Dec 27, 2025 – SI.com
Star Boise State defensive back to enter transfer portal
Two Boise State players announced their intention to enter the transfer portal on Saturday.
Starting safety Ty Benefield, a senior-to-be, and backup freshman running back Greg Ard will both be searching for a new home when the winter transfer portal opens on Friday.
A first-team all-Mountain West selection in 2025, Benefield started all 14 games as a junior and led the Broncos with 105 total tackles. He also recorded three pass breakups, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery and was named Defensive Most Valuable Player of the Mountain West championship game.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Benefield also started every game last season as Boise State reached the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.
“While Boise has been my home for three years, sometimes you have to leave home in order to grow,” Benefield wrote on X. “To my coaches, the community, and my brothers who went to battle with me, thank you. We accomplished something special here, including three straight MWC championships and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
“I will be entering the transfer portal with gratitude in my heart. Excited for the next chapter and the challenges God places before me.”
“I will be entering the transfer portal with gratitude in my heart. Excited for the next chapter and the challenges God places before me.”
Dec 27, 2025 – Twitter
The Official Announcement
Dec 27, 2025 – Twitter
The Reactions
Dec 27, 2025 – KTVN
Boise State Safety Ty Benefield Enters Transfer Portal
BOISE, Idaho — Boise State defensive back Ty Benefield, one of the Broncos’ most productive and experienced players in the secondary, has entered the NCAA transfer portal, announcing his decision in a social media post.
Benefield shared the news on Instagram, thanking Boise State, his coaches and teammates while indicating he plans to explore new opportunities.
Benefield was a multi-year contributor for the Broncos and emerged as a cornerstone of Boise State’s defense, known for his physical style of play and versatility in the secondary.
During the 2024 season, Benefield started every game and led Boise State with more than 80 total tackles, while also recording two interceptions, tackles for loss and pass breakups. He played a high volume of defensive snaps and served as a leader on the back end of the defense.
He followed that performance with another strong season in 2025. Benefield again led the Broncos in tackles, finishing with 105 total tackles. He added two interceptions, multiple tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, anchoring a defense that helped Boise State capture the Mountain West championship. His play earned him All-Mountain West First Team honors and Mountain West Championship Game Defensive MVP recognition.
Dec 27, 2025 – Idaho Statesman
Boise State’s all-conference safety, title game MVP to enter transfer portal
Boise State football’s secondary took a big hit on Saturday morning. With less than a week to go until the college football transfer portal officially opens Jan. 2, junior safety Ty Benefield announced via social media that he would be leaving Boise State to enter the portal. “While Boise has been my home for three years, sometimes you have to leave home in order to grow,” Benefield, a native of Altadena, California, posted on Instagram. “I will be entering the transfer portal with gratitude in my heart, excited for the next chapter and the challenges God places before me,” Benefield wrote later in the post.
Benefield began his Boise State career in 2023 as a freshman and quickly became an integral part of the defense, playing in 13 games. He went on to start all 14 games in each of his sophomore and junior years and became a leader on defense, earning Honorable Mention All-Mountain West in 2024 and All-Mountain West first team in 2025.
Dec 27, 2025 – SI.com
Star Boise State defensive back to enter transfer portal
A first-team all-Mountain West selection in 2025, Benefield started all 14 games as a junior and led the Broncos with 105 total tackles. He also recorded three pass breakups, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery and was named Defensive Most Valuable Player of the Mountain West championship game.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Benefield also started every game last season as Boise State reached the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history.
“While Boise has been my home for three years, sometimes you have to leave home in order to grow,” Benefield wrote on X. “To my coaches, the community, and my brothers who went to battle with me, thank you. We accomplished something special here, including three straight MWC championships and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Dec 27, 2025 – KVTB YouTube
Boise State standout Ty Benefield enters transfer portal
Link: https://youtu.be/2AT74YkOeqQ?si=nHuaGuOoVQYok0XB
Dec 27, 2025 – SI.com
Two-time All-Conference DB enters college football transfer portal
Another gem out of the defensive backfield has entered the transfer portal
The college football transfer portal doesn’t open for official business until January, but that hasn’t stopped many players across the nation from announcing their intention to enter it come 2026.
