Marvel Allen enters transfer portal after two injury-plagued seasons with Dayton Flyers

Marvel Allen joined Dayton Flyers teammates Malachi Smith and Isaac Jack in the transfer portal on Tuesday.

Smith and Jack entered the portal on Monday, the first day it was open. Allen, who did not appear in a game in two seasons at Dayton, followed with his decision one day later.

Allen, a 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., should have four seasons of eligibility remaining if the NCAA grants him an extra year.

Allen committed to Dayton in May 2023 after twice reopening his recruitment when his first choices (LSU and Georgetown) fired their coaches. He ranked 104th in the class of 2023, according to Rivals.com.

As a freshman, Allen dislocated his left kneecap in practice the week before the 2023-24 season opener. He returned to practice Nov. 12, but by that time, he had missed so much practice time, the coaches decided to redshirt him.

“I want to play, but unfortunately for me with the injury, the best thing for me was to redshirt,” Allen said last March. “It’s just been a learning experience. Seeing the system, learning where I can fit in and just practicing the routines daily.”

Allen helped the team in practice after returning from his injury but was again sidelined by a left knee problem in the spring and did not participate in practices this summer. He said in July he was not sure if the injury was related to the dislocated kneecap he suffered.

Allen underwent arthroscopic surgery in early June to clean up the knee. He expected to return to action in August, but Grant said in October that Allen had setbacks.

In November, Dayton announced Allen would need two surgeries and would miss the season. The first one took place just before the season started. The second surgery took place in January. Allen was not on the bench for several games as he recovered.

”It’s going to be a long process for him,” Dayton coach Anthony Grant said then. “His family was in town for a few days. He’s not mobile as of yet, so we really haven’t seen him. From what I heard, it’s just a matter of allowing the process to take its course, and hopefully he’ll make a full recovery.”

With the scholarship limit increasing from 13 to 15 in the 2025-26 season, Dayton now has eight open spots, not that it has to fill all of them. Dayton’s 2025-26 roster would look like this if no more players leave, though it’s more likely that others enter the portal.

Seniors: Javon Bennett; and Jacob Conner.

Redshirt sophomores: Jaiun Simon.

Sophomores: Amaël L’Etang; and Hamad Mousa.

Freshmen: Damon Friery; and Jaron McKie.

Allen is the 21st player recruited and signed by Anthony Grant and his staff to enter the transfer portal. Here’s the list of those players, the dates they entered the portal and where they ended up:

• Frankie Policelli, April 10, 2018 (Stony Brook/College of Charleston).

• Jhery Matos, March 30, 2018 (Charlotte).

• Luke Frazier, March 22, 2021 (Ohio/John Carroll)

• Dwayne Cohill, April 16, 2021 (Youngstown State)

• Rodney Chatman, March 23, 2021 (Vanderbilt).

• Lynn Greer III, Dec. 27, 2021 (Saint Joseph’s/Temple).

• Moulaye Sissoko, March 23, 2022 (North Texas)

•. Elijah Weaver, March 29, 2022 (Chicago State).

• Tyrone Baker, Dec. 19, 2022 (Florida SouthWestern State College).

• Kaleb Washington, Dec. 20, 2022 (Butler Community College/Florida A&M).

• Mustapha Amzil, March 21, 2023 (New Mexico).

• R.J. Blakney, March 22, 2023 (Old Dominion).