On December 6th, Gardner-Webb linebacker Ty French entered the transfer portal. The six-foot-three, 230 pound linebacker will have a single season of eligibility remaining, having spent his collegiate career with the Bulldogs since 2020.

Prior to the start of the 2023 season, French landed on the Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List and Buck Buchanan Award Watch List, while earning recognition from Stats Perform and Blue Bloods as a Preseason FCS First Team All-American, while being named the Phil Steele Preseason Big South-OVC Defensive Player of the Year.

In his 2023 campaign, French accumulated 122 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 21 quarterback hits, and seven pass breakups. French set the school record for career sacks with 30.5. His efforts earned him First Team All-Conference honors for the fourth straight year, while being a Buck Buchanan Award finalist for the second straight year.

Between 2021 and 2022, French was named to the 2021 Hero Sports Sophomore All-America Team, First Team All-Conference honors (2021, 2022), a finalist bid for the Buck Buchanan Award (2022), and was named the Big South Defensive Player of the Year (2022). Between the two seasons, he combined for 136 tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss, 21 sacks, an interception, a pass deflection, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.

In his Spring 2021 season, he was named the 2021 Big South Defensive Freshman of the Year and a First Team HERO Sports Freshman All-American.

French, since entering the portal, has garnered offers from notable programs such as West Virginia, Houston, and Western Kentucky.