JC recruits no longer favored option for quick roster fixes
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The quick roster fix.
When a coach needed instant help in the past, he typically shopped the junior college ranks. But now, with the exploding popularity of the transfer portal, Power Five coaches typically are bypassing JC players.
“(The transfer portal is) gonna hurt it,” said a Big Ten head coach when queried about JC recruiting. “I'm sure there's still gonna be guys that you'll find. But it will take away for some from that.”
The transfer portal started in October 2018. New regulations were adopted in 2021 allowing student-athletes to change schools using the portal once without sitting out a year after the transfer.
In the Class of 2022, Big Ten schools signed just 10 junior college players—with half being offensive linemen. Nebraska led the way with three signees. Maryland, Penn State and Illinois each inked two.
“Maybe the Top 25 JC kids still are heavily recruited,” said Jeff Johnson of JC Recruiting Review. “But, after that? Power Five is going transfer portal, which of course trickles down.”
As points of contrast:
Five years ago--the 2017 Class--Big Ten schools welcomed 16 junior college transfers.
Ten years ago--the Class of 2012--the Big Ten signed 20 JCs.
Said a Big Ten defensive coordinator: “I've got some friends at places like Utah State. And they think they could really mop-up (in JC recruiting) because a lot of places where people would go to junior college recruiting, those kids are being overlooked now. There's gonna be some kids in high school levels that are missed out that will end up at JCs.”
Fighting Illini coach Bret Bielema inked two JC players in 2022: Offensive linemen Isaiah Adams and Zylon Crisler.
“And they're both starting for us right now,” said Bielema. “Came in (this spring), were immediate starters for us. But very unique approach. Both of these guys were full-qualifiers out of high school. We look for guys specifically that are in junior college that are full-qualifiers out of high school, right? So, you eliminate maybe the academic risk and some of the other issues.”
While Power Five schools may not need to shop the JC ranks for much help, Group of Five schools tend to be more apt to dip their toe in the market. But they also still lean toward shopping the portal for help instead of the junior college ranks.
“What we're using the portal for is basically to supplement gaps in our roster, which in the 10 years gone by would have been totally left up to junior college kids,” said a C-USA assistant. “There's more portal kids to evaluate than there are junior college kids.
“The junior college kids were getting essentially over recruited in years past, but now it's kind of balancing out. The best talent in junior college doesn't graduate until May, but nobody wants to wait until May because then you don't have them for spring (football). Now, our quick-fix help is probably 75 percent portal and 25 percent junior college.”
Added a MAC offensive coordinator: “You would not probably look at junior college guys as much if they were going to be summer (additions to your team). But now, you go back on those guys because you've got summer needs (because of portal defections). There's another wave of junior college kids still out there that people probably passed on first because everybody wants players for spring ball.”
When the big schools do come calling for JC talent, they typically focus on a few positions.
"No doubt, the top dozen linemen on both sides of the ball, defensive backs, are still very much wanted by blue-blood Power Five teams,” said Johnson. “Some receivers and running backs get that call from the same type of programs.”
JC quarterbacks? They rarely land at Power Five schools.
“That's all transfer portal,” said Johnson.
Junior colleges could be a solution for some of the myriad players who enter the portal—and subsequently never find a home.
“Some of these kids that are getting in the portal who can't find the home that they want,” said Bielema, “maybe they haven't got the school level that they wanted. Or, because of timing, there's not a lot of scholarships out there right now. So, I've kind of guided a couple guys to look at a junior college route because they're smart, they're full-qualifiers.
“They can get in and out of a junior college in a year. And now they can get out on the backside with the possibility of three for three, four for three ... stuff like that. To me, they're a much more intriguing player for a good program that's not just looking for a one-year wonder, a two-year fix guy. Now, you are looking at a guy with a three-year window.”
Another scenario proffered by a Group of Five head coach: “What would stop a Group of Five school from saying to a kid: Listen, instead of going to junior college for a year or two and then trying to go play 'big,' come to our place for a year or two, and you'll get more visibility and you’ll have a better chance to go big than you would coming out of junior college, right?
“A lot of schools are eliminating some of the eligibility requirements and all that. I mean, why not? If you get a kid in school, and if you think he can make it, why not grab that guy and you be the de facto junior college for a year or two?”
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