When the rules relaxed and transfer portal recruiting burst onto the scene last year, Iowa knew it had some holes to fill on the offensive line, at QB, and at WR. The defense was already stacked, in particular, at DB, and just needed some key offensive players to support them.
So while the average Big 10 team brought in 4-6 portal kids to immediately plug holes in the starting lineup, Kirk's brain trust sat on their hands and brought in just 1 transfer...a cornerback (by far Iowa's deepest position) from IAA UNI, to play behind the Big 10 defensive back of the year and 3 others. As expected, the nonsensical recruiting strategy failed. Iowa still struggled at QB, OL, and WR...relying on a mishmash of true freshmen and guys who just weren't ready, and the 1 grad transfer used his scholarship to fill a gap on the bench. Well played, staff.
Next year, the staff has an opportunity to learn from their mistakes. There are obvious holes in the lineup at kicker (where Kirk appears content putting all our eggs in the basket of a walkon high school kid), OL (we lose our top 2 OL), QB (have the worst returning QB in the Big 10), WR, DL (top DL going pro), and safety (lose both Koerner and Belton). As strengths, the Hawks return one of the nation's top tight ends. They also return their top Bowl game performers, the two Williams running backs who appeared just as good as Goodson, and have two 4 star RBs coming in next year.
So who has the staff offered in the portal over the past month? A D-3 tight end and a RB from Stanford? What holes, exactly, would either be filling? Aren't there 15+ positions where there's greater need?
So what is Kirk's transfer portal strategy, exactly? Maybe that's the problem with hiring your son-in-law as recruiting coordinator. He has no discernable transfer portal strategy other than...wait until a transfer calls us, then listen (i.e. Charlie Jones had to beg to walk-on).
Let's be clear, the staff's current strategy is not intended to be "loyal to current players" as some have theorized. If that were the intent, they wouldn't recruit elite high school kids like Xavier who can beat out upper classmen. A transfer portal kid is no different than an incoming freshmen who is good enough to play.
Let's dispel another another myth used to justify the poor transfer portal recruiting, the portal is "only used to fill needs" at a developmental program. The guys they are offering not needs guys. A QB who can complete 65% of his passes is a need guy. A seasoned OL is a need guy. A TE? C'mon man.
This week alone, Michigan State picked up a stud from Georgia. Wisconsin picked up an all-Pac 12 corner from UCLA. Ohio State picked up a safety from Oklahoma State. Is our staff on vacation?