Frustration with Iowa Strategies Around Transfer Portal

[WinOneThisCentury II]

Transfer portal is dangerous. Zero net gain when you lose your future to the portal when you bring a guy in for a one-year backfill.

So, we shouldn't address areas where we are deficient because we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings? Jack Heflin was a huge transfer who meshed with the Covid year team. He was welcomed. Charlie Jones is a similar situation. I believe the team wants to win...and win now.

You don't want a cancer to join your team, but the pace of the portal is picking up. You have to adapt to it. We are going to lose 3-4 players every year to the portal...I don't think it's out of the realm of possibilities that we target adding 3-4 players every year...and I don't think that is dangerous. Players get it...and realize it's the landscape of college football.

Personally, I think it's good to provide player's options...especially when you have so many coaching changes, etc.

 

[sober_teacher]

So, we shouldn't address areas where we are deficient because we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings? Jack Heflin was a huge transfer who meshed with the Covid year team. He was welcomed. Charlie Jones is a similar situation. I believe the team wants to win...and win now.

You don't want a cancer to join your team, but the pace of the portal is picking up. You have to adapt to it. We are going to lose 3-4 players every year to the portal...I don't think it's out of the realm of possibilities that we target adding 3-4 players every year...and I don't think that is dangerous. Players get it...and realize it's the landscape of college football.

Personally, I think it's good to provide player's options...especially when you have so many coaching changes, etc.

I don’t think anyone is saying that, just that you have to be careful about who you’re taking in, and why. Sparty got lucky this year, and hit on virtually every transfer they took in. That’s pretty rare imo. I agree that Iowa needs to increase its activity here, more than they already have, but it always does need to depend on what they have on deck.

 

[cohawk]

I'm hoping our recruiting coordinators wake the hell up. If you look at teams like Michigan State and Minnesota, they are actively seeking to fill holes in their depth chart...and it's a vital part of their recruiting strategy. I know Iowa has taken a few in recent years...Van Valkenburg (kind of), Heflin, Cronk, and Williams...but it just doesn't seem like we are active enough based on the landscape changes in college football. If they are active...you certainly don't hear too much about it.

Listen, I don't think the transfer portal is the end all, be all, for our recruiting needs. Iowa is a developmental program at its heart. I will also say, the coaches know what they have and act accordingly. Let's face it, how many people were disappointed we didn't pick up a DT in the portal last year? I sure was...but the coaches knew (or hoped) the rotation of Shannon, Lee, Black, Van Ness, and Jones was going to be pretty good. They were right...and not disrupting that was a pretty good move as those guys are going to be nasty next year.

However, they have to be painfully aware we need help at the OT position. Have Richmond, Plumb & DeJung reached their peak, probably not, certainly not Richmond, but we were clearly suspect and struggled against the top teams in the league with great edge players. Attacking Iowa on the edge is the number one defensive strategy of every D-coordinator we will face.

Top tier OTs aren't exactly a volume commodity in the portal...but I think, based on what we saw this year...you have to hedge your bets. If we do nothing...we are banking another year on really young OL players...Richmond, Colby, etc. You will also need a few of the highly recruited guys that redshirted to step in. Once again...I think we will face serious consistency issues like we did this year due to the inexperience.

We also should be looking at RB (with Goodson leaving), and WR. We need depth and another big play guy.

These types of posts from armchair QBs are entertaining.

 

[UIHawkGrad]

Your first impulse is to tell the Iowa coaches to 'wake the hell up' even though you admit you have NO idea what they are/aren't doing? These boards are utterly amazing sometimes.

And also doesn’t seem to know the last names of 2 of the players he mentioned.

 

[WinOneThisCentury II]

These types of posts from armchair QBs are entertaining.

These type of posts from morons who don't recognize...WE ARE ALL ARMCHAIR QBs on a football message board. I agree with what others are saying...you just hope there is some intelligence to what people are throwing out there.

I'm saying taking in one transfer last year (a UNI DB) wasn't good enough. Every year there is a way to help your football team in the portal. I hold to my belief that we need to do better and could if we put more resources and energy into it. Hell, the top teams in CFP, the Ohio State's of the world, are more active than we are, and they have 4 star and 5 star classes every year. Mel Tucker has built his program there...but he hasn't stopped...he's aggressively pursuing areas of need and plans to do it every year.

Based on our results in the portal (avg. one player per year)...we aren't getting it done. IMO.

