Transfer Portal: Former Army TE Blane Cleaver commits to Bowling Green

Blane Cleaver bet on himself, stepping away from Army football and the academy to check out opportunities in the transfer portal.

Cleaver, who played tight end for the Black Knights, received instant interest when the portal opened for him. Many coaches and programs that had recruited Cleaver out of Berwick (Pa.) High “picked up right where they left off.”

The most aggressive school was Bowling Green, the first team to offer the 6-foot-3, 240-pound tight end in the portal. Cleaver took an official visit last week and announced his commitment to the Mid-American Conference school Friday with three years of eligibility left.

“I wanted to chase my degree while also having an opportunity to play the sport I love for a couple of more years and ultimately give myself the best chance of chasing my dreams (of playing at the highest stage) since I was a little kid,” Cleaver said.

Bowling Green’s 2024 non-conference schedule was also attractive to Cleaver. The Falcons play at Penn State Sept. 7 and at Texas A&M Sept. 21.

Cleaver, who battled a hamstring injury in the first half of the 2023 season, played in one game (Coastal Carolina) as a junior. He appeared in five games his sophomore year in 2022.

Entering the transfer portal is a little more unique as a service academy. Cleaver waited to be outprocessed from West Point. Compliance handled the rest “quite easily,” Cleaver said.

Cleaver plans on graduating next spring with a degree in individualized studies and then pursuing master’s degree.