Syracuse, N.Y. – When Adrian Autry was considering his options in the transfer portal this spring, the primary characteristics he sought were athleticism and positional size. Those factors, he said, drove the way he and his staff evaluated players and focused attention on which guys they would recruit to play at Syracuse in 2025-26. When […]
Syracuse, N.Y. – When Adrian Autry was considering his options in the transfer portal this spring, the primary characteristics he sought were athleticism and positional size.
Those factors, he said, drove the way he and his staff evaluated players and focused attention on which guys they would recruit to play at Syracuse in 2025-26.
When the Orange men played good teams last season, the SU head coach said, they encountered bigger, more athletic players. Those players were longer, quicker to the ball and generally speedier on the basketball court than the Orange.
Syracuse needed to upgrade those particular areas if it wanted to return to college basketball relevancy.
“Those were the first steps of, hey, when we go into this portal, this is what we’re trying to look for,” Autry said last week during a wide-ranging conversation with syracuse.com/The Post-Standard in his Melo Center office.
Syracuse coaches convinced six players who entered the portal to play for the Orange next season. The splashiest name belongs to Nait George, the former Georgia Tech point guard who gives SU a true lead guard to pair with JJ Starling in the backcourt.
Other portal acquisitions were Nate Kingz (Oregon State), William Kyle (UCLA), Tyler Betsey (Cincinnati), Ibrahim Souare (Georgia Tech) and Bryce Zephir (Montana State).
Autry termed the return of Starling and Donnie Freeman hugely impactful in the way he built the rest of his roster.
He wanted to fit pertinent pieces around those two SU stars to complement their games and address areas in which the Orange otherwise lacked.
He went so far, he said, as to use video of NBA players to show Starling and Freeman the prototypes of players SU hoped to surround them with. When a portal player with similar characteristics expressed a mutual interest in SU, the staff shared video of those guys with Starling and Freeman.
The staff’s access to money for players, particularly the windfall expected from the House settlement, Autry said, was sufficient this season.
Autry said the Orange landed all the players it sought in the transfer portal and reiterated his belief in SU’s incoming freshman class. He cited the organizational skills of general manager Alex Kline as a helpful tool to immediately identify the targets the staff wanted to reach. SU coaches navigated the portal without a GM last year.
Here’s a rundown on each of Syracuse’s portal pieces and Autry’s assessment of their games:
Nait George, 6-foot-3 point guard, Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech guard Naithan George (1) reacts during the college basketball game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on March 4th, 2025 at Hank McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
SU had first-hand familiarity with George, who played for an ACC opponent.
Autry recalled wanting to see him play during an Under-16 AAU tournament, but George broke his wrist, was unavailable and eventually drifted from the Orange radar.
Syracuse, too, had a long and prosperous relationship with Nait’s uncle, Mike George, the NBA agent who had represented Tyler Ennis and Oshae Brissett. Autry called that relationship “big for us,” in securing a commitment from Nait George.
Autry cited George’s assist numbers – he led the ACC in that category at 6.5 per game – as his primary appeal. He considered George one of the best point guards in the nation and was “the engine for that team.”
Autry credited Georgia Tech coach Damon Stoudamire, a former NBA point guard, with advancing George’s skill level.
“Just watching him from Year One to Year Two, he made big strides and you know, he’s a point guard,” Autry said. “He knows how to play the position, has great feel, great vision and his shooting has improved from year to year.”
By the time George committed to SU, the Orange already had several pieces in place that appealed to him, Autry said.
Nate Kingz, 6-foot-5 wing, Oregon State
Nate Kingz of the Oregon State Beavers dribbles the ball during the first half against the Oregon Ducks at Gill Coliseum on Nov. 21, 2024 in Corvallis, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)Getty Images
But Autry, too, envisioned Kingz as an impactful two-way player. He spoke with former SU great Stephen Thompson, now an assistant coach at Oregon State, about Kingz and came away from that conversation believing Kingz could be a lockdown defender for the Orange.
Kingz believes he only scratched the surface of his athleticism last season. It was his first year back to basketball after an ACL tear.
