The Transfer Portal is great, until you see how some players and teams are trying to manipulate it
In theory, the transfer portal is a great idea. In the world of abrupt coaching hirings, firings, and a landscape that is constantly changing, sometimes giving a player a second chance is for the best. That’s especially true for younger student athletes that make impulsive decisions, and need a bit of a reset. At the […]
In theory, the transfer portal is a great idea. In the world of abrupt coaching hirings, firings, and a landscape that is constantly changing, sometimes giving a player a second chance is for the best. That’s especially true for younger student athletes that make impulsive decisions, and need a bit of a reset.
At the Navy All-American Bowl, an interesting conversation centered around 2025 Opelousas (La.) High School running back D’Shaun Ford that not enough people are talking about. Ford is enrolling at Louisiana-Monroe for the 2025 season, and chose the Warhawks over finalists Central Arkansas, Louisiana Tech, and Tulsa.
That isn’t the interesting conversation that was had, although you don’t typically see Louisiana-Monroe mentioned at these types of events.
If you look at Ford’s offer list, you will see a long list of impressive suitors. That includes Alabama, LSU, Miami, Tennessee, Florida State, Auburn and Penn State among many others. With so much Power Four interest, why Louisiana-Monroe?
According to Steve Wiltfong, who is the vice president of national recruiting and the transfer portal of On3, Ford knows exactly what he hopes to accomplish. The Louisiana-Monroe has already put out the pathway to get to where he wants to go. In fact, it happened just last season.
“I want to be the next Ahmad Hardy.”
Hardy was a freshman sensation for the Warhawks last season, rushing for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns. That season was good enough for the Mississippi native to earn Freshman All-American honors. Hardy also parlayed it into something initially unforeseen, a lot bigger opportunities.
When Hardy chose to enter the transfer portal following the season, he became a hot commodity. A long list of notable suitors pursued the talented runner, including taking some visits to Ole Miss and Kentucky among others. Hardy eventually opted to commit to the University of Missouri. From unheralded recruit to potential SEC star in just one season, an incredibly bounty.
That’s the path that Ford sees for himself, at least in an ideal world. While he had interest from some larger schools, academic issues have forced Ford to take a newer path. He intends to utilize the portal to the best of his ability, and almost use it as a stepping stone of sorts.
That may be good for the individual, but it does seem a bit unfair for a school like Louisiana-Monroe. They aren’t going to say no to a talent like Ford, even if it’s for a short time. The 5-10, 225-pound runner is exceptionally talented, rushing for nearly 1,800 yards and 30 touchdowns as a junior. Ford runs with a low center of gravity, and brings a ton of power to the table.
The double edged sword is that if Ford does well, and the Warhawks succeed, then they will most certainly be without him after the 2025 season. Taking a chance on Ford, and helping to develop him, means nothing? That’s what the transfer portal has created.
So while there was an attempt to make a better system for getting players out of unfortunate situations, it has instead created a loophole to use an opportunity and bolt. This used to be what JUCO was designed for, but the portal has relegated some lower level teams like Louisiana-Monroe to the same tier. The Warhawks might end up being nothing more than a prep school for Ford in the end.
The system has good intentions, but it is broken. Things are already tipped into the direction of the bigger programs, and the “little guys” have continued to suffer. At some point, there needs to be a better system put into place. Unfortunately that means we have to depend on the NCAA to do something, and that typically doesn’t end well.
Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor 2025 NFL Draft Profile
Scouting report for Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor
