Transfer portal hurts Texas high school football recruiting

[Coach Andy Mac]

FORT WORTH – In her son’s first year at Bonham High School, Cynthia Gorden asked coaches what it would take for Jacob to get recruited to play college football.

Their response, she recalled, was clear: Play well, trust the process, and he’d be taken care of.

Four years later, Cynthia and Jacob are at North Crowley High School on a cold January night, about 100 miles from Bonham, to attend a showcase for unsigned seniors. Over 30 small colleges and junior colleges have shown up. Over 100 kids have come, hoping to show out before National Signing Day on Wednesday.

Cynthia, sitting in a folding chair with plenty of other parents, held a stack of business cards with Jacob’s stats as a running back, corner and kick returner, along with his GPA and SAT score. There’s also a smiling photo of him in his Bonham letterman jacket next to a quote: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

But a college football journey needs a path, and right now, Jacob doesn’t have one.

“It’s hard to even get answered,” Cynthia said. “It’s hard to get exposure. And we just have to keep faith.”

She’s far from the only parent who feels that way.

Introducing the college football transfer portal in 2018 has given players the freedom to change schools once without penalty, and it’s allowed teams to fill their rosters with experienced players, decreasing the number of spots available for high school recruits, according to data compiled by The Dallas Morning News. They end up sliding down the college football hierarchy, landing at FCS schools or junior colleges or not playing at all.

“The landscape has changed,” North Crowley head coach Ray Gates said.

Read more:  https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/college-sports/2023/01/30/texas-high-school-football-recruiting-hurt-by-college-football-transfer-portal-data-shows/

[Wag Tag]

We have all forecasted this situation. Going heavy on the HS route instead TP I feel is a mistake. We have signed some high potential HS players. Now let’s see if we develop them if they stay with us.

[El Paso Eagle]

With all due respect high school players have done this to themselves. They go to a school and then move on to a "better" opportunity if they perform well. So what has happened in return, coaches are saying why invest in high school players when I can fill my needs in the transfer portal. So while in the long run some may benefit from the portal, in the short term high school players are getting left behind because coaches are tired of them moving on.

[UNT Mean Green]

6 hours ago, Coach Andy Mac said:

FORT WORTH – In her son’s first year at Bonham High School, Cynthia Gorden asked coaches what it would take for Jacob to get recruited to play college football.

Their response, she recalled, was clear: Play well, trust the process, and he’d be taken care of.

Four years later, Cynthia and Jacob are at North Crowley High School on a cold January night, about 100 miles from Bonham, to attend a showcase for unsigned seniors. Over 30 small colleges and junior colleges have shown up. Over 100 kids have come, hoping to show out before National Signing Day on Wednesday.

Cynthia, sitting in a folding chair with plenty of other parents, held a stack of business cards with Jacob’s stats as a running back, corner and kick returner, along with his GPA and SAT score. There’s also a smiling photo of him in his Bonham letterman jacket next to a quote: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

But a college football journey needs a path, and right now, Jacob doesn’t have one.

“It’s hard to even get answered,” Cynthia said. “It’s hard to get exposure. And we just have to keep faith.”

She’s far from the only parent who feels that way.

Introducing the college football transfer portal in 2018 has given players the freedom to change schools once without penalty, and it’s allowed teams to fill their rosters with experienced players, decreasing the number of spots available for high school recruits, according to data compiled by The Dallas Morning News. They end up sliding down the college football hierarchy, landing at FCS schools or junior colleges or not playing at all.

“The landscape has changed,” North Crowley head coach Ray Gates said.

Read more:  https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/college-sports/2023/01/30/texas-high-school-football-recruiting-hurt-by-college-football-transfer-portal-data-shows/

Excellent article. 