He also shot 44.4% from the 3-point line (56-of-126) last season. SU ranked 13th in 3-point field goal percentage last season.
“When you go into the portal, some people just kind of pop, you know, their stories are a little different,” Autry said. “And the fact that he could shoot the ball – I mean, he’s one of the best catch-and-shoot players in the country.”
William Kyle, 6-foot-9 center, UCLA
Igor Milicic Jr. #7 of the Tennessee Volunteers reaches for the ball against William Kyle III (24) of the UCLA Bruins in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament Second Round at Rupp Arena on March 22, 2025 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)Getty Images
Syracuse, said Autry, tried to get involved with Kyle the previous portal season, when he was coming off a stellar year at South Dakota State. But Kyle committed to UCLA.
When he was back on the board this spring, SU pounced.
Autry described him as “a freak athletically.” He loves his size (“He’s a force”) and his measurables and believes he can impact the game in a variety of ways.
“When you watch him at South Dakota, yeah, you seen the dunks,” Autry said, “but you can see he can pass, he can open up and sweep a little bit and use his athleticism. But his defense pops off the charts.”
Kyle played limited minutes at UCLA (9.8 per game), a team suffused with talented big guys.
But when the game was on the line, Autry noticed that Mick Cronin, known for his defensive mindset, more often than not summoned Kyle into the game.
“Obviously that was attractive to us,” Autry said. “You know, offensively, he has some work to do, but he’s further along than what people may know or what the stats say, so to speak.”
Tyler Betsey, 6-foot-8 forward, Cincinnati
Tyler Betsey #14 of the Cincinnati Bearcats dribbles against Jalen Breazeale #0 of the Morehead State Eagles at Fifth Third Arena on Nov. 8, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)Getty Images
Syracuse recruited Betsey heavily out of high school. Back then, Gerry McNamara was SU’s lead recruiter with Betsey, who was ranked 53rd overall in the Class of 2024 by On3.com.
Betsey chose Cincinnati and played 27% of the available minutes with the Bearcats, a not-unusual number for college freshmen.
He entered the transfer portal and SU was quick to reacquaint itself with the versatile forward who made his reputation as a high school shooter with size.
“He’s gotten better defensively,” Autry said. “He’s probably one of the more talented guys we have.”
Betsey shot 32.1% from the 3-point line on 81 attempts last season. He can play both forward positions, a versatility that appeals to Autry, who has long desired players who can guard multiple positions.
Betsey played in the rugged Big 12 last season and Autry believes that experience has hardened him to Power Five competition.
Ibrahim Souare, 6-foot-9 center, Georgia Tech
ATLANTA, GA JANUARY 14: Clemson guard Chase Hunter (1) drives to the basket as Georgia Tech forward Ibrahim Souare (30) defends during the college basketball game between the Clemson Tigers and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on January 14th, 2025 at Hank McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Autry was sold on Souare for one overwhelming reason.
“His motor, his motor, his motor,” Autry said. “He can guard one through five.”
When Souare was on the floor (he averaged 17 minutes per game), opposing teams felt his presence, Autry said, particularly on the defensive end.
On offense, he is a work in progress. And his free throw shooting, for a big man who had the best free throw rate on his team last season, needs serious work. Souare shot 31.3% from the line last year (10-of-32).
“His offensive numbers are not great, but when you look at his mechanics, I think he’s a better free throw shooter than what he’s shown,” Autry said. “If you watch him shoot free throws, I’m like, I don’t understand why. But I think we can work with him. I believe in our development in that.”
Souare and George, former Georgia Tech teammates, seemed like a potential package deal. They are close friends. And they both ended up at Syracuse.
“It was almost like if Nait was leaving, he probably was gonna follow behind,” Autry said, “and I thought he fit what I was looking for.”
Bryce Zephir, 6-foot-4 guard, Montana State
Bryce Zephir of the Montana State Bobcats and John Blackwell of the Wisconsin Badgers fight for a loose ball in the first half of the game at Kohl Center on Nov. 7, 2024 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)Getty Images
Zephir’s numbers don’t leap off the page. He played about 43% of the minutes available for a Montana State team that went 15-18 last season.
