While teams are compete for a national championship by eleven others, many college football players, including those from the College Football Playoff, are on the hunt for new schools.
The transfer portal opened last week, a few days before the twelve College Football Playoffand the timing has led to skepticism.
Earlier this week, Penn State backup quarterback Beau Pribula said he was placed in an “impossible” situation to enter the portal following Drew Allar’s announcement to return next season, when the team has bigger things to focus on to concentrate. Even head coach James Franklin said the quarterback was in a no-win situation.
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Southern Methodist Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee watches from the field during a stoppage in play against the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium. (Amber Searls-Imagn images)
Well, the head coach who will face Franklin Rhett Lashlee went a step further, calling the timing “terrible.”
“I feel so terrible for our kids and kids across the country,” the SMU head coach said Tuesday: via ESPN. “There’s no other sport that has free agency during the season. It’s sad. It’s terrible. You hear the story about their backup quarterback saying, ‘I don’t have a choice.’ That’s wrong. That’s unacceptable.’
SMU Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee, left, and Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney speak before the ACC Football Championship at Bank of America Stadium on December 7, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
“The very easy thing is that you don’t have a transfer portal in December. That’s the very easy answer, and it solves all the problems,” Lashlee added. “Why on earth would we put kids in a position where they have to decide, ‘Am I going to transfer or play in the playoffs? Should I transfer or play my bowl game?…’ People are bombarding our roster and trying to to choose people from our squad, and we try to focus on the play-offs. So yes, it is very easy: not to have a transfer portal in December.’
Lashlee, who defended and transferred NIL money, finds himself in a similar scenario with his backup quarterback in Preston Stone, admitting it’s a “juggling act” at the moment. Stone entered the portal last week but will remain with the team through their playoff run.
Southern Methodist Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee stands on the sideline during the Stanford Cardinal game at Stanford Stadium. (Darren Yamashita-Imagn images)
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The Mustangs head to Happy Valley on Saturday for an afternoon matchup, with the winner taking on third-seeded Boise State and Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty.
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