Early NSD '22

[FUBeAR]

Coaches (with typical contracts) can’t afford to think “long-term” or really about “long-term effects” past the 2nd year of their contracts, regardless of their performance in the 1st 2 years. If you doubt that, FUBeAR will be happy to link some examples demonstrating such…won’t have to go too far to find them.

Free Agency is based on contracts which have term lengths and often ‘buyer’ option years. Scholarships are annually renewable agreements which schools/Teams must fulfill and ‘Student-Athletes’ can renege on their end of the ‘deal’ at any time without notice and without penalty or restriction. Free Agency can be planned for/around. The whims of young men under 23 years old cannot. Not a valid comparison at all.

There is no historical precedent for the current environment of College Football. We really cannot look to the past (2 years ago) and say that the right thing to do then is the right thing to do now…other than treating young men as well & as honestly as you can given the environment that has changed & was changed, in theory, to benefit them.

[The Jackal]

At the same time, look at the SoCon

The two coaches on the hottest seat - Hatcher and Conklin - are hitting the transfer portal hard. They need to win in 2022. Badly.

The coaches that are not on hot seats, like Hendrix and Cronic, appear to take a more measured approach and build from the high school ranks.

At bottom, I don't think we know enough now as to whether one strategy is better than the other. My guess is the right balance is going to (1) depend on the individual school and (2) be a combination of both transfer portal and high school recruiting.

[FUBeAR]

FUBeAR speaks the truth. When top programs like Clempson are losing double digit players you know its the new norm. It’s almost a status symbol now “I have decided to enter the transfer portal”.

I imagine a lot of kids like the attention of being recruited again.

At present, more than 3 out of 4 FBS Players who have Portalized themselves are probably not enjoying it very much. Of course these numbers are subject to change and do not include, most likely, an equal number of FCS Self-Portalized Players.

[Furmanoid]

But I bet a large number really don’t care if they don’t find a team. They just want to go home, and the portal offers a new, cooler, more acceptable way to quit.

That’s not our guy. Our guys will probably fall into like 3 groups:
A. Graduated and need to move on.
B. Played well enough to have been recruited by FBS.
C. Want more playing and willing to go to lesser program to get it.

Our guys are probably more likely to get what they want because they are smarter and more mature than most.