A Rutgers University defensive back has entered the transfer portal in order to find a school that doesn’t require the COVID-19 vaccine.
Peyton Powell, a rising sophomore, tweeted Tuesday afternoon that “Rutgers has made the COVID vaccine mandatory to attend school and play football, therefore I have no other choice but to enter my name in the transfer portal.”
Rutgers, which is located in New Jersey, recently updated its Immunization Requirements for Students to include the COVID-19 vaccine. In March, a university press release read, “This health policy update means that, with limited exceptions, all students planning to attend in the Fall 2021 semester must be fully vaccinated.”
Powell graduated from Permian High School in Odessa, Texas, in 2019. According to USA TODAY, the 6-foot-2 safety initially signed with Baylor, but left the program before the season.
He didn’t receive any playing time after transferring to Rutgers in December 2019. At the start of 2021 training camp, Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said that Powell was not on the roster, and said again Monday that nothing has changed.
Schiano said Rutgers’ vaccination rate was higher than 90 percent before training camp.
