HOW THE TRANSFER PORTAL IS QUIETLY CRUSHING HIGH SCHOOL RECRUITING

[Ray Icaza]

With the transfer portal opening again on Jan. 2nd and the Florida HS football playoffs in its final weeks, I thought this topic was again relevant especially to those of us that worried a few years ago about the long-term effects.  Some knowledgeable folks on this forum thought it might just be a temporary blip due to Covid, but this article seems to indicate the opposite.  Some call it progress ......... an "OLD TIMER" like myself, not so much. 

How the Transfer Portal Is Quietly Crushing High School Recruiting

 

[Nulli Secundus]

4 hours ago, Ray Icaza said:

With the transfer portal opening again on Jan. 2nd and the Florida HS football playoffs in its final weeks, I thought this topic was again relevant especially to those of us that worried a few years ago about the long-term effects.  Some knowledgeable folks on this forum thought it might just be a temporary blip due to Covid, but this article seems to indicate the opposite.  Some call it progress ......... an "OLD TIMER" like myself, not so much. 

How the Transfer Portal Is Quietly Crushing High School Recruiting

 

I don't think it's quiet.  It's loud and clear.  

[Ray Icaza]

2 hours ago, Nulli Secundus said:

I don't think it's quiet.  It's loud and clear.  

Glad you believe that.....do you think the single 15 day window in January adopted for 2026 will help at all?  At least it indicates they are aware of the problem so maybe they will continue to address it going forward.  It's so tough on these HS kids including many that are clearly D1 prospects as many have fallen thru the cracks over the years and this has certainly made it much worse. 

[THAT S--T WAS FUNNY]

Can't put the toothpaste back in the tube. Whats been done now seems impossible to reverse. Hopefully one short portal window in January will help out some. Could see more H.S. kids wait for the 2nd signing day in February to make their decisions. Universities would have already finished with signing transfers from the January portal and would know exactly how much room they have for H.S. kids since there isn't a portal window in the spring.

[PinellasFB]

I posted a summary of the current HS recruiting landscape on r/HSFootball and nobody there believed me.  They were stuck in pre-portal, 2005 era recruiting.  I got downvoted into oblivion with dumbass responses like "three-stars are still being recruited, etc."  I'm like bro, you are stuck in a different era.  Why would any D1 coach take a chance on a HS prospect when they can simply portal in a proven commodity?  The reality now is you will get a D1 scholarship offer if your measurables are can't miss.  Film doesn't matter anymore.  Who you play for doesn't matter.  You could be a stud for STA with great tape but if you haven't been to a camp where HT, WT, 40, etc. are measured and confirmed, you aren't getting a D1 scholarship offer.  Not only that, all these HS kids that have multiple D1 "offers" will get a hard reality check when they actually try to cash that check in.  That's when they will realize these verbals are non-binding and given out like candy at camps to keep kids on the radar.  As the Rise Preparatory Academy owner/recruiting coordinator likes to post on social media, you better commit early to the team/coach that loves you rather than hold out for a better offer.