Is no one happy where they are?
Jalen Bates struggled to maintain his composure as he walked off the field at Sun Devil Stadium moments after a big Pac-12 win over Utah last fall. He had been a starter and key contributor for the balance of the season, only to see his playing time dwindle to a handful of plays down the stretch.
He finished out the season but had already made up his mind to look for another college where he could exhaust his final year of eligibility, eventually settling on Colorado State.
His move was made a lot easier by the addition of the NCAA's new national transfer database, more commonly called the transfer portal.
In past years, athletes who wanted to transfer had to do a lot of the legwork. They would make the decision but then have to secure a release from their school before being able to contact other programs if they wanted to go elsewhere on a scholarship.
The power was in the hands of the coaches and their schools, who could make it difficult for athletes to leave by denying their release request.
That all changed Oct. 15 when the NCAA got the portal opened.
Now if an athlete wants to transfer, he or she goes to their school's compliance department and tells them they want to be entered into the transfer portal. The school then has two business days to honor that request. What has resulted is sort of a college athletics free agency.
Whether it is good or bad is the big debate.
Often it is athletes like Bates in search of a higher profile role who seek a transfer. A coaching change is another catalyst for a mass exodus.
Bates was one of 16 players Arizona State players who entered the portal. Most were backups and some barely played. That number is alarming to some in the Sun Devils fan base but that total isn't out of line when looking at other Pac-12 schools.
UCLA had 18 football players enter the portal, while Arizona had 13. Like ASU, those schools had first year coaches last season.
Arizona State coach Herm Edwards points his finger during Pac-12 football media day on July 24 in Los Angeles.
Arizona State coach Herm Edwards points his finger during Pac-12 football media day on July 24 in Los Angeles. (Photo: Kirby Lee, Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Sun Devils coach Herm Edwards points out there are far more players in the portal than there are scholarships available.
"Players did not really look into it as much as they needed to," he said. "There have been unanticipated consequences that have come up because they're aren't enough scholarships. Guys are sitting. There is nowhere to go. They're going to a (junior college) or down a division. I don't think they realized what they were doing. They just figured they'd get re-recruited because this guy recruited me before. Well guess what, they don't have a scholarship to give you."
The transfer portal was a big topic of conversation at the Pac-12's annual Media Day Wednesday in Los Angeles. UCLA's Chip Kelly doesn't have a problem with it.
"I think the transfer portal is a good thing," he said. "If kids go somewhere and they're not happy there, then they should be allowed to go where they're going to be happy. Coaches move. I don't know why players can't move."
Kelly said it's important for the players to know the facts.
"Just because you go on the transfer portal doesn't mean another school is going to offer you a scholarship," Kelly said. "I think they need to do their homework on their end so they're not caught left out in the woods."
Even Pac-12 schools with veteran coaches have lost players. Washington State had 12 enter the portal while Pac-12 South Division champion Utah had 11. USC, a traditional football power, coming off a subpar season, also had 11 although that number included two — quarterback Matt Fink and wide receiver Velus Jones — who ended up returning to the school, which is an option for the athletes.
Washington State coach Mike Leach has never had a problem giving his opinion on anything. He says the process is still new to most.
"That's kind of a moving target right now," Leach said. "I think people are adjusting to it a little more and more. So far it hasn't hurt us. If we're not careful, that portal can become a free-for-all.
"You want some structure to this thing. I do think the portal has diminished some of that."
Count Washington coach Chris Peterson as one not completely on board with the idea. He sees the portal as free agency at the college level.
"I've seen too many guys, including myself, have to work through hard things where maybe you tap out, or it's easier, I'm going to go somewhere elsewhere I think it's better. It's usually not," he said.
Other Power 5 schools around the country were well into double digits too — Louisville had 16, Texas 11.
Quarterbacks are often among the higher profile transfers. Former No. 1 dual-threat quarterback recruit Justin Fields transferred from Georgia to Ohio State and earned a waiver to play immediately as did Tate Martell, who transferred from Ohio State to Miami.