On Saturday, another defensive gem entered the market out of the Group of Five ranks. On3 posted on X that Boise State safety Ty Benefield would be entering the portal. He spent three seasons with the Broncos and is likely to be a highly-coveted target in the defensive backfield for top programs.
Ty Benefield led the Mountain West conference in solo tackles by the end of his 2025 campaign, notching an even 70 on the season. He also eclipsed the century mark in terms of total tackles with 107 of those. Benefield added 8.5 tackles for loss along with two interceptions, four passes defended, one forced fumble and fumble recovery. That’s a havoc-generating player out of the defensive backfield who doubles as the most consistent tackler in a respectable college football conference.
For his career to date, spanning three full seasons, Benefield 235 total tackles and five interceptions. The rising senior also boasts experience in the College Football Playoff after Boise State made a trip in the first-ever 12-team field in 2024. When it comes to PFF grading, Benefield fairs well, having scored respectably in the low-70s and mid-60s through his three seasons.
In need of more Benefield accolades? Good, there are some. Let’s start with a cool one, that Benefield was a finalist for the Cornish Award given annually to the top Canadien player in NCAA football. In addition to that prestigious honor, he was the Mountain West Championship MVP in 2025, appeared on back-to-back All-Conference teams in 2024 and 2025 — and he’s even a two-time member of the All-Academic team.
Ty Benefield wasn’t a heralded recruit coming out of high school, ranking just outside the top 1,300 in Rivals’ rankings of the 2023 recruiting class. He was the No. 138 safety and No. 129 player out of the state of California for his cycle. Now, he’ll almost certainly be a top-10 defensive back in the transfer portal ahead of his final season of college football.
Coming out of Rancho Santa Margarita, could a move up the ladder to an even larger West Coast brand be the next move for Ty Benefield? He’ll likely have the world as his oyster during this recruitment. With high-level Group of Five experience, and heck, CFP experience, plus the incredible stat sheet, Benefield is liable to draw attention from schools in every single major college football conference.
Dec 29, 2025 –
Boise State standout DB Ty Benefield to enter the transfer portal
https://superwestsports.com/boise-state-standout-db-ty-benefield-to-enter-the-transfer-portal
Boise State defensive back Ty Benefield, one of the Broncos’ most productive and experienced players in the secondary, has entered the NCAA transfer portal, announcing his decision in a social media post.
Benefield shared the news on Instagram, thanking Boise State, his coaches and teammates while indicating he plans to explore new opportunities.
Benefield was a multi-year contributor for the Broncos and emerged as a cornerstone of Boise State’s defense, known for his physical style of play and versatility in the secondary.
Dec 29, 2025 – Idaho Press
Boise State safety Ty Benefield to enter transfer portal
Benefield has been a mainstay on the Boise State football team the past three seasons, starting 33 games since 2023, including all 28 the past two seasons. He’s had 235 tackles while at Boise State, including 18 for a loss and three sacks. He also added five interceptions in his career.
After a season with 107 tackles and two interceptions, Benefield was named a first-team All-Mountain West selection after the 2025 season. Following a 38-21 win against UNLV in the Mountain West Championship game, a game where he led the Broncos with eight tackles and a fumble recovery, Benefield was named the game’s defensive MVP.
There was some speculation as to whether or not Benefield would declare early for the NFL Draft this offseason, but he will leave Boise State and use his final year of college eligibility elsewhere.
Boise State safety Ty Benefield (0) celebrates an interception, stopping a Washington State drive in the end zone at the end of the first half on Sept. 28, 2024, in Boise.AP Photo/Steve Conner
Dec 29, 2025 – Pro Star Sports Agency – Instagram
Agent annoucement
Dec 30, 2025 – Hero Sports.com
College Football Transfer Portal News: Ty Benefield Is Boise State’s Latest Starter To Hit The Portal. Will More Follow?
Boise State safety Ty Benefield’s decision to enter the transfer portal caught more than one fan off guard. Most expected the three-year starter to declare for the NFL Draft or return to Boise, Idaho, for his senior season.
Shortly after Boise State’s 38-10 loss to Washington in the LA Bowl last week, Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson announced his star defensive back was seeking a NFL Draft grade and would make a decision about his future after talking to his family. On Saturday, Benefield announced he was hitting the portal.
“While Boise has been my home for three years, sometimes you have to leave home in order to grow,” he wrote on X/Twitter.
Benefield’s stats suggest he could demand a pretty big payday wherever he lands, especially if it’s a Power Four program. He has started 33 games, including five as a true freshman in 2023, and he is the Broncos’ leading tackler for the second year in a row. He led the team with 82 last season and paced Boise State with 107 this year. He also has five career interceptions.
He has the accolades to go with those stats. Benefield is a two-time All-Mountain West pick, including first-team honors this year, and he was named Defensive MVP of the conference title game after posting a team-high eight tackles and a fumble recovery in a 38-21 win over UNLV.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound California native also has professional football in his blood. His father, David Benefield, spent 13 seasons as a linebacker in the Canadian Football League, where he played for five different clubs between 1992 and 2005. He also spent the 1996 season with the San Francisco 49ers.
Benefield was coached by his father for much of his young life, and his dad continues to mentor him on and off the field. Even if the duo is separated by a few hundred miles, they talk on the phone before every game. Benefield said it helps him lock in.
“He always told me that whatever you’ve got going on in your life, if you’ve got girl problems or issues with school, football is your time to let go of everything and focus on the task at hand,” Benefield said. “It’s funny because he thought I never used to listen to him because we argued a lot when I was younger, but I listened to everything he said.”
Dec 31, 2025 – KVTB 7
Scott Slant: Is Wazzu a real-for-real rival?
CASEY’S INVITE & BENEFIELD’S MOVE
The transaction wire was en fuego during Christmas week. On the positive side, Boise State left tackle Kage Casey accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl a month from now. On the not-so-positive side, there are now 14 soon-to-be-former Broncos headed for the transfer portal at the end of the week, although the only real impact player among them is safety Ty Benefield. Instead of going to the NFL, Benefield will go somewhere else for his final year of eligibility. Boise State can compete when it comes to national exposure for its players, witness Ashton Jeanty last year. It cannot compete with Power 4 money, and Benefield is poised for a payday with his 253 career tackles and five interceptions. Couple that with the fact that there sure won’t be any less exposure at his next stop, and there you go.
Dec Jan 2, 2026 – Clemson Insider
More Portal Safeties Worth Keeping an Eye On
https://www.theclemsoninsider.com/2026/01/02/more-portal-safeties-worth-keeping-an-eye-on\
Earlier in the week, The Clemson Insider released a list of portal players worth watching, which was littered with defensive backs. Today, we wanted to pass along a few more portal safeties worth keeping an eye on.
Boise State’s Ty Benefield is another potential candidate. A staple on the backend of the Broncos’ defense the past three seasons, Benefield has started 33 games since the start of 2023, including all 28 over the past two seasons.
Benefield was named a first-team All-Mountain West selection this season after posting 107 tackles and two interceptions.
Jan 4, 2026 – X
Official Portal Announcement
Jan 4, 2026 – Instagram
Portal Reactions
Jan 4, 2026 – Hashtag
Jan 4, 2026 – Dawgs HQ
Portal Buzz
Jan 5, 2026 – Yahooo Sports
Four players Tennessee should target in the portal
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/four-players-tennessee-target-portal-132436294.html
Ty Benefield, DB, Boise State
The Vols missed out on Tawfiq Byard, as the talented defensive back committed to Texas A&M on Sunday. There are plenty of other talented safeties in the portal, though, and Ty Benefield would be a perfect target.
Benefield racked up 69 tackles, one forced fumble, and two interceptions for Boise State in 2025. The defensive back visited LSU on Sunday, but if he doesn’t reach an agreement, Josh Heupel needs to be on the phone. Benefield can play as a box safety or in the slot, and his physicality would be welcomed in the Tennessee secondary.
