Virginia Tech wide receiver reverses course on transfer portal

Hours after his name popped up in the transfer portal, Virginia Tech freshman receiver DJ Sims has reversed course. Sims has withdrawn his name from the portal, according to On3’s Matt Zenitz.

The Hokies wideout was one of four players who entered the portal on Monday, along with safety Da’Shawn Elder, corner Jabari Parker and running back Marco Lee.

Sims, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound receiver, signed to Virginia Tech under Justin Fuentes in the 2021 recruiting class. He graduated from Christchurch High School in Richmond, Virginia, before heading to Blacksburg as a three-star prospect.

DJ Sims didn’t play for Virginia Tech in 2021 but he still has four years of eligibility remaining. The Brent Pry era at Virginia Tech is kicking off with the usual roster tumult but it appears Sims is going to give it a shot.

Sims withdraws from NCAA transfer portal

The NCAA Transfer Portal, which covers every NCAA sport at the Division I, II and III levels, is a private database with names of student-athletes who wish to transfer. It is not accessible to the public.

The process of entering the portal goes through a school’s compliance office. Once a player provides written notification of an intent to transfer, the office enters the player’s name in the database. The compliance office has 48 hours to comply with the player’s request.

Once a player’s name shows up in the portal, other schools can contact the player. Players can change their minds at any point and withdraw from the portal. However, once a player enters the portal, the current scholarship is no longer valid. In other words, if a player enters the portal but decides to stay, the school does not have to reoffer a scholarship.