In the Pac-12, Washington is likely to have a newcomer at quarterback as well with Jacob Eason coming over from Georgia. Eastern Washington transfer Gage Gubrud could inherit the Washington State job vacated by Gardner Minshew.
The NCAA Division I council added new waiver guidelines in late June to try to narrow the situations in which a player could be granted immediate eligibility, but it's uncertain how much of an effect the new policy will have, or whether it will slow down college football's trend of transfers.
Out of the 993 Division I players that have entered the portal, 464 (47%) have not yet declared a destination.
There can be risks.
Players who decide to explore a transfer by entering their name could potentially lose their scholarship at semester's end. A program is under no obligation to keep a player that explores transfer options on the roster. Additionally, any non-graduate who opts to transfer must still sit out a season due to NCAA transfer rules unless granted a waiver.
Bates will be eligible right away because he is a graduate transfer. He wasn't worried about finding a place to play and says he was contacted by 20 or so schools in the first 48 hours after going into the portal.
"I wasn't really worried because I was a starter so I knew I had some good game film," he said. "I know there have been a lot of guys that haven't found a place yet though."
ASU defensive lineman Jalen Bates (96) dives to make a tackle on Michigan State running back Connor Heyward (11) during a game at Sun Devil Stadium.
ASU defensive lineman Jalen Bates (96) dives to make a tackle on Michigan State running back Connor Heyward (11) during a game at Sun Devil Stadium. (Photo: Mark J. Rebilas / USA TODAY Sports)
The mass departure of players typically leaves a school in a bind. Technically the school has a scholarship back at the end of the academic term in which the player leaves, but a football program still can not sign more than 25 players per recruiting cycle and the majority of that allotment usually goes to incoming freshmen.That means a team doesn't have an extra 10 scholarships to award to incoming freshmen because it lost 10 players to the portal.
A football team is allowed 85 players on scholarship, but Edwards says the Sun Devils will have only 72 in 2019.
Many schools will look to bring their squads back up to the scholarship limit by adding on walk-ons. Players who have been in the same program for a calendar year may be given a scholarship the next semester without that counting against the 25-player signing class limit.
The situation is similar in basketball, although it is not as prevalent because the number of athletes few compared to football.
ASU men's basketball coach Bobby Hurley lost two players to the portal in 7-foot freshman center Uros Plavsic and small forward Vitaliy Shibel. That left Hurley scouring the portal himself for replacements. Still he isn't against the portal, citing his experience as a player at Duke from 1989 to 1993.
"Probably my best days as an athlete were my college years so I am all about the student-athlete experience," said Hurley, who was part of two national championship teams. "If I have a player that doesn't feel like he is getting that here, then I'm not against him going to a place where he feels he can have that."
Other Pac-12 men's basketball programs were not without losses either. Utah lost six players, almost half of the permitted 13 scholarships, including a starter in Jayce Johnson as well a Donnie Tillman, the Sixth Man of the Year in the conference last season.
While Hurley approves of athletes seeking out the best situation for themselves, he concedes it makes finalizing a roster a more difficult process.
"What it has done is extend the recruiting season," he said. "Before you would pretty much have your team by May. Now you have guys leaving, so it can be June before you know what pieces you have. That was the case for us and a lot of others teams as well."
Below is the list of ASU football players who entered the transfer portal with their position and the program each transferred to (when applicable):
Terin Adams, CB
Jalen Bates, DE, Colorado State
Joey Bryant, CB, Memphis
Terrell Chatman, WR, Virginia
Langston Frederick, CB
Ceejhay French-Love, TE
Dominique Harrison ,CB, North Texas
Reggie Hughes, OLB
Malik Lawal, OLB
Loren Mondy, LB
Nick Ralston, RB Louisiana
Darius Slade, DE, South Florida
Michael Sleep-Dalton, P, Iowa
Trelon Smith, RB, Arkansas
Brock Sturges, RB
Jay Jay Wilson, TE, Auburn
Thank you for subscribing. This premium content is made possible because of your continued support of local journalism.