Jan 5, 2026 – DieHard Sports
Michigan Now Has Inroad To Land One Of The Best Portal Defenders With Newest Hire
With the addition of former Boise State co-DC Tyler Stockton as a safeties coach, one of the top players in the portal, Ty Benefield, is one to watch closely:
Jan 5, 2026 – The Advertiser
LSU football transfer portal tracker: Lane Kiffin lands 1st portal commit
New LSU coach Lane Kiffin has more clarity on where his first roster with the Tigers stand and where he and his coaching staff’s focus should lock in. Quarterback was always going to be one of the biggest needs for LSU and running back was a spot of need for depth as well but now tailback will be a higher priority.
Boise State safety Ty Benefield visits LSU football
LSU football hosted Boise State junior safety transfer Ty Benefield Sunday. He is one of the top safeties in the transfer portal.
At Boise State, Benefield was an all-conference player in 2025. Benefield piled up 105 tackles with two picks, a forced fumble and fumble recovery for the Broncos.
Jan 5, 2026 – Maize and Brew
Michigan hiring Boise State co-DC Tyler Stockton as safeties coach
Link: https://www.maizenbrew.com/football/102907/michigan-football-boise-state-tyler-stockton-kyle-whittningham-safeties-coach
Michigan has a couple veteran safeties in Brandyn Hillman and Mason Curtis, and young safeties to be excited about, including Jordan Young and Jacob Oden. Now that group will have a new leader and their own position coach, splitting the previous duties of LaMar Morgan into two jobs. I’m also intrigued to see what impact Stockton can have on Michigan’s recruiting; perhaps he can land Boise State safety transfer Ty Benefield and get off to a hot start.
Jan 6, 2026 – GBM Wolverine
Michigan and Kyle Whittingham going after this stud safety needs to happen
One of the transfer players who the Wolverines have already set their sights on is four-star safety Ty Benefield, who spent the last three years with the Boise State Broncos.
Michigan targets CFP-experienced Ty Benefield
Benefield didn’t see major playing time until last year, but the 2024 season resulted in a College Football Playoff berth for the Broncos, giving the veteran defensive back invaluable postseason experience.
Over the last three seasons, Benefield amassed 233 total tackles (161 solo), 11 pass deflections, five interceptions (50 yards), three sacks, and two forced fumbles.
In other words, he is always everywhere all at once when his team’s defensive unit trots onto the field.
The reason Benefield heading to Ann Arbor simply makes sense is because Whittingham just hired his position coach, Tyler Stockton, from Boise State. So, Benefield would simply be following his coach to a bigger program (exactly what they both deserve after this past season).
This year, the Broncos finished as Mountain West Champions, defeating the top-seeded UNLV Rebels in the conference championship game. Over the year, Benefield earned a career-high 105 total tackles, and tied his career highs for interceptions (2) and forced fumbles (1).
Coming out of high school Benefield was a three-star prospect and the No. 138 safety in the class of 2023. Now, he is a four-star and the No. 9 safety and No. 97 overall prospect in the entire transfer portal.
Whittingham needs to go all in on Benefield, and he should undeniably receive some help from Stockton standing in his corner.
Jan 6, 2026 – LSU Tigers Wire – USA Today
LSU football signs veteran transfer portal safety
LSU football added a highly-touted defender to its transfer portal class on Tuesday. According to The Advocate’s Wilson Alexander, the Tigers are signing former Boise State safety Ty Benefield.
Benefield is one of the top safeties in the portal. Per 247Sports, Benefield is the No. 33-ranked player available. The On3 Transfer Portal Industry Rankings consider Benefield top-10 at his position.
Benefield brings a wealth of experience to LSU’s defense, playing over 2,000 snaps in three years at Boise State. In 2025, he made 80 tackles and recorded 30 stops to go along with two interceptions and three pressures. In his career, he’s racked up 71 stops, five interceptions, two forced fumbles, 15 pressures, and three sacks.
Benefield is versatile. LSU returns TaMarcus Cooley and Da’Shawn Spears at safety, but LSU DC Blake Baker likes to play three safeties in his dime package. We could see Benefield assume the STAR role if LSU opts to play a traditional defensive back in that position with Harold Perkins off to the NFL.
