Transfer Portal Officially Closes With Over 4,000 Entries, But That Doesn’t Mean Players Are Done Negotiating

Congratulations to your favorite college football team if it survived the 10-day transfer portal period without losing multiple key players to opposing teams with larger checkbooks. 

The transfer portal, which started over a week ago, might not have been as entertaining as the winter period, but we certainly saw a trend of players looking for more playing time or a lot more money. Usually, the winter period is when we see the major transactions, which is an easy way to characterize the transfer portal now. 

For the past few months, general managers across college football have been scouring tape and talking to agents while trying to decide which athletes could actually help their team within a budget. One of the most interesting parts of this period has been how the House settlement forced some teams to start writing big checks for what they see as key contributors. 

If you don't think one of your favorite athletes was testing their coaches by "contemplating" an opportunity to enter the transfer portal, you clearly do not understand how the transfer portal works at this stage in college sports. 

Nico Iamaleava Started The Portal Period With Fireworks

This recent period started with a bang, thanks to Nico Iamaleava leaving Tennessee for what his family hopes are greener pastures at UCLA. And he's not landing in Westwood alone, as his younger brother, Madden, will follow him from Arkansas. 

One of the most important aspects of the 2025 spring window was the number of players who entered the portal and found new homes. According to ON3, there have been more than 4,700 entries into the portal during this cycle, which is an astonishing number given the number of days it was actually open. 

Did everyone find a home? Absolutely not. While it's fascinating to see the number of players who decided to test the waters, only half of them settled elsewhere. 

If you're wondering why coaches detest this spring period, most of it centers around not knowing who's going to be on your team at the end of the ordeal. 

Transfer Portal Closing Doesn’t Mean Players Have To Find A Home

Even though you might think the period closing means your team won't add a player or two, this is only the beginning for athletes looking for a new home. 

As the portal closes, now comes the work for a number of coaches in college football. Seeing that you only have to enter your name into the portal database during the 10-day period, players can take their time finding a new school. 

"I can't tell you how many times over the past two weeks I've had someone reach out to me, just to make it look like I'm interested in that certain player," one Power-4 generl manager told OutKick. "They reach out to us, then turn around and tell the current school that they have another offer, when in reality we haven't discussed numbers. It's dirty out here, especially over the past two years. But now that we've overpaid for certain athletes, which include backups so that another school won't poach them, the word spreads that we have money to offer. 

"This is all one big game of chess, and a lot of these ‘agents’ are playing checkers. We're not going to fall for a trap. Do these representatives think that we don't talk to each other? I know how much money the starting offensive lineman is making at our rival school, and it's because I've spoken with someone close to the program. Sometimes, these guys are playing themselves."

Right now, athletes are lining up official visits to schools that have piqued their interest. Players have until the summer semester starts to enroll at their new school, which means they don't have to rush a decision. But if they are going to sign with an NIL collective for a pay raise, schools are rushing to get this done before the House settlement is approved. 

Why? Schools are working around the upcoming revenue-sharing cap by front-loading deals for players, which would keep a good chunk of their overall salary off the books and would not count toward their settlement cap. And since Judge Claudia Wilken is expected to rule in the next few weeks, there is a rush to sign players under the NIL "banner," which is actually a pretty smart move. 

Not Every Player That Enters The Portal Will Find A Home

The unfortunate situation for a number of players entering the portal is that they will not find what they were seeking. If you don't have a spot to land before entering, then there is a very good chance that this could become a tricky spot. Also, getting outraged at "tampering" with players is a waste of your mental space. 

If schools aren't tampering in some form or fashion, then they aren't doing their jobs. This is also why having a good agent to represent you is key to making the transition as smooth as possible. General managers know what they are looking for, and it's their job to make sure the agents currently in the college football business know what positions are of need. 

Nico Iamaleava and his father celebrate after a Tennessee victory. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)

While there will be plenty of athletes who have a home this time next month, the other side of the equation is not as fruitful. Many players enter the portal off very bad advice from those who advise them. Just because your buddy tells you that another school will double your pay doesn't mean they should trust everything that's being proclaimed. 

Now players are learning the hard way that the top-tier school wasn't interested, but you've already burned a bridge by entering the portal, while trying to bargain for more money. And let's not forget that some athletes are told that they are much better than they are, which leads to chaos once they enter their name into the portal. 

The point is that we are still dealing with a system in college athletics that is leading to some very bad decisions, along with expensive contracts. While many players are worth the amount, given the current market, some of them will be playing at a lower-tier school compared to the one they just left. 

For many players, it's a gamble that they thought was worth taking. But many are finding out that they should've just taken the payday that was offered and prepared for next season.