18 Chanticleers Hit the Portal - But One Key Cog Has Change of Heart
By The Teal Report - December 2025
- “We’re going to lose our best players every year.”
That infamous quote from former Coastal Carolina head coach Tim Beck was the spark that led to his dismissal ahead of the 2025 season. Athletic Director Chance Miller didn’t mince words at the time, publicly calling the mindset unacceptable for a program with expectations to compete at a high level consistently.
Fast forward a year — and no one’s questioning the results. Under first-year head coach Kade Vaughn, Coastal finished 11-3, capturing both the Sun Belt title and a Salute to Veterans Bowl win. The swagger was back. The Teal was feared again.
But as the offseason arrived, Beck’s words started echoing through Conway once more. One after another, key players began announcing their intentions to enter the transfer portal, casting a shadow over an otherwise electric year.
“I’m not leaving Conway for any reason aside from wanting to expand my brand,” said offensive lineman Nick Del Grande. Star running back Ja’Vin Simpkins kept it blunt: “I want to win a National Championship.”
Yet no departure shook the program — or its fan base — like quarterback Roquan Barber’s. The man who led the Chants to nine wins in their final ten games and cemented his status as a locker room leader stunned fans when he declared for the portal.
“He was our catalyst, the dude that stirred the drink,” said Ripp Hamilton on Chants Up!, the flagship podcast covering Chanticleer football. “Of all the guys leaving, he’s the biggest surprise.”
But then came the twist.
Just three days after announcing his transfer, Barber posted a simple message on X:
“I thought that leaving Coastal was going to be the best thing for my career, but after spending some time thinking about the idea of being outside of Conway I just couldn’t do it. LET’S RUN IT BACK COASTAL! #ChantsUp”
The decision reportedly came after a deep conversation with Coach Vaughn — not just about proximity to home, but about what Coastal Carolina’s offense could become in Year 2 under his system.
“We spent a lot of time talking through my full vision for this offense,” Vaughn said. “What we did last year was special, but we were still figuring each other out — me, Roquan, the program. Now that I’ve got my feet under me, now that we’ve got a full offseason ahead? Look out, Sun Belt.
“I told him — I can’t guarantee championships. But I can guarantee people are going to take notice. And he can be the reason why.”
Vaughn was also asked about Beck’s old remarks — the same ones that resurfaced as the portal entries mounted.
“Tim was looking for an excuse, plain and simple,” Vaughn said. “We don’t do excuses in Conway. We do results. I took the same roster he was whining about and turned it into 11 wins. Now watch what I do with an offseason to prepare.
“As for the guys leaving — I wish them the best. But when they look back, they’ll wish they stuck around to be part of what we’re building on the Teal.”
Barber wasn’t the only quarterback to test the waters, but sources confirmed he was the only one Coach Vaughn personally visited to convince him to stay. The effort worked — and it didn’t stop there.
Wide receiver Trishtin Glass (brand exposure) and linebacker Tray Brown (pro potential) also reversed course, choosing to return for another season under Vaughn’s leadership.
Still, the roster turnover is significant. With 15 confirmed portal departures, Coastal now heads into the 2026 season needing to replace 42 total scholarship players.
But as Coach Vaughn made clear, the foundation is set. The question is, will other collegiate athletes around the country take notice? And will it be enough to reload the Teal Wave for another electric season?
Coastal_Carolina_Chanticleers_Players_Leaving
| Name | Position | Class | Overall | Reason for Leaving |
| Jameson Tucker | WR | SR(RS) | 83 | Graduation |
| Nick Del Grande | LT | JR(RS) | 80 | Brand Exposure |
| Jalen John | HB | SR(RS) | 80 | Graduation |
| Ja'Vin Simpkins | HB | JR(RS) | 79 | Champ Contender |
| Sawyer Goriam-Welch | DT | SR(RS) | 79 | Graduation |
| Noah Arinze | DE | SR(RS) | 78 | Graduation |
| Cane Berrong | TE | SR(RS) | 77 | Graduation |
| Dre Pinckney | SS | SR(RS) | 77 | Graduation |
| Camerun Knox | HB | SO(RS) | 76 | Brand Exposure |
| Emmett Brown | QB | JR(RS) | 75 | Brand Exposure |
| Abraham Temoney III | SS | SR(RS) | 75 | Graduation |
| Lionell Whitaker | CB | SR(RS) | 75 | Graduation |
| MJ Morris | QB | JR(RS) | 75 | Brand Exposure |
| Darrion Henry-Young | DT | SR(RS) | 74 | Graduation |
| Thomas Johnson | C | SR(RS) | 74 | Graduation |
| Xamarion Gordon | SS | SR(RS) | 74 | Graduation |
| Malick Meiga | WR | SR(RS) | 74 | Graduation |
| Malcolm Gillie | WR | SR | 74 | Graduation |
| Shane Bruce | LB | SR(RS) | 73 | Graduation |
| Jeffrey Ugochukwu | CB | SR | 73 | Graduation |
| Cameron WRight | WR | SR(RS) | 72 | Graduation |
| Tray Franklin | T | JR(RS) | 72 | Pro Potential |
| Heston Edwards | G | SR(RS) | 71 | Graduation |
| Emile Sebafundi | P | SR | 71 | Graduation |
| Dante Thomas | FS | SR | 71 | Grdauation |
| Anthony Walton | G | SR(RS) | 69 | Graduation |
| Aamarii Notice | DT | SR(RS) | 69 | Graduation |
| Dontae Lunan | LB | SR | 69 | Graduation |
| Avyonne Jones | FS | JR(RS) | 69 | Brand Exposure |
| Brooks Johnson | TE | JR(RS) | 69 | Conference Prestige |
| Kain Mcdonald | G | FR | 67 | Pro Potential |
| Myles Mooyoung | CB | SR(RS) | 67 | Graduation |
| Myles Wood | CB | SO | 66 | Pro Potential |
| Joshua Campbell | G | SR | 66 | Graduation |
| Fredd Adams | CB | JR | 66 | Playing Time |
| Xavier McIntyre | FS | SO | 65 | Brand Exposure |
| DeShawn Bush | FS | SO(RS) | 65 | Brand Exposure |
| Mack West | P | SR(RS) | 64 | Graduation |
| Parker Jennings | FS | FR(RS) | 64 | Brand Exposure |
| Nate Gregory | KB | FR | 61 | Brand Exposure |
| Jayden Jackson | CB | SR(RS) | 61 | Graduation |
| Travis Nesbit | DT | SR(RS) | 59 | Graduation |
man just wanted to get paid!
