Justin Wilcox: No Cal Players Have Opted Out or Transferred -- Yet

Cal football coach Justin Wilcox on Wednesday met with the media for the first time since the Pac-12 decided to postpone fall football, and it's obvious the uncertainties regarding eligibility and the vagaries of a spring season are playing havoc with players' and coaches' heads.

Some Cal players would have opted out of a fall season, and some have questioned whether they should opt out of a possible spring season or transfer to another school that is planning to play in the fall.

But there are no clear answers to how those would play out, so no deceisions have been made.

Cal players such as fifth-year senior defensive back Camryn Bynum, fifth-year linebacker Kuony Deng, fifth-year outside linebacker Cameron Goode, fifth-year offensive tackle Jake Curhan and sixth-year defensive linemen Luc Bequette and Zeandae Johnson all have NFL aspirations and have some tough choices to make.

There are three chief topics that are intertwined -- opting out, transferring and eligibility.

A Wednesday Associated Press report that fall athletes are expected to get what essentially will be a free extra year of eligibility may solve some issues, but let's see what Wilcox had to say about the other two issues first:

Opting Out

"We had a couple guys that had decided during summer that if we were going to play in the fall that they were going to opt out," Wilcox said in the video above without naming the players. "Now their situation could change based on what spring looks like.

"We've really kind of pushed the reset button, and people will have a decision to make going forward, but as it relates to spring or next fall we haven't [had any players opt out], because, again, a lot of the seniors and those guys are waiting for, 'Ok, what does it all mean?'"

Players still must learn whether there will be a spring season and what it will look like vis-a-vis the NFL Combine and NFL draft if there is one.

Players still must learn the health risks they may take by playing in the spring.

Players still must learn what the eligibility ramifications will be if they play or don't play in the spring or next fall.

Transferring

"Since the decision was made to postpone the fall season, there have been guys who reached out who may have not made the decision on coming back for the fall of '21 who wanted to know, you know, 'Is it possible that I could transfer and maybe play this fall somewhere?' That's come up. No decisions have been made."

Wilcox declined to name the players who were considering a transfer to one of the six FBS conferences that is still planning to play in the fall -- SEC, Big 12, ACC, AAC, Sun Belt and Conference USA -- but he says he understands why players would consider transferring.

"I understand where they are coming from," he said. "If they're not going to be here in the fall of '21, and they have a chance to play somewhere . . . I get that."

Then Wilcox noted that the number of unknowns makes it difficult to make a good choice.

If a player wants to showcase his talents for the NFL he may want to go somewhere he can play this fall, then prepare for the NFL draft.

Several Pac-12 football players recently entered the transfer portal.

Wilcox said he is not privy to any information about whether players who transfer will be granted a waiver to play immediately at their new school.

"If you can decode the waiver process that the NCAA uses, I'd like a Zoom with you," he said.

***Wilcox on the issue of transferring:

Mississippi coach Lane Kiffen said, according to ESPN.com, that it's his understanding that players who transfer now would not be granted a waiver to play immediaely at the new school unless he was a graduate transfer.

If true, that would discourage a lot of players from transferring for that one final season, although there are a few Golden Bears players with NFL aspirations who would qualify as grad transfers.

Eligibility

The Associated Press reported Wednesday that the NCAA Division I Council voted Wednesday to recommend that all athletes whose fall seasons are being altered by the pandemic should get the year of eligibility back. No matter how much athletes compete over the next 10 months, fall athletes would be given a free year of eligibility.

That would need to be approved later this week, but such recommendations are typically passed.

If we understand this ruling correctly, Cal players in their final year of eligibility might opt to play in the spring and play again in the fall. That would be an odd situation, essentially allowing college players to compete in five full seasons, but nothing about the 2020 college football season has been straightforward.

Wilcox spoke before this report came out, but his thoughts seem to parallel those of NCAA Council.

"I don't think you can ask players to exhaust one [season of eligibility] on a shortened spring season," he said, "so then you're going to force guys to choose, and that's tough spot to be in."

***Wilcox on the issue of eligibility:

.Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

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