[NorthTexasWeLove]

7 hours ago, El Paso Eagle said:

With all due respect high school players have done this to themselves. They go to a school and then move on to a "better" opportunity if they perform well. So what has happened in return, coaches are saying why invest in high school players when I can fill my needs in the transfer portal. So while in the long run some may benefit from the portal, in the short term high school players are getting left behind because coaches are tired of them moving on.

No. HS players haven't done this. Sure, former HS players (now COLLEGE players) take advantage of the horrific rules in place. But the current HS players have done nothing. 

[El Paso Eagle]

2 hours ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

No. HS players haven't done this. Sure, former HS players (now COLLEGE players) take advantage of the horrific rules in place. But the current HS players have done nothing. 

In the case of how college coaches are looking at the portal and high school players they are one and the same. With more and more players entering the portal it just strengthens the view of many that the risk/reward definitely forces you to turn to the portal.

[NorthTexasWeLove]

2 hours ago, El Paso Eagle said:

In the case of how college coaches are looking at the portal and high school players they are one and the same. With more and more players entering the portal it just strengthens the view of many that the risk/reward definitely forces you to turn to the portal.

Yeah. But there are absolute HS studs not even getting FCS sniffs. And it has nothing to do with HS kids. 

Case in point: I scouted Bonham this very season. The kid in question, Jacob Gorden, is not a D1 kid. No shot, to be honest. He's long, rangy, semi-athletic, etc. But, their do-everything-stud (QB,RB,WR) Jeren Ross, not sure he even got an FCS sniff. 10 years ago, kid is FCS talent at mimimuum with probable 3-5 G5 offers. Not to mention kid is also a 100M state finalist. 

But to the point, HS kids have nothing to do with the creation of this. If anything, they are the victims of it. 

[Jonnyeagle]

^^^^^^he is spot on!!

[El Paso Eagle]

 

 

[greenminer]

10 minutes ago, El Paso Eagle said:

 

 

This seems to make more sense.  Just thinking out loud here:

Granting an extra year of eligibility because of COVID means rosters got to (had to?) hold onto a class for one extra year, and so there isn't the need to replace positions like you would normally get due to eligibility.  This affects any type of player, too, not just HS.

The craziness that is the transfer world right now has nothing to do with any scarcity/demand, only to do with how easy it is to move around...and players are acting on this.  Not always, but often this transfer decision is made without knowing what other roster you will be going to.  This would explain that crazy percentage (cannot remember what it is) of portal guys not finding a landing spot.

[El Paso Eagle]

5 minutes ago, greenminer said:

This seems to make more sense.  Just thinking out loud here:

Granting an extra year of eligibility because of COVID means rosters got to (had to?) hold onto a class for one extra year, and so there isn't the need to replace positions like you would normally get due to eligibility.  This affects any type of player, too, not just HS.

The craziness that is the transfer world right now has nothing to do with any scarcity/demand, only to do with how easy it is to move around...and players are acting on this.  Not always, but often this transfer decision is made without knowing what other roster you will be going to.  This would explain that crazy percentage (cannot remember what it is) of portal guys not finding a landing spot.

I think the 2024 season will be the last year of the "Covid" super seniors. Maybe if the media types would do a few more stories on the number of kids that are not finding new homes after entering the portal a few less would enter.

[UNTLifer]

13 hours ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

Yeah. But there are absolute HS studs not even getting FCS sniffs. And it has nothing to do with HS kids. 

Case in point: I scouted Bonham this very season. The kid in question, Jacob Gorden, is not a D1 kid. No shot, to be honest. He's long, rangy, semi-athletic, etc. But, their do-everything-stud (QB,RB,WR) Jeren Ross, not sure he even got an FCS sniff. 10 years ago, kid is FCS talent at mimimuum with probable 3-5 G5 offers. Not to mention kid is also a 100M state finalist. 

But to the point, HS kids have nothing to do with the creation of this. If anything, they are the victims of it. 

Looked up Jeren Ross.  We should at least extend a PWO.

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13017418/63b5a62eb3c9eb060c07aa24