Kirby Smart 'stood on the table' for walk-ons amid college football roster debate
Among the many historic changes that will result from the House vs. NCAA settlement, which will include direct payment to players for the first time, is the possibility of a roster limit in college football that would all but do away with walk-on players entirely.
News of that potentiality has resulted in widespread and passionate opposition from head coaches, among the general "rigorous protest" the idea has received already, according to ESPN.
Including especially from Georgia football coach Kirby Smart, now the most accomplished among his peers in the SEC since Nick Saban's retirement, and who is a prominent voice for walk-ons.
"Kirby Smart stood on the table for walk-ons yesterday," college football reporter Pete Thamel told The Paul Finebaum Show from the SEC spring meetings.
"I mean, I can go through the list. Every coach who basically stood up in defense of walk-ons. I can't see a world without walk-ons. I just can't," he added.
But it's still being touted as a possible outcome of the settlement, which could move the NCAA to get rid of scholarship limits, and in the process, cap rosters at some number, like 100 or 105.
Some notable college football stars have been walk-on players over the years: Baker Mayfield, J.J. Watt, Clay Matthews, Hunter Renfrow, Santana Moss, and Georgia players like quarterback Stetson Bennett and place kicker Rodrigo Blankenship.
Smart also mentioned that coaches like Dabo Swinney and Will Muschamp began their college football playing careers as walk-ons, at Alabama and Georgia, respectively.
"I don't know anybody that would be against walk-ons," Smart said at the SEC meetings. "At what cost does that bring us? I think it hurts high school football, and football as a whole, when kids can't even dream," of walking on to a program.
Texas A&M football coach Mike Elko is another SEC figure who opposes getting rid of walk-ons.
"I'm strongly against it," he said. "I think it's absolutely against college football. What it stands for, what it's about. I think that'll give a major problem... I think that's something that's really bad for the sport."
Given the value walk-on players have to college football programs, not only as potential rising stars, but in key utility roles as roster depth, specialists, and scout team contributors during practice, we can expect coaches will be diligent in making sure they remain a part of programs going forward.
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JAMES PARKS
James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He previously covered football for 247Sports and CBS Interactive. College Football HQ joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022.