CBS: Inside the chaotic transfer portal recruiting process consuming the college football offseason

[BleedGopher]

per CBS:

After four years at Stanford, defensive back Jonathan McGill decided it was time for something new. The Coppell, Texas, native excelled with 17 passes defended and 116 tackles during a strong career; he even earned captain honors as a senior. But after coach David Shaw resigned and ended his 12-year run with the Cardinal, it was time for McGill to move on as well.

Just after 6 p.m. local time on Nov. 28, 2022, two days after Stanford's final game of the season and Shaw's subsequent resignation, McGill sent out a tweet announcing his intent to enter the transfer portal as a graduate transfer. Stanford's compliance staff alerted him that it would take some time before his name ultimately showed up in the portal, so he settled down to play video games.

Suddenly, his phone went crazy.

Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Twitter DMs. Instagram DMs. Texts. Phone calls. Recruiting coordinators. Graduate assistants. Coaches he knew. Schools he did not.

"My phone was blowing up," McGill told CBS Sports. "A lot of different schools -- D-I, Power Five, non-Power Five, [FCS]. It was crazy just the amount of attention and amount of people that reached out."

Virginia cornerback transfer Fentrell Cypress II was an overlooked high school recruit with offers from only a handful of ACC schools. But when he entered the transfer portal on Dec. 5, 247Sports rated Cypress as the No. 4 overall transfer in the nation. Similarly, schools came calling instantly.

"It was kind of surprising how hyped I was getting during the moment," Cypress said during a January media availability at Florida State, where he ultimately transferred. "At the same time, it was a blessing. I just tried to take it day by day and go through the process, and was just thankful for this blessing that God had given me. But it was overwhelming."

Over a six week period at the conclusion of the regular season, nearly 2,000 FBS players -- from seasoned veterans like McGill to redshirt freshmen seeking playing time -- entered the transfer portal in search of new homes.

Inside the chaotic transfer portal recruiting process consuming the college football offseason

Nearly 2,000 players entered the transfer portal after the 2022 season, and there's no sense of it slowing down

www.cbssports.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[short ornery norwegian]

I have no problem with people transferring if they are trying trying to find the right fit or situation.

but here's a (potential) issue - I hope players don't get into the mindset of "well, I'll accept an offer from this school, and if it doesn't work, I can always transfer."

I really hope that HS players who make a commitment will do so with the intention that they plan to stay at that school.

and the other issue is academics. as long as college athletes are allegedly "student-athletes," they need to be meeting academic requirements. I just wonder how that works when players are transferring left and right. has to be a challenge just to get credits transferred, etc.

 

[BleedGopher]

I have no problem with people transferring if they are trying trying to find the right fit or situation.

but here's a (potential) issue - I hope players don't get into the mindset of "well, I'll accept an offer from this school, and if it doesn't work, I can always transfer."

I really hope that HS players who make a commitment will do so with the intention that they plan to stay at that school.

and the other issue is academics. as long as college athletes are allegedly "student-athletes," they need to be meeting academic requirements. I just wonder how that works when players are transferring left and right. has to be a challenge just to get credits transferred, etc.

You "hope players don't get into the mindset of 'well, I'll accept an offer from this school, and if it doesn't work, I can always transfer."'...that's now the mindset now of nearly every college athlete. That bus has left the station.

Go Gophers!!

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

You "hope players don't get into the mindset of 'well, I'll accept an offer from this school, and if it doesn't work, I can always transfer."'...that's now the mindset now of nearly every college athlete. That bus has left the station.

Go Gophers!!

It’s also reality.


It’s how I work…

 

[short ornery norwegian]

Here's what I'm trying to say:

If you're doing your job with one eye on the door, I don't think you're going to do your best job. Whatever you're doing, you need to be committed to it. If you go to work in the morning with the attitude of, "bleep it, I can always get another job," is the quality of your work really going to be the best?

and that's my concern about players transferring. If they show up for practice thinking "bleep it, I can always transfer," are they really going to be trying their hardest or giving their best effort?

again, if you take a job, and it just doesn't work out for some reason, hey, that's life. All I'm saying is - give it your best shot and then, if it doesn't work out, that's when you look at your options.

 

[Plato]

I have always thought that if coaches can leave for what they perceive as a better opportunity the players should also have the same opportunity.

 

[#2Gopher]

I have no idea how, but we would all agree for the most part that the transfer portal has changed the mindset of many players. If they have a bad practice, issue with a teammate, coach gets on them a bit to excel, etc. They start thinking about transferring instead of stepping up and working out whatever is bothering them. It really isn't helping the players to grow up in a sense. They are quitting too quickly in my opinion.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

I have always thought that if coaches can leave for what they perceive as a better opportunity the players should also have the same opportunity.

