Hawkeyes Football Handling Roster Turnover

Iowa Expected Change with Transfer Portal's Increased Popularity

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said losing players in the NCAA’s transfer portal is just part of college football’s new world.

Ferentz had several players announce last week they would be entering the portal, including backup quarterback Alex Padilla, wide receivers Keagan Johnson and Arland Bruce, and running back Gavin Williams.

And Ferentz knows that more players could enter during the current window.

“That’s kind of my encouragement when I talked to the team yesterday,” Ferentz said during a Sunday video conference to talk about the Hawkeyes being selected to play in the Dec. 31 TransPerfect Music City Bowl against Kentucky. “Take some time here, deliberately take some time over the next few days and make sure if you want to be here, you're here and your feet are here and full-fledged and part of the team.”

Ferentz has had to deal with roster uncertainty in the past, with players deciding if they want to play in a bowl game or get ready for the NFL draft.

“When you get in that situation, I would venture it’s going to be the same way with the portal. ‘Do I leave? Do I stay?’” Ferentz said. “It’s a different time in sports right now. So my encouragement to our guys is if you're serious about playing in this game, then let's go and if you're not, then wait back and then we'll handle each situation individually in terms of the players. But I would say the majority of the guys that have announced that they have thoughts (of leaving) probably won't be back with us and, with that, maybe that creates opportunity.”

Ferentz said such player movement is expected.

“You always hate to lose any player from a program,” he said. “I said that earlier, and I do mean that sincerely. … If a guy’s not a hundred percent on board, it’s probably best for everybody to just go their separate ways. Then our task is to look at the portal, look at the transfer market, and try to learn about them just like we would any recruit coming out of high school.”

Ferentz said there is the possibility some of the players who entered the portal might come back.

“I don’t think there will be a high number of those, at least in our program,” Ferentz said. “A couple of players, they’re very firm in their thinking and amazingly a couple of them already had a destination in mind and probably worked out. So that’s good, that’s good they have a home.”

Ferentz could not comment on last week’s commitment of former Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara to the Hawkeyes after he entered the transfer portal.

McNamara threw for 169 yards and a touchdown against the Hawkeyes in last season’s 42-3 win in the Big Ten championship game.

“Yeah, he impressed the hell out of me — their whole team did,” Ferentz said. “ He was the leader of that team, a captain on that team. Very, very impressive.”

Ferentz has taken a few players from the transfer portal in recent years, but he knows the system is different.

“You have to change your framework, your perspective,” Ferentz said. “Every guy we recruit, our goal is to have them graduate from Iowa and finish their careers at Iowa. If that's not possible, then we'll look for guys that maybe are interested in doing that.”