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Former South Carolina tight end Michael Smith committed to play for Ole Miss as a transfer this offseason. He intends to stay in the SEC after an initial pledge to Syracuse.
It was believed that Smith had signed NIL paperwork with the Orange before backing out of the deal. Is he being released from his contract?
The transfer announcement would lead one to believe that is the case. Syracuse added another transfer tight end from the portal 24 hours before Smith broke his Ole Miss news.
The Orange have decided to move on. His spot has seemingly been filled after his change of heart.
It should end a dramatic transfer saga for the talented tight end.
Michael Smith reportedly signed with Syracuse.
“The story is this. He signed paperwork (with Syracuse), I guess, but then just was going to come back to South Carolina. There is no National Letter of Intent anymore. It’s a contract with the school for rev-share and all that, and it is binding contractually. Syracuse was not going to let him out of it.”
-JC Shurburtt
Smith enrolled at South Carolina as a Top 100 high school prospect. The four-star pass catcher made an immediate impact, starting seven games as a freshman while totaling 10 catches.
His role was expected to grow as a sophomore. It, unfortunately, didn’t happen. An injury held him out of the spring. He fell down the depth chart throughout the season.
In October, he left the team to preserve his redshirt. He later entered the transfer portal and committed to Syracuse in January.
It is believed that he signed a contract upon making his pledge to the Orange. He then had second thoughts.
There were whispers that he was interested in returning to South Carolina. Syracuse attempted to block the move by refusing to release him from the contract.
Now, it no longer seems he’s tied to the terms.
The tight end plans to transfer to Ole Miss.
He’ll vie for playing time in a crowded Rebels tight end room that returns Luke Hasz, Caleb Odom, and Hunter Bradley, though last year’s starter Dae’Quan Wright is off to the NFL.
Michael Smith will bring 12 catches and 126 yards of production with him to Oxford. He will have three years to play after saving his season of eligibility in 2025.
Ole Miss has now added to its second-ranked transfer portal class. Syracuse and South Carolina, meanwhile, lose out on a chance to bring in a talented prospect.
We’ve seen similar contract disputes a few times this offseason. Most notably, Washington quarterback Demond Williams announced transfer intentions after signing a contract to play for the Huskies in 2026.
Ultimately, Williams removed his name from the portal to honor his commitment to Washington. That was not the case for Wake Forest lineman Melvin Siani, who reportedly signed a contract extension with the Demon Deacons in December.
Despite the deal, he entered the portal to transfer to Texas. Wake Forest does not look to be enforcing the contract.
That could be the same for Michael Smith as he no longer appears to be locked into his Syracuse terms.