Jan 6, 2026 – Idaho Statesman
Former standout safety at Boise State joins controversial coach in SEC
Former Boise State standout safety Ty Benefield is switching orange and blue for purple and gold. College athletics outlet On3 reported Tuesday morning that Benefield committed to play for LSU in his final year of eligibility. Benefield posted a picture on social media with new LSU coach Lane Kiffin on Tuesday with the caption “Geaux!” and a tiger emoji.
Benefield announced on Dec. 27 that he would enter the transfer portal after spending three years of eligibility with Boise State. Now he’ll go from the Mountain West to the SEC. “While Boise has been my home for three years, sometimes you have to leave home in order to grow,” Benefield, a native of Altadena, California, posted on Instagram in his announcement. Benefield could be a starter on day one in Baton Rouge. LSU is losing all-SEC safety A.J. Haulcy to the NFL Draft and also lost several other secondary players to the transfer portal. Additionally, Benefield is the first defensive player the Tigers and Kiffin — who jilted Ole Miss for a rival to take his sixth coaching job in 15 years — have signed out of the portal.
Jan 6, 2026 – Sportsnet
Canadian safety Ty Benefield to transfer to LSU
Link: https://www.sportsnet.ca/ncaa-mens-football/article/canadian-safety-ty-benefield-to-transfer-to-lsu/
One of Canada’s top NCAA football players is going to play for a headline-making coach.
Safety Ty Benefield is transferring to LSU from Boise State, the Vancouver native announced Tuesday.
LSU’s new head coach is Lane Kiffin, who attracted a bidding war after leading Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff this season. Kiffin ultimately decided to jump to another Southeastern Conference (SEC) program, while Ole Miss has advanced to the CFP semifinals without him.
The SEC is one of the power four conferences in the NCAA, giving Benefield a much bigger platform heading into his NFL and CFL Draft year.
Boise State is in the smaller Mountain West Conference. Benefield helped Boise State reach the College Football Playoff last season before the squad captured its third conference title in a row this season.
Benefield was the defensive game MVP in this year’s conference title game and on the Mountain West’s first all-star team for the year.
Benefield, the son of former CFL star linebacker Daved Benefield,. has been one of five finalists for the Jon Cornish Trophy as the top Canadian in NCAA football the past two years.
Jan 6, 2026 – Yahoo Sports
Boise State transfer defensive back Ty Benefield commits to LSU
Link: https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/boise-state-transfer-defensive-back-170356755.html
Boise State transfer defensive back Ty Benefield has committed to LSU, On3 has learned. He just finished up his junior season with the Broncos, where he amassed 105 total tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble.
Benefield played high school football at Santa Margarita Catholic (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA), where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 1376 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted algorithm that compiles all major recruiting media services.
The 2025-26 college football transfer portal will last 15 days, spanning from Jan. 2 to Jan. 16, the NCAA decided. While players have just over two weeks to enter the portal, they’re not under a deadline to commit when they enter. Traditionally, the cut-off for committing has been how late a school can enroll a player through admissions, so it varies throughout the sport.
Jan 7, 2026 – Hero Sports
College Football Transfer Portal: Elite Playmakers Going To LSU, Oklahoma State
Ty Benefield To LSU
Lane Kiffin is already adding several star players from the G6 going into his first season as LSU’s head coach. Former Boise State defensive back Ty Benefield is one of them.
Benefield was a first-team All-Mountain West selection and the Mountain West Championship Defensive MVP in 2025. He was an all-conference honorable mention the year prior.
This past season as a junior, he totaled 107 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, five passes defended, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. In 2024, he tallied 82 tackles, five TFLs, two interceptions, five passes defended, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. In three seasons at Boise State, he has recorded 235 tackles, 18 TFLs, three sacks, five picks, and 16 passes defended.
It was possible Benefield, a four-star transfer prospect ranked 35th overall and is the second-best safety via 247Sports, pursued a professional career after the 2025 campaign. But instead, he’s heading to LSU, which is a great addition for the Tigers.
Jan 7, 2026 – Various
Online response to announcement
