A Grip on Sports: The changing landscape of transfers and NIL has also changed college recruiting

A GRIP ON SPORTS • If your son is high school football senior, we’re sorry. Tomorrow, the first day he can sign a letter of intent to play his sport at the collegiate level, isn’t the same as it was, oh, say three years ago. That’s how quickly recruiting has changed.

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• For all the hand-wringing changes in compensation name, image and likeness wrought, and it was warranted to some degree, the biggest recent transformation in college football (and a couple other sports) has been brought to us by the NCAA’s decision to allow a free transfer for athletes.

The ability for someone to enter their name in a database, say they are available for recruitment and then be eligible the next season, has altered the landscape. Not only for current players but prospective ones as well.

There is a variety of reasons for this but the biggest one is college coaches see transfers as a known commodity. In the have-to-win-now world of most programs, this is a huge selling point. And schools are selling their soul to attract the best players they can.

Where does that leave the high school recruit? For many beyond the top end, waiting for the fallout to settle. Most high school football players with collegiate aspirations want to be tested, to play at the highest level possible. That ceiling might not be where it was a few years ago.

A player who once might have attracted an offer from, say, a mid-level Pac-12 school, could find their future blocked by two transfers at their position from lower-division schools. Which means their path to play the game they love is to switch gears and accept an offer from a school they would have passed over previously. If one is available. Remember, college athletics is still dealing with the extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19 and there are fewer openings everywhere.

But no worries. If you do find a place to play, have a great freshman year and put you name in the portal, maybe then you will end up at your dream school. That, at least, is how the world seems to be trending.

Seems a little out of whack, doesn’t it? Wait until you hear what some coaches say is happening. Get this. Some schools aren’t following the few rules the NCAA has put in place to regulate the transfer system. And the organization isn’t spending any resources to enforce them.

Shocked, aren’t you? There have been reports of lower-division programs finding out their better players have been contacted before they enter their names in the portal. Told what they could earn in NIL money. Told how much they are wanted by school X. If only they would leave school A.

That’s not supposed to be allowed. By anyone. But it wouldn’t be a stunner if it’s true. It’s always been the case. When it comes to recruiting at all levels, anytime a rule is made, smart folks figure a way around it. The transfer portal rules, as minimal as they are, aren’t any different.

No coach would call, of course. But someone with unofficial ties with the school will, laying out what is possible if, you know, the player would just enter the portal. No official deal is struck. But next thing you know, school X has filled its hole at left tackle.

Recruiting has always been this way, of course. The unscrupulous have never been deterred by rules. In the past the rule-breaking enticements were aimed at the top-end of the high school classes. Now they have spread to needed players already at the college level.

All this takes effort. Time that used to be aimed at evaluating high school athletes is now being used to do the same with transfer possibilities. Recruiting time, resources and scholarships have been reallocated.

The transfer door has opened wide, which is fine. There needed to be some more freedom. But the unintended consequence? A narrowing of the window for high school athletes.

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WSU: Caught in the middle? That would be precisely where the Cougars sit these days. They will see some of their better players leave and they’ll be able to attract some of the better players from other programs. At least it should happen that way. The latest news, shared by Colton Clark, is more of players leaving, including starting left tackle Jarett Kingston, and of high school players committing to sign, is a bit more traditional. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and college football, the comings and goings of players in the conference is so overwhelming, we’re not going to mention everyone, even within the region. We’ll pass along names when we feel they rise to a level of interest. For example, USC picking up Arizona receiver Dorian Singer is a big deal, as is Washington enticing former USC linebacker Ralen Goforth to head north. But many will not. … The Huskies have holes to fill with recruits, sure, but are making a concerted effort with the portal and to keep current players in town. … UW also learned some good news about the Alamo Bowl. … Oregon State’s season is over. It was a great one. … Oregon is dealing with comings and goings. Like everyone. The biggest loss might be a player who was only “committed,” a five-star quarterback that is headed to UCLA tomorrow. … We’ll see this week if Deion Sanders changes recruiting for Colorado. … No corner needed to turn for Utah. … In basketball news, Oregon State is trying to lock down some things as the nonconference winds down. … Colorado is focusing on the offense. … Arizona will host Montana State.

Gonzaga: The women, who moved up to 22nd in the latest Associated Press poll, had to grind past San Diego last night in the Kennel, pulling away late to win 70-59. Jim Allen has the game story and one on the rankings. … The men, who also moved up in the rankings, jumping all the way to No. 11, host Montana tonight. Jim Meehan has a preview as well as the key matchup. … Theo Lawson covers the poll story. … We can pass along a preview from Montana. … Elsewhere in the WCC, BYU thinks it’s turned a corner. … USF was shocked at home by Texas-Arlington.

EWU: The Eagles’ basketball team needed players. The transfer portal hit them hard after last season. Enter Division III transfer Cedric Coward. Dan Thompson has his story. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, this may well be the final day we lead with football, looking back at Montana State’s season once more. … Idaho State’s new coach is taking it slowly. … In basketball news, Weber State picked up the best nonconference win for the Sky, handing Utah State its first loss.

Idaho: The Vandals evened their record with a 76-73 win at Cal State Northridge last night. … Idaho’s football schedule for next year has been revamped a bit, the school announced. That news leads off the S-R’s most-recent local briefs column.

Whitworth: The Pirates’ tough schedule continues this week, but at least the games are at home. Dan has a preview of the Oakwood Classic that Whitworth hosts starting tonight.

Preps: Dave Nichols has a roundup of the prep action from Monday night.

Mariners: This is the perfect time for some questions and answers on the Mariners. Of course, we think that every day.  

Seahawks: Remember when Frank Clark was traded to the Chiefs? It was a while ago. … Geno Smith’s season is making it tough on the Hawks to think about next year. … Seattle is probably focused more on next week and month.

Kraken: A backhand shot is hard but at least one Seattle player seems to have mastered it.

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• Cold. Snow. More snow. More cold. Christmas lights. The sound of shoveling. We are in the final throes of December. Winter, officially, is just around the corner. Which brings one of the happiest days of the year. Starting Thursday, daylight hours once again begin growing longer. My optimistic nature will return. Until later …