Gundy Embracing Transfer Portal, Still Wants NCAA Regulation

Originally published at: https://pistolsfiringblog.com/gundy-embracing-transfer-portal-still-wants-ncaa-regulation/

It sounds like the head coach has finally accepted college free agency.

Where I think this hurts oSu the most is the walk on program. Losing scholarship players in the past has resulted in walk ons getting scholarships and signing grad transfers. Preferred walk on can be attractive to recruits that want to play in the Big 12 or D1 ball and don’t get offers coming out of HS. It also helps motivate players in the walk on program. Although, we have seen walk ons leave when they feel slighted that another recruit is rewarded and they leave, but that happens everywhere.

Several walk ons have become impact players and others provided needed depth. No doubt some of these recruits will be getting some of those scholarship opportunities coming out of the transfer portal. That will put more pressure on oSu to make offers to kids they used to get for “free”. This is also no limit on giving scholarships to walk on players so in theory oSu, with a good walk on program, should benefit.

What I don’t get is Gundy’s stated concern with the 85 limit. oSu has less than 80 currently on scholarship and hasn’t signed the 25 allowed in the past 5 years. At the time of this post, Gundy has chosen to be sign just over 4 full classes (104) of recruits. Despite being allowed, in a 5 year span, to sign 125 recruits. 21 opportunities lost in 5 years is a Gundy issue and not a portal issue.

2020 -18 at this point
2019 - 21
2018 - 24
2017 - 21
2016 - 20
104 (5 yr total)

You’re not wrong. However, it should be noted that if you take a transfer off the portal you lose that scholarship from the incoming signing class. For example, a school can sign a max of 25 kids per year, but if they take one transfer it knocks that number down to 24 in the next year’s signing class. For every transfer it drops their number of available signees by that number.

About walk-ons…they must be in the program one year before they can be given a scholarship that doesn’t count against the incoming signing class. Not that many schools do it, but theoretically, if there are 5 scholarships available those could go to walk-ons who have been there one year and the school could still sign a max 25. This is why a strong walk-on program is essential in getting to 85 contributing scholarship players.

BUT…lol…they can’t give those scholarships away too fast because if you have an early enrollee you have to have a scholly available for them. If 15 signees want to enroll early you’d better have 15 scholarships available for the Spring. That’s why it’s so hard to get to 85.

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