#Rutgers football player Peyton Powell to transfer over COVID vaccine mandate

A Rutgers University football player announced Tuesday that he is transferring from the school over its COVID-19 vaccine requirement.

Peyton Powell, a defensive end who joined the team in December 2019, said in a tweet that the vaccine mandate left him with “no other choice but to enter my name into the transfer portal.”

A Texas native, Powell began in Baylor’s 2019 recruiting class, NorthJersey.com reported, before transferring to Rutgers, where he never got any playing time.

Powell was not listed on Rutgers’ roster at the start of this summer’s training camp, the publication reported, citing coach Greg Schiano.

Rutgers University last March announced its coronavirus vaccine requirement for all students before they return for the fall semester.

At the time, the New Jersey school was believed to have been the first in the nation to issue such a mandate.