There’s been plenty of discussion about where college football as a sport is at. In a recent press conference, Missouri football head coach Eli Drinkwitz took the chance to give his pessimistic view.
“The system that we’re in is really sick right now. College football is sick,” Drinkwitz said. “(There are) signs that this thing’s really cracking moving forward. We need to get some things under control.”
So, after dealing with transfer portal chaos this past offseason himself, how does Tennessee football head coach Josh Heupel view the state of the game? He’s not turning a blind eye to the issues, but he still acknowledges how great the sport is.
“It’s really hard. December used to be one of the best months inside of college football. I wouldn’t call it that at this current state,” Heupel said. “You’re navigating a lot of different pieces all at one time. And this is still the greatest game that there is. It’s great to be around young people and be a part of their growth, their journey in life, not just inside of football, but certainly that’s a part of it, too. And it’s just different than it used to be. So you got to navigate it, and I’m not going to sit here and complain about it. It is what it is. There’s some things that I think have changed rule-wise that have helped it, balanced it out, but it’s still certainly different than it used to be.”
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One change that Heupel does like is the move of the transfer portal date. A year ago, with his team preparing to play Ohio State in the playoffs, he had a handful of contributors decide not to play in the game and get a head start on entering the portal, instead.
Now, the portal won’t open until Jan. 2, giving most teams, but not all, the chance to play their bowl and playoff games first. There are still plenty of players who have decided they are moving on, but it makes it much easier to manage.
“I think, in general, it’s been a real positive inside the landscape of what everybody’s trying to deal with and navigate,” Heupel said. “I think that has been positive.”
As far as outgoing players for Tennessee at this point, the Vols have lost six players to the portal, featuring quarterback Jake Merklinger, defensive back Boo Carter, defensive lineman Jamal Wallace, edge rusher Kellen Lindstrom, linebacker Brenden Anes and defensive back Marcus Goree Jr.
