The impact of NIL deals and the opening of the transfer portal has completely reshaped the landscape of college football. And, by extension, these changes have also altered the NFL Draft process, especially when it comes to player evaluation.
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Before these shifts, it was exceedingly rare to see a top player competing at two different schools during his college career, simply because players had to sit out a full year if they transferred.
Now, with teams able to offer NIL money and the one-year waiting period removed, players are moving like it’s the NFL free agent frenzy. While some, like CFB analyst Adam Breneman, argue that teams recognize this change and won’t punish players for transferring, longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht sees it a bit differently.
Licht has been the Buccaneers’ general manager since 2014, overseeing both the Jameis Winston era and its seamless transition to the Tom Brady years. Licht followed that up with another relatively smooth shift to Baker Mayfield in recent seasons.
He is certainly a veteran in this game and a respected football operator, so his opinion holds weight. He says that whether or not a player transfers in college does play a factor in his evaluations.
“[Loyalty to one school] does carry some weight. It’s definitely a plus. … It is a pretty cool deal that they do stay loyal to their coaching staff, their school, all those kinds of things,” the Bucs GM said in an episode of Green Light with Chris Long.
However, while Licht said that it is a plus to see a guy stay with one school throughout his entire academic tenure, that doesn’t necessarily mean that a guy who transfers gets a “checkmark against” their name.
The transfer portal situation is fluid, so while it’s nice to see loyalty, Licht understands why some players would want — or in some cases, even need — to change schools to give themselves a better chance at getting drafted into the NFL.
“But that’s not to say that if someone does leave and wants an opportunity at a bigger school that, uhm, that’s not a checkmark against them either.”
Licht continued to impress with his drafting ability this past April. He selected two wideouts, two cornerbacks, and two edge rushers. All premium positions where you can never have too much talent. And it’s worth noting that none of his top three picks — WR Emeka Egbuka, CB Benjamin Morrison, and CB Jacob Parrish — transferred while they were in college.
So maybe it really does mean something to Licht and other old-school GMs. However, with the frequency of transfers nowadays, it will become increasingly difficult to find an elite one-school college prospect in the coming years.
