Ja'briel Mace breaks down decision to return to Villanova after entering NCAA transfer portal

Villanova running back Ja’briel Mace could’ve changed locations after his breakout 2025 season with the Wildcats. But, he ultimately decided to stay put after testing the waters and wants to finish out with Nova.

Mace told On3 he spoke to a few schools once he entered the transfer portal, thinking about a step up to FBS competition. The Somers Point (N.J.) native had no shortage of interest after rushing for nearly 1,000 yards and breaking Brian Westbrook’s single-game rushing record this fall.

But coach Mark Ferrante, his teammates and Villanova itself were too important to Mace to leave. He spoke with On3 about his decision.

“We as a team had a great season, you know, stuff like that. And I guess at that time, I was more thinking about, hey, I kind of wanted to play, like, on a bigger stage, stuff like that,” Mace said. “But then, after sitting down talking to my family and, you know, talking to some of my teammates as well. You know, I couldn’t leave, like, Villanova is such a special place, and I feel like it’s not talked about as much. 

“So, I mean, I always wanted to be different. And I feel like regardless of what school you’re at, the NFL is going to find you … so that definitely played a role in my understanding.”

Mace ran 129 times this year for 977 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also had two kickoff returns for touchdowns as well as a touchdown reception.

Mace stepped up against Towson for Villanova this year, with other running backs down with injuries. He ran for 291 yards and four touchdowns in a 28-10 win, in the middle of what ended up as an 11-game winning streak.

Mace found out afterwards that he broke Brian Westbrook’s school record for rushing yards in a single game. Growing up a Philadelphia Eagles fan made it that much more special.

Going into 2026 under Mark Ferrante, Villanova could very well contend for the FCS National Championship after making it to the semifinals this year. Mace wanted to be a part of that.

“I talked to a few schools. I’m not gonna name any schools, but I talked to a few schools. You know, a couple schools wanted me to go on visits, but again, throughout that process, it just didn’t sit right with me, talking to other coaches,” Mace said. “And again, like in my heart, I know I wanted to stay at Villanova.”