Colton’s Corner: Problems with the Transfer Portal and why it’s more complicated than you think

The Transfer Portal.

It can be a coach’s best friend or their worst nightmare.

There is no in between. With changes to the NCAA rulebook, players can transfer where ever they want to without the fear of having to sit out a year. There is also no limit to the amount times a player can transfer.

Which brings up a bigger question. Is that good for college athletics as a whole?

Unfortunately the answer is a bit more complicated than a simple yes or no.

But first, let’s start out with the positives of the Transfer Portal.

The portal allows players to find the right fit for them without facing backlash from the school.

When a player signs their National Letter of Intent, a lot can change from the day they sign the dotted line to the end of the their freshman year, let alone the end of their college career.

For some players, the coaches who recruited them may not even be there before the end their first season.

The players are used to, and has perhaps bonded with, the coaches of a particular staff, but then all of the sudden, they are either being fired or have taken a new job else where.

Is it fair for the player to be stuck at a school where the people that recruited them are no longer there? Now, they are being introduced to a new coaching staff that have no connections with them.

It’s not fair. Now, a player can be accepted by the new coaching staff, which is good, but other times, the unfortunate truth is that they can be thrown to the way side for simply not being “one of their guys.”

Another key factor in a player wanting to transfer is simple – homesickness.

You can find plenty of stories of Texas High School players playing for colleges out of state who ultimately realize that they want to be close to home where family can see them play all the time.

One of the key factors in working the transfer portal is finding players who want to be back home and closer to family.

The reasons for transferring can be far reaching, but one doesn’t have to look far to see how it can help players.

Just look at Texas State Head Coach G.J. Kinne and Running Back Coach Barrick Nealy.

Both coaches transferred from their original schools during their collegiate careers with Kinne originally at Texas and Nealy at Houston.

After both transferred, the two former quarterbacks saw success and became legends at their respective schools.

Nealy transferred to Texas State where he became the record holder for many Bobcat passing records while leading the team to both a conference championship and the FCS Semifinals in 2005.

Kinne transferred to Tulsa, breaking passing records for the Golden Hurricane, and became C-USA Offensive Player of the Year in 2010.

Even Texas State current and former quarterbacks Jordan McCloud and T.J. Finely found success through the transfer portal where they established themselves as stellar players at their respective programs.

But as good as the benefits of the Transfer Portal can be, there have been some problems that keep popping up.

To start, while an unlimited transfers is a good thing, there is a downside.

Is it good for a player to transfer multiple times to different schools in order to find playing time?

In certain situations, yes. Only a small percentage of players will be able to make it in to play professionally. The majority of college athletes will see their athletic careers end at the collegiate level. It is nice that players can try and maximize their time left to play by transferring, but you aren't likely to find success transferring an excessive amount of times.

And there lies the answer to fixing the transfer portal itself.

Athletes need better guidance on why they need to transfer.

As said before, there are valid reasons for an athlete to transfer to a different school.

Perhaps the most important reason is finding the right fit and place for the athlete.

Your first choice is not always going to be the right fit and that is okay.

A lot of things can change from signing day to the end of freshman year. Even more to the end of a career.

Coaching changes, being homesick, not fitting in the right system are all valid reasons to transfer.

But leaving an athlete to their own vices in a world where people give out bad advice is dangerous.

We need better people who are willing to give not only the right advice but honest advice to our athletes.

In the end, a college diploma is ultimately more important than a professional career that only a few athletes can reach.

Finding a life out of playing college athletics is equally important and unfortunately that seems to be what is getting lost in the shuffle.

cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc