An in-depth look at why college football players transfer, via George Wrightster on Unafraid Show
When school footballers access the moving portal, we hear enthusiasts and coaches insinuate that they are selfish, disloyal, money-hungry kids who don’t need to work.
The truth is that for most student-athletes, the moving portal decision is complex and influenced by a combination of personal, academic, and athletic factors. It’s not just a lack of commitment or competitiveness.
Today on The Unafraid Show, I dive into the five most sensible reasons why student-athletes use the portal.
The reasons will challenge the narrative that the moving portal is negative for the spirit of college sports. The truth is that the portal provides the mandatory flexibility and relief to athletes facing exclusive cases that are not of their choosing.
The impressive number of entries on the school football move portal is enough to make your head spin. From Aug. 1, 2022, to May 1, 2023, 8,699 NCAA football players accessed the D1-NAIA portal at all levels, according to ESPN. That’s 5. 5% more than last year’s record of 8,242 and more than double the number from the first cycle in 2018-19, which was just over 4,000.
Zooming in on the Football Bowl subdivision alone, the FBS, we saw a record 3284 players dive into the portal. That’s up 6. 5% from last year’s 3083, and roughly double the 1717 from the 2018-19 season, according to stats gurus. in 247 sports.
That number of 3284 means that more than 20% of all FBS players will be looking to take action this offseason, whether by force, choice, or necessity. The game is changing, and those players are just sitting around, and I’m the percentage that plus five sensible reasons for it.
George Wrighthster hosts The Unafraid Show, which features interviews with elite athletes, coaches, and celebrities with a daily dose of sports content. Wrightster, a former Oregon football tight end, was selected in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft by way of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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