The transfer portal is truly something no one outside of college sports can understand. Players are able to transfer in both windows within the same year, they can go into the portal, talk with other teams, and then decide to just stay where they are in the end, and many other confusing aspects. Former Michigan forward Sam Walters certainly has thrown everyone for a loop with his stint in the transfer portal.
Last week, Walters announced he would be committing to Mississippi State, returning to the SEC after spending one season at Michigan. Today, it was announced that instead of joining the Bulldogs, he actually signed with the SMU Mustangs, joining the ACC instead.
Change of plans for Michigan forward transfer Sam Walters:
— Clayton Sayfie (@CSayf23) April 22, 2025
He committed to Mississippi State but has signed with SMU. He's headed to Dallas to play for Andy Enfield. pic.twitter.com/7nGueRNomu
Sam Walter's flip within a week is a prime example of how crazy the transfer portal can be
Instead of joining a Top 25 transfer portal class at Mississippi State, Walters is now the third transfer for the Mustangs, joining Jaron Pierre from Jacksonville State and Corey Washington from Wichita State. SMU will be Walter's third school in his three years in college basketball, starting out at Alabama, then Michigan, and now the Mustangs.
Walters was a solid bench player for head coach Dusty May, but a back injury ended his season early and limited his play to where he averaged just 5.0 points per game, 1.6 rebounds, and shot 42.5% from the floor and 36.6% from three-point range.
Coming out of high school, Walters was a four-star recruit and ranked No. 68 in the Class of 2023. He was named the No. 10 overall power forward and No. 6 player in the state of Florida. For his size, Walters can shoot the deep ball very well, and with the way the competition in the ACC looked this past season, he may be able to find more time on the court if he can stay healthy.
No reason has been reported as to why Walters made the flip right when he signed, as he wasn't even committed to Mississippi State for a week. Some may say it was for NIL reasons, but until the real reason is revealed, if it is ever revealed, all there is to know is that the transfer portal never has a normal day, and Walters won't be a Bulldog, but a Mustang instead.