He turned it over too much but recorded a decent assist rate.
“He’s just tough. High IQ. He’s got good size. And he’s gonna fight you,” Autry said. “He’s not gonna get hit. He’s gonna do the hitting. And he’s a great teammate.”
He’s also got a backstory that resonates with Autry. Zephir has risen through the junior college and low major Division I ranks.
He has persevered and now finds himself on a Power Five roster. He lends maturity and experience to the roster.
The Only Question That Matters For The Future Of College Sports
College athletics currently lives in the same world as a middle aged man with fantastic genetics and horrible habits. The naive optimist in him is quick to remind himself that no doctor has ever seen a problem with him, and that was true for his father and his father before him. Meanwhile, in addition to […]
College athletics currently lives in the same world as a middle aged man with fantastic genetics and horrible habits. The naive optimist in him is quick to remind himself that no doctor has ever seen a problem with him, and that was true for his father and his father before him. Meanwhile, in addition to poor diet and lack of exercise, he just went from occasionally smoking in secret to firing up multiple packs a week out in the open.
The strong as steel relationship between fans and their alma mater, local school or childhood favorite team has never wavered for well over 99% of fans in the lifetime of college sports. It’s a bond that in many parts of the country is stronger than the connection to a professional team, religion, or even a spouse. And even for the most pessimistic of fans, they will still come crawling back after walking away a few times before they can truly cut out the addictive connection. Try as you will, there are legendary, joyful, and painful moments that will always stay with you. From the Kick Six to Kemba Walker’s ankle-breaker, Kris Jenkins’ shot to Ezequiel Elliot’s run.
As the current landscape stands in 2025, it remains a relatively favorable situation. The twelve-team playoff in college football revived my rapidly dissolving passion, thanks to 2024 being the most compelling season in well over a decade. The game-to-game tension of the thirty-one-game college basketball regular season has easily surpassed the NBA’s eighty-two-game snoozer in this century. The talent may be better, but the clearly lessened effort and player absences can’t compete with the life or death feeling swirling around every game in the conferences capable of getting at-large bids, but not just by waltzing to a .500ish record (ACC, Big East, A-10, Mountain West and PAC-12 again soon).
Traditionally smaller sports are growing in fan engagement as well, especially volleyball, baseball and softball.
Meanwhile, problems that threaten to destroy the very essence of college athletics are creeping in with a Dementor’s darkness and speed. Fans have made it clear that much more than a super majority does not want athletes playing for four schools in four years, or a college football playoff with a certain number of auto bids for certain conferences, or seeing more teams with losing records in conference play in the NCAA Tournament.
The old world of paying players under the table at the biggest schools was the secret cigarette of athletics. Everyone knows it’s going on, but the need to hide kept it under reasonable control. All of the boundaries are gone now and while that short term rush is hitting everyone, something awful is silently building up beneath the surface.
Blotting out of those issues is the constant whisper of a threat that twenty to forty of the biggest schools could always form their own league with the unlimited ability to pay players who likely wouldn’t even enroll in the school. While the massive fanbases of these teams would support them in any format, the big schools seem to underestimate that becoming an independent minor league would quickly place them a lot closer to the UFL than the NFL.
There is nothing in America that social media loudmouths are more united on than a desire for college athletics to refrain from continuing down a path of completely unregulated and unlimited payments to players, all the while those players have absolutely nothing preventing them from leaving their current team just a few minutes after arriving. Yet, everyone is resigned that this is how it will be. A giant wall of water is bearing down, and their foot is stuck right in its path.
That powerless feeling stems from the one unanswerable question in college sports that encompasses all of the other problems. You can better regulate NIL, begin to restrict transfer rules again and maybe even get conferences realigned closer to geographic reasonability. None of that will matter without a fundamental shift in responsibility.
Is there a future in which the major stakeholders in college athletics begin to care about the medium-to-long term again?
One great year is all that is needed now to get a promotion. Players get bigger paychecks to transfer. Coaches get hired for higher-profile jobs. Athletic directors and school presidents get promoted to bigger and richer institutions. Even conference commissioners can step up to higher-regarded leagues, or find a high-paying private sector job.
All of this constant movement has created a singular pressure for success in each year. Plans for future development, whether it’s a player growing his skills or a coach building a program, are now moot. Take new Iowa basketball coach Ben McCollum, for example. He was a four time National Champion at Division II who couldn’t generate any interest from Division I programs until Drake took a chance on him. One singular 31-4 season at the top level was enough for him to land a power conference gig. That would have been preposterous just a few years ago.**
Athletic directors are basically running legal Ponzi schemes now. If they can bring in a lot of money in one to three years at the helm, they get to carry a big bag of cash with them on the way out. Who cares if that short-term gain is a long-term detriment? The person who’s signature is on the document will long gone by the time that ramifications come.
It runs entirely counter to what happens in professional leagues, where owners desire to continue building up their franchise values, rather than just maximizing their single-year income. The NFL and NBA make decisions with the next ten years in mind. Many in college couldn’t care less about the end of the next twelve months.
Some of the lack of foresight in college athletics comes with greed, some comes from teenagers not having their priorities straight, but it all has the same damaging effect. How to fix it is a multi-billion-dollar question, one that I will pose without much of an idea of the right answer. How do we bring the importance of long-term building back into the minds of the major stakeholders of college athletics?
**Do not put it on the record that I slandered Ben McCollum. It was an extremely aggressive hire by Iowa, but I’d bet that he is a good enough coach that they will get away with it.
Colorado football’s Deion Sanders blasts NCAAF’s current NIL situation
The post Colorado football’s Deion Sanders blasts NCAAF’s current NIL situation appeared first on ClutchPoints. With Deion Sanders and the Colorado football team working the recruiting trail, a wide-ranging topic in the grander scope of college football has been around name, image, and likeness (NIL). Though there have been some major wins on the recruiting […]
The post Colorado football’s Deion Sanders blasts NCAAF’s current NIL situation appeared first on ClutchPoints.
With Deion Sanders and the Colorado football team working the recruiting trail, a wide-ranging topic in the grander scope of college football has been around name, image, and likeness (NIL). Though there have been some major wins on the recruiting trail for Sanders and the Colorado football team, he would speak on Wednesday about the issue with NIL and the transfer portal.
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Sanders would be present at Big 12 media days with other head coaches in the conference and would be asked about his thoughts on NIL and how it should be regulated. The former NFL great would say there should be a “cap” with NIL and the amount of money given to players, mostly from the vantage point of some teams not being able to match the bigger programs.
“I wish it was a cap, you know, like the top-of-the-line player makes this, and if you’re not that type of guy, you know, you’re not gonna make that,” Sanders said. “That’s what the NFL does. So the problem is, you got a guy that’s not that darn good, but he could go to another school, and it gave them a half a million dollars. You can’t compete with that. It don’t make sense. And you’re talking about equality, and all you have to do is look at the playoffs and see what those teams spent.”
Colorado football’s Deion Sanders on NIL
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Even with the criticisms around the topic, the Colorado football team and Sanders have utilized the transfer portal and NIL, but only because they have to to get the players they desire. It still doesn’t take away from the fact that Sanders has many issues with the system, saying that it is “hard to compete” with teams that can shell out an immense amount of money for top players.
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“And you understand why they made the playoffs, it’s kind of hard to compete with somebody who’s given 25, 30 million dollars to a darn freshman class. It’s crazy,” Sanders said. “We’re not complaining, because all these coaches up here could coach their butts off and given the right opportunity with the right players and play here and there, you’ll be there, but it’s what’s going on right now, don’t make sense. And we want to say stuff, but we’re trying to be professional, but you’re going to see the same teams during the end, and with somebody who sneaks up in there, but if the team that pays them more, that pays the most, will be in.”
The Buffaloes open next season against Georgia Tech on August 29.