Absolutely, we just need to build the system to force the athletes to pay a buyout too.

If we want this to really mirror the coaching situation.

 

[Gophers1992]

Absolutely, we just need to build the system to force the athletes to pay a buyout too.

If we want this to really mirror the coaching situation.

I assume you mean have the option to have a contract with a buyout? Because coaching contracts don't have to have a buyout. Jimbo Fisher can leave A&M tomorrow without paying a penny.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

I assume you mean have the option to have a contract with a buyout? Because coaching contracts don't have to have a buyout. Jimbo Fisher can leave A&M tomorrow without paying a penny.

Well, I mean, they would probably be fixed if they were given to athletes because their return (scholarship) is fixed. But yes, if we want to compare it coaches, the NCAA should consider putting in a buyout clause to contracts.

 

[Plato]

Absolutely, we just need to build the system to force the athletes to pay a buyout too.

If we want this to really mirror the coaching situation.

It is my understanding the team that requires the coach pays the buyout for the coach.
Players do not have a contract for a given salary for a given number of years like a coach does; so there is no comparison.
The NIL is not between the player and his school but between a donor and the player.
Perhaps the donors could require a buyout if a player leaves early.

 

[PMWinSTP]

This will settle down sooner than later. I think roughly half entering the portal landed somewhere.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

It is my understanding the team that requires the coach pays the buyout for the coach.
Players do not have a contract for a given salary for a given number of years like a coach does; so there is no comparison.
The NIL is not between the player and his school but between a donor and the player.
Perhaps the donors could require a buyout if a player leaves early.

That is usually how it works, but the contract is between the coach and the previous school. The coach, when he leaves, usually negotiates for the school hiring him to pay it. However, the contract is between the coach and his employer.

I agree with the highlighted which is was really the point I was getting it. You were comparing their freedom to move (coaches) with the student's freedom to move.

I'm glad you've seen the light. Comparing the two situations is stupid, so stop doing it.

 

[Plato]

Aren't you the imperious one tonight?
I will take your admonishment under advisement.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Aren't you the imperious one tonight?
I will take your admonishment under advisement.

It wasn't order. I guess it was short-speak for "if you don't want to look like an idiot, stop doing it".

Within two posts you compared the situation between players and coaches and then said you shouldn't compare the situations between players and coaches. If you want to continue saying dumb sh!t, say dumb sh!t.

 

[Plato]

In addition to your needing to take a clear writing course, I would suggest your buying a Thesaurus to improve your vocabulary.

 

[GopherTheJugular]

Here's what I'm trying to say:

If you're doing your job with one eye on the door, I don't think you're going to do your best job.

I don't think that's always the case, and the opposite can be true. Take my profession, software engineering. Now the "holy grail" is to work for a place like Microsoft, Apple, Google etc. and get paid a ton. But if they don't hire you out of college, there's nothing wrong with busting your butt at whatever company you ended up at, then contacting Microsoft later and saying, "look at me, I'm way better than I was x years ago, can I interview again?"

Most engineers would be working hard at their current job in that situation. If they don't, they have no shot at Microsoft.

I think something might be similar for business too - don't people go to McKenzie to work their tail off for 4 years knowing that after that they can write their ticket to any job they want?

So if you wanted to go to Georgia, but they didn't offer, wouldn't someone try really hard at a school like ours, in hopes of moving up?

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Here's what I'm trying to say:

If you're doing your job with one eye on the door, I don't think you're going to do your best job. Whatever you're doing, you need to be committed to it. If you go to work in the morning with the attitude of, "bleep it, I can always get another job," is the quality of your work really going to be the best?

and that's my concern about players transferring. If they show up for practice thinking "bleep it, I can always transfer," are they really going to be trying their hardest or giving their best effort?

again, if you take a job, and it just doesn't work out for some reason, hey, that's life. All I'm saying is - give it your best shot and then, if it doesn't work out, that's when you look at your options.

Does that apply to other things?

Should it apply to my job? That would suck....

College football players are already restricted on how often they can transfer more than I am.

"hey that's life" and these kind of arguments all just seem like selfish fan ideas made to serve them rather than "life".

 

[#2Gopher]

This will settle down sooner than later. I think roughly half entering the portal landed somewhere.

Not so sure how. Money will always rule so not sure why this issue would slow down.

 

[PMWinSTP]

Not so sure how. Money will always rule so not sure why this issue would slow down.

Not all are moving for $$ (many are not) they still will have to most likely sit for a year, and there will be more flops with NIL deals that will slow those down too. Plus it's about a 50% proposition right now that they actually land somewhere else.