First Team All-SWAC running back Jaylen Jennings announced late Thursday he intends to remain at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff for the upcoming football season despite previously entering the transfer portal.
Jennings announced through social media on Dec. 4 he would enter the portal when it opened on Jan. 2. When that day arrived, he posted a photo of the NCAA’s official notice to him UAPB had submitted his name into the portal, a common practice by athletes who enter the portal.
The Columbus, Ohio, native reversed course this week. He posted a graphic reading “I’m back” to social media on Thursday, which was reposted by UAPB coaches and official UAPB accounts.
Jennings was UAPB’s leading rusher this past season with 939 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had four games with 100 or more yards, including his breakout 226-yard day against Lincoln (Calif.) after starting running back Za’Marion Webber went down with a knee injury that kept him out for the rest of the season alongside preseason All-SWAC selection BJ Curry.
True freshman Bryant Sanchez, who finished the season as Jennings’ backup, remained in the transfer portal as of Friday afternoon, but neither Curry nor Webber have publicly stated their intentions. Should they return alongside Jennings, the Golden Lions will have plenty of experience at running back in 2026.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Jennings isn’t the only player to enter the portal and change his mind. Wide receiver Bryce Robinson, the first player to declare his intent to transfer after the season ended, announced on Jan. 13 he will return to UAPB. He made one catch for six yards as a junior this past season.
UAPB took a few hits at wide receiver with Kareem Burke and Ellis Stewart entering the portal. Burke, a Florida A&M transfer who finished as UAPB’s second-leading receiver, committed to Alcorn State on Jan. 11. Stewart, a true freshman who finished with 29 catches for 339 yards and a team-high six touchdowns, entered the portal on Jan. 5.
Leading receiver D’Avery Robinson has not publicly stated his intentions for 2026, nor have Chris Hicks Jr. and Jordan Jackson, who both finished top five on the team.
At least 20 UAPB players are known to have entered the portal, not counting Jennings and Robinson. The portal is not public, making it difficult to know with certainty who has or hasn’t entered.
Players had until midnight on Friday to enter the portal. Players already in the portal can still sign with a new school at any time, but no further players may enter except for players from Indiana or Miami (Fla.), the participants in Monday night’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game. They will have until Jan. 24.
Additionally, if a team hires a new head coach, players on that team will have a 15-day window to enter the portal. Of note, UAPB head Coach Alonzo Hampton’s original contract ran through last season. Athletic Director Chris Robinson told the Pine Bluff Commercial the school is working on an extension, but nothing has been finalized.
Unlike in past years, there will be no spring transfer window moving forward. Beyond the above exceptions, players who did not enter the portal by the end of Friday are committed to remaining with their current school for the 2026 season.