Related: Volunteers land 2026 DB recruit over SEC foes Georgia, South Carolina
Related: Why coaching is ‘easier’ for Deion Sanders without Shedeur, Shilo
2025 College Football Odds: Chris ‘The Bear’ Fallica’s Expert Picks, Best Bets
Chris Fallica FOX Sports Wagering Expert There are less than two months left until kickoff, which means it’s almost time for fans to switch their focus back to college football. And with that, sportsbooks have released win totals, game lines and so much more for the regular season. Let’s dive into my favorite picks for […]
There are less than two months left until kickoff, which means it’s almost time for fans to switch their focus back to college football.
And with that, sportsbooks have released win totals, game lines and so much more for the regular season.
Let’s dive into my favorite picks for how a few teams will perform this upcoming season.
Illinois Under 8.5 wins
There is also an Under 7.5 (+135) available out there, but as I’ve said in the past, I do not mind playing for an extra game buffer.
The Illini are a super-trendy team this season, and while I don’t expect a losing season, the roster does have questions.
Will the losses of Zakhari Franklin and Pat Bryant affect Luke Altmeyer’s production? The defensive line boasts three newcomers and can the running back room of Aiden Laughery and Kaden Feagin stay healthy?
Illinois went 9-3 last year, but thrown in there were OT wins against Nebraska and a dreadful Purdue team, as well as a Kansas turnover-implosion early in the season, and a miracle win at Rutgers. So we’re talking about close to 5-7.
There are five games that immediately appear like possible losses on the schedule — at Duke, at Indiana, USC, Ohio State and at Washington. Heck, maybe the game in Madison late in the year turns into a “let’s beat our old coach” rally.
Put aside the discussion of this being a playoff team, nine wins in itself will be quite a feat.
PICK: Illinois (-150) Under 8.5 wins
Joel Klatt believes Illinois, Ole Miss could make first CFP appearances
Houston Over 6.5 wins
The Cougars offense was one of the worst in the country a year ago, as Houston was shut out twice and held to 10 points or fewer in three other instances.
Enter Texas A&M transfer Conner Weigman at quarterback, along with multiple wide receiver and tight end imports via the portal.
Willie Fritz has a knack for quick fixes and in this league, where we saw the team picked last in 2024 win the league, it’s quite possible another major turnaround happens here.
Nobody should be surprised if the Cougars bring a 4-0 mark into the home game with Texas Tech and with four of the teams expected to be the worst in the league — Oklahoma State, Arizona, West Virginia and UCF — on the schedule, there’s a definite path to a big Year 2 turnaround here.
PICK: Houston (+120) Over 6.5 wins
Joel Klatt’s objectives for the College Football Playoff
Miami to make College Football Playoff
A poor defense kept the Canes out of the College Football Playoff last year, but new defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman was brought in from Minnesota to fix as many issues as there are.
The good news for Hetherman is he will have a full year of Rueben Bain to work with, as well as a secondary which could be open of the best in the country, which is saying something after the unit struggled mightily last year.
Carson Beck will look to return to 2023 form after an elbow injury, and to help him do that, he will have one of the best offensive lines in the country and the deepest running back groups around.
The Canes’ schedule has two huge non-conference skins on it — a season-opener against Notre Dame and a date with rival Florida — and both are at Hard Rock Stadium. Win one or both of those and Miami will have two premier non-conference wins. This will basically mean it just has to avoid completely throwing up on itself in ACC play to reach the CFP for the first time, as was the case with SMU last year, a team that didn’t have near the same non-conference slate as this and was able to make the Playoff despite a loss in the ACC title game.
The avenues to make the Playoff are many — winning the ACC, beating Notre Dame and/or Florida and losing the ACC title game. Or, even beat both ND and Florida, happen to lose out on a spot in the ACC title game and make the Playoff at 10-2.
PICK: Miami (+200) to make College Football Playoff
Chris “The Bear” Fallica has covered sports for nearly three decades. While college football has been his focus, he also enjoys the NFL, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, MLB, NHL and Horse Racing, with an “occasional” wager on such events. Chris recently won the inaugural Circa Football Invitational and finished in the Top 10 of the Golden Nugget Football Contest. He’s a multiple-time qualifier for the NHC Handicapping Championship. Remember, “The less you bet, the more you lose when you win!” Follow him on Twitter @chrisfallica.
