Michigan Should Benefit From College Football Free Agency

If the Big Ten had its way, each first-time transfer would be granted immediate eligibility, and if the NCAA one day adopts such legislation, programs like Michigan should benefit.

According to CBSSports.com, the Big Ten (led by Michigan AD Warde Manuel) proposed legislation in 2019 to allow first-time transfers in college football immediate eligibility. The NCAA ultimately decided to put a hold on any such considerations for the next few months but could vote and adopt such a significant change for the 2021 season. 

"I think it's the right thing to do," Manuel said in the article, noting there are only a handful of sports in college athletics where players must sit out a year: men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, hockey and football. 

"We have five sports that are not allowed to transfer in this day and age. That is something we need to fix. We need to give all young people flexibility to transfer once. If they transfer a second time, there is no waiver."

I asked our audience if they felt Michigan would be a winner or loser in college football "free agency" with a slight majority voting that the Wolverines will come out on top. 

My colleagues and I discussed this topic on our radio show Monday too, and our consensus was that programs like Michigan will likely lose more than the average school, but that might not be a bad thing because it will trim the fat and there should be a payoff coming too (more on that in a minute). 

The Maize and Blue could see 20 or more players leave after their first or second year (normal attrition is about 8-15) when it becomes apparent their path to playing time is far more challenged than competing at a Mid-American Conference school or second-tier Big Ten team. And while the second rung of schools do not provide an opportunity to compete for a championship, they do offer the chance to showcase oneself to NFL scouts. 

However, Michigan will not be unique. This will likely happen for Penn State and Notre Dame, Georgia, Florida, Oregon, Auburn, Southern Cal, Florida State - the schools that consistently rank in the Top 20 of the recruiting rankings but have yet to legitimately challenge for a college football title. 

These schools, though, should also be able to cherry-pick among a talented lot of upperclassmen that have performed for Group of 5 programs, each afforded a chance to bolster their championship potential ranks with a handful of big-time playmakers:

• Receivers Omar Bayless from Arkansas State or James Proche from SMU.

• Quarterbacks like Jordan Love of Utah State or Brady White of Memphis.

• Running backs like Jaret Patterson of Buffalo or Darrynton Evans of Appalachian State.  

After Patterson rushed for 1,013 yards and 14 scores in 2018, Michigan would have loved the opportunity to add a tailback of his caliber to its 2019 roster. 

And that will happen so while quantity may not favor a program like Michigan, quality should. The Wolverines already over-recruit, signing more prospects than they have scholarships knowing attrition is coming so they'll fill holes every year with another wave of recruits, meanwhile adding 4-7 upperclassman transfers to their arsenal. 

As one Twitter respondent, Phil Whitsel, so perfectly summarized it: "it becomes the player version of relegation. Players who want more playing time will move to lower-tiered teams. Players who prove themselves can move up to contribute to better teams. As long as Michigan stays in the top half, I think it’s a wash."