 

[sober_teacher]

These type of posts from morons who don't recognize...WE ARE ALL ARMCHAIR QBs on a football message board. I agree with what others are saying...you just hope there is some intelligence to what people are throwing out there.

I'm saying taking in one transfer last year (a UNI DB) wasn't good enough. Every year there is a way to help your football team in the portal. I hold to my belief that we need to do better and could if we put more resources and energy into it. Hell, the top teams in CFP, the Ohio State's of the world, are more active than we are, and they have 4 star and 5 star classes every year. Mel Tucker has built his program there...but he hasn't stopped...he's aggressively pursuing areas of need and plans to do it every year.

Based on our results in the portal (avg. one player per year)...we aren't getting it done. IMO.

But based on the returning roster, there weren’t many clear needs that we needed to fill. And i doubt we were an appealing destination for possible transfers, with all but 7 guys in the two deeps being non-seniors, so selling playing time would be difficult.

Now? I think it’s clear that we could use a lineman or two would be good, potentially a QB depending on if interest is mutual, and I would imagine a rush end.

no one was really complaining 6 months ago that we hadn’t pursued the transfer portal more actively.

 

[BigDelHawk]

But based on the returning roster, there weren’t many clear needs that we needed to fill. And i doubt we were an appealing destination for possible transfers, with all but 7 guys in the two deeps being non-seniors, so selling playing time would be difficult.

Now? I think it’s clear that we could use a lineman or two would be good, potentially a QB depending on if interest is mutual, and I would imagine a rush end.

no one was really complaining 6 months ago that we hadn’t pursued the transfer portal more actively.

The transfer portal is packed due to crowded rosters related to Covid super seniors. We had one of the youngest rosters in the NCAA Division 1 this year. So you have to be careful of peoples toes.

 

[WinOneThisCentury II]

But based on the returning roster, there weren’t many clear needs that we needed to fill. And i doubt we were an appealing destination for possible transfers, with all but 7 guys in the two deeps being non-seniors, so selling playing time would be difficult.

Now? I think it’s clear that we could use a lineman or two would be good, potentially a QB depending on if interest is mutual, and I would imagine a rush end.

no one was really complaining 6 months ago that we hadn’t pursued the transfer portal more actively.

Our offense was better than 7 teams in CFB this year...or something like 120th out of 127 teams...but not many clear needs. We started two freshman at WR. We started a true freshman at guard and a redshirt freshman at LT. Beyond La Porta, we had no proven TE. We had one proven RB. If you are a transfer...that is exactly what you want to see.

We got a DB from UNI. Once again...a huge fail if you ask me.

I'm not being critical to be a dick. We are firing on all cylinders in our other recruiting efforts with high school kids...and the coaches should be commended. I think the last few classes have been exceptional...and 2022 has a chance to be another very, very good class.

 

[sober_teacher]

Our offense was better than 7 teams in CFB this year...or something like 120th out of 127 teams...but not many clear needs. We started two freshman at WR. We started a true freshman at guard and a redshirt freshman at LT. Beyond La Porta, we had no proven TE. We had one proven RB. If you are a transfer...that is exactly what you want to see.

We got a DB from UNI. Once again...a huge fail if you ask me.

I'm not being critical to be a dick. We are firing on all cylinders in our other recruiting efforts with high school kids...and the coaches should be commended. I think the last few classes have been exceptional...and 2022 has a chance to be another very, very good class.

Agreed, just pointing out that circumstances are different this year. Last year, we didn’t have any clearly obvious positions of need going into this season. I think we need one OT. I expect Colby to bounce outside, I believe he was recruited as a tackle, but clearly we need more options there. RB…idk, we have two coming back, two more coming in, I’d like a speed guy if we can find one, but not as pressing to me.

 

[hawkstuff]

I know most of you are not going to want to hear this. I don’t want to hear this either. I believe KF is so loyal he doesn’t like to play the portal. And when I am being rational, I kind of like it. It is the same reason he hangs on to upper class starters too long. They don’t promise wins and conference titles, they promise that if you work hard and have a good attitude, they will develop you. Develop your both for life and the next level of football.

 

[aflachawk]

You can respect KF all you want; I do. However, he has been here over 20 years using his development system. The portal has been around a couple. KF has to keep up with the major changes. If you can get a developed player from the portal, why not take years to develop one? I would think taking four or five players a year from the portal that the position coaches want would be about the right %.

We have gone into the portal but keeps with players who are super stars