Reach the report at Michelle.Gardner@gannett.com or 602-444-4783. Follow her on Twitter @MGardnerSports
Jalen Bates struggled to maintain his composure as he walked off the field at Sun Devil Stadium moments after a big Pac-12 win over Utah last fall. He had been a starter and key contributor for the balance of the season, only to see his playing time dwindle to a handful of plays down the stretch.
He finished out the season but had already made up his mind to look for another college where he could exhaust his final year of eligibility, eventually settling on Colorado State.
His move was made a lot easier by the addition of the NCAA's new national transfer database, more commonly called the transfer portal.
In past years, athletes who wanted to transfer had to do a lot of the legwork. They would make the decision but then have to secure a release from their school before being able to contact other programs if they wanted to go elsewhere on a scholarship.
The power was in the hands of the coaches and their schools, who could make it difficult for athletes to leave by denying their release request.
That all changed Oct. 15 when the NCAA got the portal opened.
Now if an athlete wants to transfer, he or she goes to their school's compliance department and tells them they want to be entered into the transfer portal. The school then has two business days to honor that request. What has resulted is sort of a college athletics free agency.
Whether it is good or bad is the big debate.
Often it is athletes like Bates in search of a higher profile role who seek a transfer. A coaching change is another catalyst for a mass exodus.
Bates was one of 16 players Arizona State players who entered the portal. Most were backups and some barely played. That number is alarming to some in the Sun Devils fan base but that total isn't out of line when looking at other Pac-12 schools.
UCLA had 18 football players enter the portal, while Arizona had 13. Like ASU, those schools had first year coaches last season.
Arizona State coach Herm Edwards points his finger during Pac-12 football media day on July 24 in Los Angeles.
Arizona State coach Herm Edwards points his finger during Pac-12 football media day on July 24 in Los Angeles. (Photo: Kirby Lee, Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Sun Devils coach Herm Edwards points out there are far more players in the portal than there are scholarships available.
"Players did not really look into it as much as they needed to," he said. "There have been unanticipated consequences that have come up because they're aren't enough scholarships. Guys are sitting. There is nowhere to go. They're going to a (junior college) or down a division. I don't think they realized what they were doing. They just figured they'd get re-recruited because this guy recruited me before. Well guess what, they don't have a scholarship to give you."
The transfer portal was a big topic of conversation at the Pac-12's annual Media Day Wednesday in Los Angeles. UCLA's Chip Kelly doesn't have a problem with it.
"I think the transfer portal is a good thing," he said. "If kids go somewhere and they're not happy there, then they should be allowed to go where they're going to be happy. Coaches move. I don't know why players can't move."
Kelly said it's important for the players to know the facts.
"Just because you go on the transfer portal doesn't mean another school is going to offer you a scholarship," Kelly said. "I think they need to do their homework on their end so they're not caught left out in the woods."
Even Pac-12 schools with veteran coaches have lost players. Washington State had 12 enter the portal while Pac-12 South Division champion Utah had 11. USC, a traditional football power, coming off a subpar season, also had 11 although that number included two — quarterback Matt Fink and wide receiver Velus Jones — who ended up returning to the school, which is an option for the athletes.
Washington State coach Mike Leach has never had a problem giving his opinion on anything. He says the process is still new to most.
"That's kind of a moving target right now," Leach said. "I think people are adjusting to it a little more and more. So far it hasn't hurt us. If we're not careful, that portal can become a free-for-all.
"You want some structure to this thing. I do think the portal has diminished some of that."
Count Washington coach Chris Peterson as one not completely on board with the idea. He sees the portal as free agency at the college level.
"I've seen too many guys, including myself, have to work through hard things where maybe you tap out, or it's easier, I'm going to go somewhere elsewhere I think it's better. It's usually not," he said.
Other Power 5 schools around the country were well into double digits too — Louisville had 16, Texas 11.
Quarterbacks are often among the higher profile transfers. Former No. 1 dual-threat quarterback recruit Justin Fields transferred from Georgia to Ohio State and earned a waiver to play immediately as did Tate Martell, who transferred from Ohio State to Miami.
