A walk-on running back at Fresno State, Estevan Barragan announced in May he was leaving the NCAA Division-I college.

“I would like to thank Coach DeBoer, Coach Marks, and the Fresno State coaching staff for bringing me in to their program,” the 2018 Central Valley High School grad stated in a post on Twitter. “I am forever grateful for the relationships I’ve made here in Fresno as well as my teammates and coaches. With that being said I’ll be entering the transfer portal to finish my college career.” 

Barragan, who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 173 pounds, plans to play football at Fresno City College this fall. 

He’s hoping to boost his stock.

“Coaches from Fresno City have been contacting me since I entered the portal,” said Barragan, who currently has four years of eligibility remaining. “It’s a perfect fit. Hopefully, I do well this season and get a scholarship offer from another Division-I school. I know I can play at that level.”

“There is a business side to it (college sports),” he added. “You got to do what’s best for yourself. I didn’t want to waste my years of eligibility (at Fresno State). This is just another obstacle in front of me. It’s nothing major. I have to keep pushing myself. I put so much pressure on myself to be the best I can be.”

Barragan made history in 2019 when he became the first student-athlete from Central Valley High School to make a NCAA Division-I football roster.

Barragan was a member of the Fresno State football team for two seasons.

He didn’t play in a game in 2020 and redshirted in 2019.

Barragan suited up at running back on the scout team during practices. He helped prepare the Bulldogs’ first-team defense for games.

Barragan earned Scout Team Player of the Week honors leading up to Fresno State’s 35-16 win at Utah State. He was rewarded for his contributions on special teams.

“The stuff I learned at Fresno State will be used at Fresno City College,” Barragan said. “I have a lot of knowledge about the running back position. I know what I bring to the table. I just got to keep competing and fight for a starting role. Once I get my opportunity to shine, I’m going to take full advantage of it.”