Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1519242
5 8 M A Y 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M I n simpler times, the final days of spring practice before the annual Blue-White Game would be filled with conversations about who fans want to see most in the annual public scrimmage. Coaches would be talking about what they learned and saw dur- ing the 15 days of drills that take place across March and April each spring. Players would be focused on making a lasting impression before preseason camp. Those times no longer exist. It's true that all of the above groups who help make up the Penn State football ecosystem were having those talks in mid-April. But, by and large, they were overshadowed by the big, looming threat, or opportunity, depending on how your program does, on the hori- zon: the spring transfer portal window. By the time you read these words, the NCAA's mechanism for allowing athletes to seek a new college home will be open for business. New for 2024, a 15-day transfer portal window for underclassmen that runs from April 16-30 will turn college football upside down. Before it opened, it was the talk of the sport. Take, for example, what Penn State cornerbacks coach Terry Smith said in an interview on April 9, the final week of spring drills. "We've got to recruit our locker room come next week," he said. "After spring ball, who knows who the hot guys are in the locker room? We've just got to talk to each guy and show them their value and worth to our program and hope that we don't lose a guy." That statement is true as far as it goes, but it could be argued that coaches these days have to recruit their locker rooms all the time. That's the hard, cold reality of college ath- letics anymore. Few disagree that athletes should have the freedom to change schools without repercussions or restrictions. All agree that there is probably a better way to do it so that coaches can have a better grasp of roster management throughout the year. No one has yet offered a vision of what that better way would look like, though, and thus, we have our current reality. How Penn State will fare in the spring portal window is anyone's guess. Departures are a certainty. There are veteran players further down the depth chart who undoubtedly did not improve their standing during spring ball and will try to find a place where they have a better chance of see- ing action. Others who are in line for a substantial number of reps may elect to at least enter their name and see if any NIL opportunities present themselves from other schools. It's a never-ending guessing game for coaches, who must always have a feel for the mood in their locker rooms to make sure there are no surprises. Even in programs where there's good communication between coaches and players — and by all accounts, Penn State falls into that cat- egory — it's possible there will be one or two unex- pected departures. Only time will tell where James Franklin and his staff will wind up on that spectrum. Of course, the portal is a two-way street, and it can just as easily add players as subtract them. Penn State uses it in a very specific way. Past relationships are not required but almost always play a role in de- termining who the Lions ultimately land. Winter portal window pickups such as senior receiver Ju- lian Fleming, sophomore cornerback A.J. Harris and redshirt junior offensive tackle Nolan Rucci are all examples of that trend. Being a good cultural fit for the locker room is also a requirement. So, too, is having a willingness to accept one's role without any promises. And, if you want the best NIL deal, it could exist elsewhere. Those factors undoubtedly limit the Lions' pool of potential candi- dates. However, they will not stop the team from searching high and low for anyone who can help, whether it's an- other receiver, perhaps a linebacker, or someone to provide depth at another position. Regardless of how everything plays out, the days ahead will likely feature all kinds of twists and turns. Remem- ber, too, that a player does not need to decide whether he is leaving his school by the time the window closes. The same goes for choosing a new school. He must simply have his name in the portal by the end of the month. Thus, the fun, as some might call it, may last into May. Buckle up, Penn State fans. A wild ride is underway, and there's no telling where it will end. ■ O P I N I O N GREG PICKEL G R E G . P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M Practice Is Over, But The Drama Continues THE LAST WORD Cornerbacks coach Terry Smith and his fellow PSU staffers are working to retain their current roster during the spring portal window. PHOTO BY GREG PICKEL