Clark Lea Shares Views on Players Entering Portal Before Vanderbilt's Bowl Game
Now more than ever college football is about business, and that's something Vanderbilt has been having to deal with in the era of NIL and the transfer portal.
Sometimes players will come to Nashville with the hopes of playing their way into a greater opportunity with a more high-profile team, something that was really evident last offseason when the Commodores lost a ton of talent in the portal.
It was a bit more understandable then, though.
After winning five games in 2022, Vanderbilt couldn't replicate that and put together a frustrating 2-10 performance the following year that resulted in an exodus from the program.
But, the Commodores were able to turn things around this season by having their best showing in six years with an opportunity to have a winning record for the first time in over a decade if they can beat Georgia Tech in the Birmingham Bowl.
Despite that motivation and the success of this season, there are still players who have entered their name into the transfer portal looking for opportunities elsewhere.
Again, that's the name of the game in today's landscape, but it's hard not to be put off by it.
Clark Lea addressed that sentiment when he talked about heading into one of the biggest games of the year knowing they are going to be down some impact players who entered the portal.
As always, the head coach was gracious and understanding.
"And there's a lot of guys that through mutual conversation, have decided to move on in their best interest, in the program's best interest. And I think there's something to be celebrated about that. We're working with these guys to again, find opportunities for them that best fit their expectations for how they play those guys ... And so I'm going to celebrate every day that I have with those guys who will be moving on, but it won't be without sadness and a sense of loss in terms of the relationship," Lea said per Nick Kosko of On3.
Vanderbilt understands the transfer game that is being played, and they are looking to use it to their advantage too.
They've already added one talented player through the portal for next season and have their sights set on more.
While those additions won't help them achieve their goal of winning this bowl game to finish above .500, it's still a step in the right direction for how this program is going to operate going forward if they are ever going to truly compete in the SEC.
