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I spoke with Oregon State football coach Trent Bray on Monday. A few minutes in, the conversation turned to the transfer portal. The 30-day transfer window opened on Monday, too. More than 500 scholarship players have entered the portal.
"They're getting calls from schools all day long," Bray said. "That's just the way college football is. There are no rules. People are calling players illegally. It's happening."
How big of a problem is it?
"It's a big problem — big problem," Bray said. "Everyone knows about it. It's not even a secret. Nothing's being done. It's not even being talked about by the powers that be. It's a concern. It's definitely not a fun or good thing."
Washington State quarterback Cam Ward entered the portal. There's been rampant speculation about where Ward might land. ESPN analyst Ryan Clark casually wrote in a since-deleted tweet that Ward was transferring to Ohio State. Another online publication reported, then later retracted, that Ward was headed to Oregon.
In the spring of 2022, I reported that Ward was getting a NIL package valued at $90,000 to come to Washington State. That is definitely true. It included an apartment, a pick-up truck and $50,000 in cash in exchange for promotional appearances.
Ward's estimated NIL value now?
Seven figures, if you believe the whispers.
In November, WSU coach Jake Dickert told reporters in his weekly news conference that the dollars were driving most of the decisions. He lamented that the Cougar Collective needed more buying power. He knew Ward was a flight risk.
"Oregon State probably has us by 10x," Dickert said. "Arizona has us by 20x. USC, Washington, Oregon — who even knows. It's a whole 'nother planet."
Ward has his space suit on.
Meanwhile, Beavers' quarterback Aidan Chiles announced on Monday that he was also entering the portal. Chiles was recruited by Jonathan Smith, who left OSU for Michigan State.
Bray said he didn't blame Chiles for transferring, pointing out "he's a freshman that was recruited by a guy that took off after his freshman year. That's gotta be hard on him. I wish him the best."
The loss of Chiles is a blow to OSU, but not an unexpected one. I spoke with his parents several times this season. My impression was that Chiles was lured to Corvallis by Smith and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren, who are both now in East Lansing, Mich.
The portal is a good tool, in theory, for players. It gives them the opportunity to change schools, find a better fit and gain financial security. I'm all for those things. But an unregulated portal has also turned college football into the wild west. It amounts to unrestricted free agency — every offseason and, again, in the spring, too.
Can you imagine the NFL or NBA or MLB with no free-agency oversight? It would be messy. NIL collectives are heavily involved. Some of the promises being made to players later prove to be hollow. That's not good for anyone. And the portal has negatively impacted recruiting philosophy.
Anyone out there recruiting high school players anymore?
Or is everyone just camping in the portal?
The portal contains an abundance of experienced talent. That results in fewer scholarships for high school recruits. FBS football programs are allowed 85 full scholarships. Incoming freshman are now getting a lower percentage of scholarships than ever. I wonder if a way to curb the stampede into the portal is to limit the number of transfer-portal scholarships for each program. Or maybe mandate that a minimum number of the 85 scholarships (5 or 10?) be allocated to incoming freshman.
Is that seat to the College Football Playoff taken?
Alaska Airlines is the official airline of the University of Washington. Husky fans weren't loving the airline on Sunday and Monday morning, however, as they priced flights from Seattle to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl.
The flights were heavily booked and pricy.
Alaska has since added six direct Seattle-to-New Orleans flights in the Dec. 29-31 window. Four more flights were added for the return leg to Seattle Jan. 2-3. The airline said it amounted to 1,700 added seats.
They'll sell it out.
I've always wondered why the airlines weren't more proactive as the college football bowl season approaches. Not just the College Football Playoff, but a lot of other bowl destinations. Do the airlines not see the sports-driven demand coming? If so, I'm happy to consult for a fee. Could they become more prominent bowl sponsors and get in the business of offering ticket + airfare + hotel packages? Or is the juice not worth the squeeze? I'll stick to sports now, but it feels like there's some lost synergy.
Heisman Trophy finalists a long way from home
Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon's Bo Nix are among the finalists for the Heisman Trophy. I have a Heisman vote. Both of those players are on the ballot I submitted on Sunday. Don't ask where. I'm not allowed to reveal my 1-2-3 choices until after the award is announced.
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. are also finalists.
The winner will be announced during a ceremony that will air next Saturday at 5 p.m. PT on ESPN. Who wins? What would your 1-2-3 ballot look like? Tell me in the comment section.
In the meantime, I geeked out on the geography.
Penix Jr. grew up in Tampa, Fla., but plays for a college located in Seattle. Nix is from Pinson, Ala. but plays his college ball in Eugene. Daniels is from San Bernardino, Calif. but suited up this season in Baton Rouge, La. Harrison Jr. is from Philadelphia and plays at Ohio State. I find it interesting that three of the four finalists are playing college football more than 1,500 miles from home.
- Penix: 3,092 miles from home.
- Nix: 2,557 miles from hom
- Daniels: 1,764 miles from home
- Harrison Jr.: 469 miles from home
Also, 75% of the Heisman finalists (Penix Jr., Nix and Daniels) came to their respective schools through the transfer portal. Additionally, each of their original college choices was much closer to their home town. The transfers chased distant opportunities to re-invent themselves. Only Harrison Jr. stayed within an eight-hour drive of home and with the original school that recruited him.
Read more of columnist John Canzano exclusively at JohnCanzano.com.