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Eleven players from the 2025 Montana softball team have been named Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar Athletes, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced this week. The players honored all recorded a GPA of at least 3.5 for the 2024 fall and 2025 spring semesters. This year’s honorees: Hailey Boer (Biology), Anna Cockhill (Business Administration), Grace […]
Eleven players from the 2025 Montana softball team have been named Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar Athletes, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced this week.
The players honored all recorded a GPA of at least 3.5 for the 2024 fall and 2025 spring semesters.
College athletics the way it was meant to be still exists at Barton
When he was named head football coach at the University of North Carolina, seven-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick proudly proclaimed that the Tar Heels would become the “NFL’s 33rd team.” It’s been reported that former Duke basketball star Cooper Flagg earned upwards of $28 million in Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) compensation and endorsements […]
When he was named head football coach at the University of North Carolina, seven-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick proudly proclaimed that the Tar Heels would become the “NFL’s 33rd team.”
It’s been reported that former Duke basketball star Cooper Flagg earned upwards of $28 million in Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) compensation and endorsements during his one year with the Blue Devils.
And new N.C. State basketball coach Will Wade was investigated and subsequently fired for allegedly paying players during his time at LSU. With no trace of irony, his ability to pay players and construct a winning roster, primarily through the transfer portal, was cited as the primary reason for his hire by the Wolfpack.
To quote the famous line from Bob Dylan: “The times they are a-changin’.”
The NCAA that most of us know is virtually unrecognizable now. Terms like NIL, transfer portal, conference realignment and House settlement have forever altered the landscape of college sports. There is no question that we are looking at the professionalization of college football and basketball at the Division I level. The term “student-athlete” is nothing but a quaint reminder from the past, and the reality is that most football and basketball players are now more employees than students, and the whole enterprise has become transactional.
NIL legislation started with good intentions a few years ago. Student-athletes should be compensated for their name, image and likeness, especially now that college athletics has become a multi-billion-dollar business. However, NIL is a misnomer, as there were few guardrails put in place by the NCAA, and it quickly evolved into a recruiting inducement and pay-for-play system. To be clear, I don’t begrudge the athletes who are capitalizing; I wish NIL had been around in the 80’s when I played basketball at William & Mary. Back then, I was thrilled with an occasional post-game sandwich and maybe a pitcher of beer!
This new era of college sports is still wildly popular. Stadiums remain full, TV ratings go up every year and donors are spending millions to help build championship-caliber rosters. There is a never-ending chase for more money, and increased spending. And like many of you, I remain a fan and am still captivated by the College Football Playoff and March Madness (both of which are looking to expand, by the way).
I believe strongly in the power of sports to lift people up, to teach valuable lessons and forge lasting relationships. I know it because I lived it as a college basketball player and coach, and now as an athletic director. I know that coaches are educators, leaders, role models and mentors. I know the incredible value that a college degree holds, and the way it can impact a family for generations.
At Barton College, we approach athletics from a transformational standpoint, not a transactional one. We offer life-changing opportunities to our 700 student-athletes, and our focus is guiding them down the path of resilience and growth. You’ll see them not only on the field or court, but also serving as orientation leaders, resident assistants and research associates. While we play to win — and we do it a lot — the biggest “game” on the schedule is always graduation day. Athletics supports the mission and business model of the college, providing a positive and nurturing student-athlete experience, and competing to win in the classroom, in competition and in the Wilson community.
You can root for the Heels, Devils, Pack, or Pirates, but we are Wilson’s hometown college team, and we have no doubt you’ll root for the Bulldogs.
We have great coaches and staff, beautiful facilities, and talented student-athletes who compete at a high level. You know what we are? We’re what college athletics used to be, and what it was meant to be. We may have some navigate the transfer portal and a few Bulldogs dipping their toes into the NIL waters, but most of our student-athletes, including football and basketball players, are here to get a first-class education and to learn and grow as people.
Our games are affordable and many are free, and you can bring your kids onto the field or court after the game for a photo, no problem.
