Transfer Portal and Other Big Ten Schools

[RDUBoiler]

We're definitely not alone when it comes to significant numbers of transfers. Every scholarship quarterback at Michigan State has entered the portal, including one QB who appears to have done so basically out of spite at the new coach (who didn't recruit him when he was at Oregon State). This is from The Athletic, which is a paid site, but for those of you who subscribe, it's an interesting read.

All 3 Michigan State QBs enter transfer portal

Noah Kim, Sam Leavitt and Katin Houser are all searching for new homes in 2024.

theathletic.com

 

[Tommaker]

We're definitely not alone when it comes to significant numbers of transfers. Every scholarship quarterback at Michigan State has entered the portal, including one QB who appears to have done so basically out of spite at the new coach (who didn't recruit him when he was at Oregon State). This is from The Athletic, which is a paid site, but for those of you who subscribe, it's an interesting read.

All 3 Michigan State QBs enter transfer portal

Noah Kim, Sam Leavitt and Katin Houser are all searching for new homes in 2024.

theathletic.com

I'd REALLY like to see the complete numbers on the portal. Someone posted something last year either here or over in the IU site that showed an amazing amount of these young men (the vast majority) NEVER end up at another school and in fact never play football again.

I think the problem is everyone looks at it as a minus sum equation, where these schools are losing players so there must be tremendous need for additional. But if you look at loss through the portal v. incoming classes (personal opinion, these will get bigger because they HAVE to) and the addition of JUCO and inbound portal players, Don't they end right back where they started from?

With the exception of coaching changes and internal team strife where you get the wholesale departures, I would say you'll now have

- The occasional top player(s) who is getting more somewhere else
- Those who think or know they are being recruited over
- Those being asked to change positions
- Those looking for more playing time
- the disgruntaled

And any and all combination of the above.

 

[RDUBoiler]

I'd REALLY like to see the complete numbers on the portal. Someone posted something last year either here or over in the IU site that showed an amazing amount of these young men (the vast majority) NEVER end up at another school and in fact never play football again.

I think the problem is everyone looks at it as a minus sum equation, where these schools are losing players so there must be tremendous need for additional. But if you look at loss through the portal v. incoming classes (personal opinion, these will get bigger because they HAVE to) and the addition of JUCO and inbound portal players, Don't they end right back where they started from?

With the exception of coaching changes and internal team strife where you get the wholesale departures, I would say you'll now have

- The occasional top player(s) who is getting more somewhere else
- Those who think or know they are being recruited over
- Those being asked to change positions
- Those looking for more playing time
- the disgruntaled

And any and all combination of the above.

Yeah, I've been thinking something similar for a while. I'd love to see some data on how the portal is really impacting rosters. Given that many of these players don't find other teams, I'd also love to know how much this is affecting degree completion (not that the NCAA is pretending to care about that anymore).

We'll pick up a few players to fill in for what we've lost. But I bet a lot of other teams are seeing similar attrition. It might be higher at places like MSU and IU where coaching changes are taking place, but overall, that's basically what our portal players look like.

 

[Wolegib]

I believe the biggest issue with the portal transfers is that it affects your depth. we're not losing many significant players. what we are losing are the guys who are second on the depth chart and could step up in case of an injury. what we are losing is continuity of having players who are familiar with our system.

 

[KentuckyBoiler]

Some of this is coaches telling their players do not factor in their future plans. However, I would say that the biggest factor is family and friends telling these transfers how great they are and that they could do so much better in a new environment (and make more money).

 

[krf3632]

Seems like most of these transfers all happening at the same time was a cost cutting move, the same as layoffs in the corporate world. There is now more money to be able to go out and get higher value transfer o-lineman that would not have been there before the cuts.

 

[Tommaker]

Found this article, full of interesting details. Here's a big one:

Wild stat: That 3,284 figure means over 20% of all FBS players are looking to transfer this offseason. And it's not just benchwarmers, either.

https://www.axios.com/2023/05/11/ncaa-football-transfer-portal-record

 

[Tommaker]

Much more complete article. Here's what I found interesting:

24 other Power 5 schools that parted with 20 or more scholarship transfers this offseason. In fact, the SEC schools averaged 21 departures.

Things I learned while reading it:

- More coaches are cutting players and putting them into the portal
- Offensive linemen are the smallest group and the most sought after
- DB's are by far the largest group

10 trends, lessons and takeaways from CFB's '22-23 transfer portal cycle

Where did all those transfer players ended up, what made this portal cycle different from the rest and what we can learn from it?

theathletic.com

 

[Wolegib]

It’s sad the rules said a player can not have his scholarship taken away. But coaches can influence players to leave voluntarily. If it was my son, I would tell him to stay even if it meant being on the bench and never playing rather than giving up his scholarship.

If you look at the vast majority of players that leave and enter the portal, the vast majority don’t receive another college scholarship. While it might not mean much to mega stars, a 4 year scholarship to Purdue is actually worth keeping Rather than leaving after the coach talk. At a lot of schools the coach who influences you to quit and open a scholarship won’t be be at that school the following year anyway!