dip in production last season with a .293 batting average, down from a .318 average in 2024, after starting in less games last season (43) than total appearances in 2025 (47). With two outfielders graduating from the program in Kendra Falby and Korbe Ortis, Wesolowski does provide a nice veteran at the position in 2026.

Meanwhile, Walker provides the same veteran presence in the infield with three departures in the aforementioned Williams and outgoing seniors Rylee Holtorf and Reagan Walsh. With experience at first base, Walker is poised to take over Walsh’s spot in the infield and at the plate.

Last season, she hit 18 home runs, which ranked third in the SEC while being the third-most in Missouri history. For comparison’s sake, Walsh hit 15 home runs last season.

While the Gators likely are not done adding in the portal, Florida has found a pair of play-now veterans who can help ease the loss of multiple senior stars from 2025.

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Featuring a veteran team during the 2025 season, it was well-known that the UNC baseball program had some work to do in the transfer portal this offseason.

With a handful of roster voids due to players exhausting their eligibility (and potential MLB Draft picks), Scott Forbes and the Diamond Heels need to replenish that talent by bringing in some transfers who can help that objective.

The shortstop position is a major need for North Carolina, given Alex Madera has exhausted his eligibility. Looking for its third starting shortstop in as many seasons, Forbes seems to have found his guy, securing a commitment from North Dakota State transfer Jake Schaffner.

A top-of-the-order caliber bat, Schaffner put together two very strong seasons at North Dakota State. Over 108 games played, the Janesville, Wisconsin native posted a .353 batting average, swiping 34 bases. Along with his elite ability to get on base (and eventually steal them), Schaffner provides a steady presence at shortstop, a defensive position that is extremely important for any baseball team.

North Carolina has now landed four transfers to help bolster next year’s squad. While the names aren’t necessarily ones that you often hear about, the Tar Heels have done a nice job in identifying talent that can transition to Chapel Hill nicely.

Let’s remember: guys like Alex Madera, Kane Kepley, and Tyson Bass (among others) are some of the transfer portal additions that made big-time noise for the Diamond Heels over the last few seasons.

The UNC baseball program isn’t looking to rebuild: they are looking to reload. Coming up just short of a trip to Omaha, the Diamond Heels are motivated to get back there, as Forbes and his staff will ensure that they field the best everyday lineup in order to accomplish that goal.

Adding Schaffner is an underrated move that has the potential of being a big-time addition for the UNC baseball program.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore is preparing to lead as the team’s starter in 2025. Before the season begins, Moore is demonstrating his leadership off the field, returning to his hometown in Detroit.

One of the ways Moore sought to help is by using his Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) earnings to help his alma mater. Moore returned to Martin Luther King High School and donated a $10,000 check to the football team. 

The Oregon quarterback also hosted a book signing for his children’s book, “From Journey to Dream.” The book is about Moore’s journey from childhood to playing college football. Moore spent a season with the UCLA Bruins before transferring to Oregon where he sat for a season behind Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel. 

Moore hopes his book can help inspire those pursuing their dreams. He recounted his mistakes and that while things may not go as expected, it is a learning experience.

“I feel like this book will be good for kids just to read and understand,” Moore said at the book signing. 

Moore was originally committed to Oregon before flipping to UCLA. The flip was just another step in his journey to becoming the Ducks’ starter.

In Moore’s one season with UCLA, he passed for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He finished the season with a 53.5 completion percentage and entered the portal. Both Moore and Gabriel transferred to Oregon following the 2023 season. Gabriel became the starter, causing Moore to sit for a season. 

MORE: Five-Star Quarterback Ryder Lyons Visiting Oregon: Ducks Trending For Commitment?

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MORE: Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett Reveals First Impression Of ‘Composed’ Dillon Gabriel

Instead of holding a grudge and entering the portal again, Moore embraced the season as a learning experience.

“If you have a dream, chase it. Many people think the sky’s the limit, but I say reach for the stars,” Moore continued. “Many things don’t happen to go your way, I feel like you just learn from them. My freshman year at UCLA, a lot of mistakes happened there, but overall, I learned from them.”

“All these expectations and things like that, my work will show that any expectation or anything people expect me to do, I know I can do it,” Moore said.

There are high expectations for taking over as Oregon’s starting quarterback. Gabriel was a Heisman Trophy finalist and was selected by the Browns in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Ducks have produced two first-round quarterbacks since Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. After Herbert in 2020, the Denver Broncos selected former Ducks quarterback Bo Nix in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Oregon is coming off an undefeated regular season and was ranked the No. 1 team in the nation. Although the postseason did not go as Oregon would have wanted, losing against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, the Ducks are expected to be back in the College Football Playoff in 2025.

“This year has been a learning year for me,” Moore told On3’s Pete Nakos. “Transferring in with Dillon was probably one of the best things I ever did. Coming to Oregon and competing with Dillon and standing behind him. I learned a lot from him. He’s been in college for quite some time, and I’m glad that the Browns picked him up.” 

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