Western Kentucky defensive lineman Victory Vaka has entered the transfer portal after earning another season of eligibility, according to Chris Hummer of 247Sports. He was granted a temporary injunction on Wednesday, allowing him to enter.
He needed a temporary injunction after his eligibility was jeopardized by an off-field matter. He took time away from the Western Kentucky program to attend the funeral of his mom, Sarah Mataele, after she died unexpectedly on April 2.
According to Vaka, via Alaina Morris of the Louisville Courier Journal, an assistant strength coach called him nine days before the funeral and told the defensive lineman he needed to return to Bowling Green by June. On May 26, his position coach called him to ask where he was,
and Travis Taylor, the chief of staff at Western Kentucky, told Vaka and his agent one day later that the program had decided to revoke his scholarship.
Multiple teams were interested in his transfer, but NCAA rules prevented him from using the portal because of how he left. Western Kentucky designated Vaka as a "failure to report," a disciplinary dismissal that made him ineligible for the exemption.
Vaka, a former three-star recruit, started his career at BYU. He didn't play at BYU, but he played two seasons at College of the Canyons and the 2025 season at Texas Southern before transferring to Western Kentucky for his final season of eligibility. Now, he's free to go to a place where he can compete for a starting job.
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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Western Kentucky DL enters transfer portal after gaining eligibility