In the Pac-12, Washington is likely to have a newcomer at quarterback as well with Jacob Eason coming over from Georgia. Eastern Washington transfer Gage Gubrud could inherit the Washington State job vacated by Gardner Minshew.
The NCAA Division I council added new waiver guidelines in late June to try to narrow the situations in which a player could be granted immediate eligibility, but it's uncertain how much of an effect the new policy will have, or whether it will slow down college football's trend of transfers.
Out of the 993 Division I players that have entered the portal, 464 (47%) have not yet declared a destination.
There can be risks.
Players who decide to explore a transfer by entering their name could potentially lose their scholarship at semester's end. A program is under no obligation to keep a player that explores transfer options on the roster. Additionally, any non-graduate who opts to transfer must still sit out a season due to NCAA transfer rules unless granted a waiver.
Bates will be eligible right away because he is a graduate transfer. He wasn't worried about finding a place to play and says he was contacted by 20 or so schools in the first 48 hours after going into the portal.
"I wasn't really worried because I was a starter so I knew I had some good game film," he said. "I know there have been a lot of guys that haven't found a place yet though."
ASU defensive lineman Jalen Bates (96) dives to make a tackle on Michigan State running back Connor Heyward (11) during a game at Sun Devil Stadium.
ASU defensive lineman Jalen Bates (96) dives to make a tackle on Michigan State running back Connor Heyward (11) during a game at Sun Devil Stadium. (Photo: Mark J. Rebilas / USA TODAY Sports)
The mass departure of players typically leaves a school in a bind. Technically the school has a scholarship back at the end of the academic term in which the player leaves, but a football program still can not sign more than 25 players per recruiting cycle and the majority of that allotment usually goes to incoming freshmen.That means a team doesn't have an extra 10 scholarships to award to incoming freshmen because it lost 10 players to the portal.
A football team is allowed 85 players on scholarship, but Edwards says the Sun Devils will have only 72 in 2019.
Many schools will look to bring their squads back up to the scholarship limit by adding on walk-ons. Players who have been in the same program for a calendar year may be given a scholarship the next semester without that counting against the 25-player signing class limit.
The situation is similar in basketball, although it is not as prevalent because the number of athletes few compared to football.
ASU men's basketball coach Bobby Hurley lost two players to the portal in 7-foot freshman center Uros Plavsic and small forward Vitaliy Shibel. That left Hurley scouring the portal himself for replacements. Still he isn't against the portal, citing his experience as a player at Duke from 1989 to 1993.
"Probably my best days as an athlete were my college years so I am all about the student-athlete experience," said Hurley, who was part of two national championship teams. "If I have a player that doesn't feel like he is getting that here, then I'm not against him going to a place where he feels he can have that."
Other Pac-12 men's basketball programs were not without losses either. Utah lost six players, almost half of the permitted 13 scholarships, including a starter in Jayce Johnson as well a Donnie Tillman, the Sixth Man of the Year in the conference last season.
While Hurley approves of athletes seeking out the best situation for themselves, he concedes it makes finalizing a roster a more difficult process.
"What it has done is extend the recruiting season," he said. "Before you would pretty much have your team by May. Now you have guys leaving, so it can be June before you know what pieces you have. That was the case for us and a lot of others teams as well."
Below is the list of ASU football players who entered the transfer portal with their position and the program each transferred to (when applicable):
Terin Adams, CB
Jalen Bates, DE, Colorado State
Joey Bryant, CB, Memphis
Terrell Chatman, WR, Virginia
Langston Frederick, CB
Ceejhay French-Love, TE
Dominique Harrison ,CB, North Texas
Reggie Hughes, OLB
Malik Lawal, OLB
Loren Mondy, LB
Nick Ralston, RB Louisiana
Darius Slade, DE, South Florida
Michael Sleep-Dalton, P, Iowa
Trelon Smith, RB, Arkansas
Brock Sturges, RB
Jay Jay Wilson, TE, Auburn
Thank you for subscribing. This premium content is made possible because of your continued support of local journalism.
Reach the report at Michelle.Gardner@gannett.com or 602-444-4783. Follow her on Twitter @MGardnerSports
