Second Chance All-Stars
100th annual East-West Shrine Bowl is filled with talented players who used the transfer portal wisely
It’s All-Star season in the football world this week.
Many of the best in the NFL will report to Orlando for the annual Pro Bowl Games, and those hoping to make the leap from college to the NFL are in Arlington, Texas, for the 100th annual East-West Shrine Bowl and Mobile, Ala. for the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
“I feel like the best guys get that invite,” Oregon wide receiver Traeshon Holden said during Shrine Bowl media days. “When I got it, I was excited to come show what I can do in front of everybody, and I’m glad I’m here.”
Holden is one of many players participating in this week’s All-Star games who have played for multiple schools and utilized the transfer portal during their collegiate careers.
That should come as no surprise as the transfer portal era has taken college sports by storm. Love it or hate it, it’s here to stay, and many hoping to reach the pro level are using it wisely.
“It definitely helps if you use it for the right reasons,” Ole Miss wide receiver Juice Wells explained. “But it depends on what your goals are and what your mindset is going into it.”
Some obvious reasons to enter the portal include following a specific coach to a new program or finding a place where you will get more playing time. It doesn't always work out, but it at least gives talented players a chance.
The transfer portal has many issues that need to be fixed. But Wells has a point — especially with so many of this year’s pro prospects going through recruiting processes during COVID. Your first choice isn’t always the right one, and if you can find a path to a better future, you might as well take it when and if it’s available.
Just look at Wells, who went from the FCS and the Sun Belt Conference with James Madison to the SEC with South Carolina and Lane Kiffin’s electric offense at Ole Miss. Or Isaiah Neyor’s journey from Wyoming to Nebraska (and others in between) or Luke Newman’s path from FCS All-Conference to starting guard in the Big Ten.
Plus, those guys can use their experiences to help teams in the NFL. What better way to show you can adapt to a new locker room or set a culture that can last years and be the cornerstone of a franchise or comprehend multiple, complicated schemes and overcome other challenges than to be able to say, ‘I’ve done that before.’
The transfer portal is far from a perfect system, but what it was intended to do is on display with several players at the East-West Shrine Bowl: find ways to get talented players their chances to succeed on the field.
Now, many of these guys have their shot at the NFL.