I look forward to seeing how Belichick and Wade do, and I’ll be rooting for Cooper Flagg.
But mostly, I’m proud to be part of the team, Wilson’s hometown team, at Barton College, where we still do it the right way.
Ken Tyler is Vice President and Director of Athletics at Barton College. A former NCAA Division I basketball player and coach in Divisions I, II and III, Tyler has spent over 30 years in college athletics. Prior to Barton, he served as Director of Athletics at the University of Mary Washington and West Virginia Wesleyan College. Tyler resides in Wilson with his wife Dr. Leona Ba Tyler.
College Football Analyst Believes NIL Issues Aren’t the Only Reason James Franklin Lost Penn State’s Recruiting Battles
James Franklin has turned Penn State into a consistent winner, but one recruiting expert believes the Nittany Lions are falling behind in the battles that matter most. While Franklin’s 101-42 record speaks for itself, the question remains: why can’t Penn State land the elite recruits needed to compete for championships? Why Is Penn State Losing Top […]
James Franklin has turned Penn State into a consistent winner, but one recruiting expert believes the Nittany Lions are falling behind in the battles that matter most.
While Franklin’s 101-42 record speaks for itself, the question remains: why can’t Penn State land the elite recruits needed to compete for championships?
Why Is Penn State Losing Top Recruiting Battles Despite James Franklin’s Success?
James Franklin left Vanderbilt after winning 61.5% of his games there. That performance ranks as one of the best coaching jobs of the last 25 years. No one wins that many games at Vandy, a school rich in academics but a football pauper.
When he arrived at Penn State, he encountered another, unexpected problem. Franklin needed to help distance the program from the Joe Paterno Era, which was filled with championships but also controversy.
Bill O’Brien succeeded Paterno, but you could still sense the ghosts of bad memories that overshadowed greatness. Franklin built the Nittany Lions into perennial winners. In 11 seasons, his teams finished with double-digit victories. Plus, the school keeps turning out NFL stars, like Saquon Barkley and Micah Parsons.
However, in the NIL era, the school cannot get over the metaphorical hump. Recruiting expert Brian Smith stopped by the “Locked On Nittany Lions” podcast to discuss why the team cannot secure the best of the best in the new money period of the sport.
“NIL is a big part of it, but I think the biggest is still relationships. They just lost (recruits) to teams with excellent assistant coaches. Penn State will have some of the battles go their way. It’s just par for the course.”
Breaking down that quote reveals the real issue. NIL money matters, and when you share a conference with Ohio State, Michigan, and Oregon, you must find a workaround or get creative. According to 24/7 Sports, Franklin’s Lions hold down the 15th spot in the 2026 rankings. In most conferences, that would guarantee a championship. However, the Big Ten is no ordinary conference.
What Can Franklin Do to Fix Penn State’s Recruiting Problems?
Jumping into the pool for four- and five-star recruits sounds good, but what’s the backup plan when they don’t arrive? Hitting the portal for above-average players isn’t always a guaranteed bonus.
Hiring great recruiters is something Franklin can fix. Recruiting remains the lifeblood of the college game. Building connections with area, state, regional, and national high school programs matters. Walking into a high school coach’s office and dropping your business card on the desk isn’t enough for Penn State. They are not Alabama.
RELATED: James Franklin, Penn State Lose 2026 4-Star QB Peyton Falzone to Auburn in Shocking Flip
One underdiscussed aspect of the recruiting issues is that Franklin’s name perennially appears as a candidate for just about every major coaching job. From afar, that hangs above the program. Is it a ploy to earn a raise or a more extended contract? Or does Franklin actively search for jobs?
Franklin can coach and run a top football program. His 101-42 record with Penn State solidifies that fact. However, at what point are 10 wins during the regular season insufficient?
Always the bridesmaid, the football program must find a way to break through. Getting to the CFP isn’t enough, nor is winning a few games. To cement his legacy, Franklin must bring a championship to State College. Can the team find a way to not only survive the conference grind but also catch fire in the playoffs?
JWill DISAGREES 
| First Take
