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Good morning! We’ll start today with a recap of a busy transfer portal window so far and then look into two emerging storylines from the portal.
Early Portal Recap
Entries by the numbers, best available
Remember when we thought this window might be a little tamer since teams are still in the middle of spring practice? So much for that. Let’s take a look at what we’ve seen from this window so far — numbers are courtesy of The Athletic’s portal guru, Max Olson. Read his full breakdown of movement here.
- By 10:30 a.m. (ET) on Tuesday, 90 scholarship players had entered the portal. The significance? On the opening date of the spring window last year, 90 players entered in total.
- The first-day total: 221 FBS scholarship players entered the portal. That breaks down to 105 Power 4 transfers and 116 from the Group of 5.
- More than 20 percent of the first-day entries were repeat transfers. (More on this group later.)
- Colorado had nine players enter on Tuesday, including six who had transferred in for Year 1 under Deion Sanders. 👀
- The total number of FBS scholarship transfers in this cycle (which began Aug. 1, 2023) has surpassed 2,100. That’s a 25 percent increase from last year’s total at this time.
So, who entered? Max ranked the best available transfers and will update the list as the news continues. A few early names to watch include Arizona CB Tacario Davis (No. 2), Texas A&M safety Jacoby Mathews (No. 3) and Penn State WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith (No. 4). Ranked No. 1 is Oregon State RB Damien Martinez, whose transfer is particularly interesting …
Tacario Davis entered the portal in January and went through practice with Arizona’s new coaches, but his name remains in the portal. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
NIL Drama
Why Oregon State RB’s transfer is intriguing
Last week, reports surfaced that Martinez planned on entering the portal, which he made official on Tuesday. His loss is a big blow for the Beavers — Martinez was a first-team All-Pac-12 rusher and formerly pledged his commitment to the Beavers amid roster turnover following coach Jonathan Smith’s departure to Michigan State.
Amid the initial rumblings, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Martinez was set to make more than $400,000 in NIL deals to remain at Oregon State in 2024. Players are making money. We know this. But rarely do we see the actual dollar amount next to these deals.
Following the report, Martinez implied to the Oregonian that Oregon State’s collective, Dam Nation, did not live up to its promises. Kyle Bjornstad, co-founder of Dam Nation, said whatever commitments the collective made to Martinez were fulfilled, “1,000 percent.” A few days later Martinez told John Canzano that he “had no problem with Kyle or the collective” and insisted his decision didn’t have to do with NIL.
The story is a big mess and sends yet another bat signal about the transparency needed in NIL negotiations. It’ll be interesting to follow the narrative of where Martinez ends up. He has visits planned to Miami, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi State and Arizona during the next two weeks.
Unlimited Transfers
How does loyalty work in CFB now?
In an expected move on Wednesday, the NCAA Division I Council approved a change to transfer rules, which will grant immediate eligibility to all transfers as long as they meet academic eligibility requirements. So long are the days of sitting out a year and submitting eligibility waivers. Say “hello” to unlimited transfers.
The rule opens the floodgates for athletes to transfer more than once in their careers. This week, I dove into the topic of multi-time transfers and aimed to answer one question from the athletes who have gone through it: Who do they root for as alumni?
The overwhelming majority of players I spoke with said time spent at a school and/or where they got their degree were the most influential factors in their loyalty post-college. But still, a split feeling is present.
Said Alan Bowman (who transferred from Texas Tech to Michigan to Oklahoma State): “I don’t know how I’m going to raise my son. I really don’t know. The loyalty issue is a thing.”
What about all the excess gear? And friendships left behind? This was a fun one to report. Read it here.
Missouri’s Cody Schrader (7) started his career in Division II. (Ed Zurga / Getty Images)
Underrated RBs in Draft
Rooting for the underdog
Jacob Robinson, author of our NFL newsletter, Scoop City, joins us to analyze the NFL Draft stock of three running backs who overproduced in college but are falling off scouts’ radar. For my full summary of their college careers, read today’s Scoop City.
(Also, check out our other evaluations of quarterbacks and edge rushers.)
1. Cody Schrader, Missouri
Jayna: Schrader led the SEC in rushing yards last season, and his story from Division II to Missouri walk-on is hard not to root for.
Jacob: He’ll be a 25-year-old rookie, which always impacts teams’ evaluations. The Rams in round five is Dane’s expectation. I think the small 5-foot-9, 202-pound prospect could surprise teams immediately with his work ethic. From The Beast: Schrader said he “beat [their] strength and conditioning coach to the facility every day… It’s what I needed to do in order to get noticed.” A powerful runner and strong blocker, Schrader has also been mocked to the Raiders in round six.
2. Audric Estime, Notre Dame
Jayna: At Notre Dame, Estime spent two seasons as the team’s leading rusher and scored a program-record 18 rushing TDs in 2023.
Jacob: As Brugler notes in The Beast, NFL scouts say Estime is coachable with the mental and physical toughness required at the position. It doesn’t hurt that his 6.39 yards per carry in 2023 was No. 1 in the FBS among running backs with 200-plus carries. Estime has RB1 potential for an NFL team, ideally in a gap scheme. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers add the former Notre Dame RB in round four of Brugler’s latest mock draft.
3. Kimani Vidal, Troy
Jayna: Vidal recorded two consecutive 1,000-plus yard seasons at Troy, finishing 2023 with 1,661 yards, second most in the FBS.
Jacob: The biggest flag for teams is Vidal’s mileage (873 offensive touches), which is above what most teams are looking for. I’d be surprised to see him drafted before round seven — Dane has Vidal landing with the Bills at pick No. 248, with the expectation that he is a capable backup.
Quick Snaps
Could NIL money act as a loophole in college football’s 85-person scholarship limit? In a fascinating story today, The Athletic investigates how NIL is changing roster management.
The portal is one of the spiciest topics in college sports. But, don’t freak out. Ari Wasserman presents reasons to embrace it, not hate it.
In the talent-rich state of Texas, which coaches are the best recruiters? Read more in today’s new recruiting confidential.
Enjoy this? Sign up for our other newsletters! Scoop City 🏈 | The Bounce 🏀 | Full Time ⚽ | The Windup ⚾ | Prime Tire 🏁 | The Pulse 📣
(Top photo of Deion Sanders: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)
