UConn 2025 Outbound Transfers (Dec. 9th > 28th 2024 & April 16th > 25th 2025 Cycle) *No Speculation*

[psilotic]

I'd ease up on Pryce. Yes, the flip flopping is not a good look, but Id suspect he's getting some bad advice from a supposed adult wanna be agent and another supposed adult in another program who promised a bigger pot of gold. Need some of our NFLers (hello Travis Jones) to intervene and let him know there's a pathway to league through Storrs.

 

[Windham4th]

Do we know for sure yet it was the Yates situation? My magic 8 ball told me to ask again later.

If this is true then if I were him, I'd take the money. There are no guarantees of professional contracts for most of our guys, not to mention injury possibilities especially if as someone else said he's one concussion away from retirement. Imagine starting off in the real world with a financial cushion and no student loans. My credit score would be wwwaaaaayyyyyyy better if I didn't emerge from college saddled with debt.

That being said, not following the ONLY rule of the transfer portal, is a pretty stupid look and might be a catalyst for some change in this wild west we have now.

 

[Bubba1957]

I think we'll see a lot of players making mistakes chasing a few extra bucks. Two scenarios:
Player is not NFL material: The extra dollars for 1 or 2 years gives him a false sense of security delaying adulthood and decisions about what comes next. Thinking they've got it made and don't pursue a career until the money dries up. Not a good look for prospective employers. This becomes a net negative over the long run.
Player is NFL material: They find themselves in a situation where they don't see as much playing time or touches and don't get the opportunity to showcase their skills. Draft status is hurt. Another net negative.
For others that transfer into UConn to get playing time, I see only positives!

 

[Hamms30]

Do we know for sure yet it was the Yates situation? My magic 8 ball told me to ask again later.

seems that way from what is on Storrs Central. The Mora story wound up on ESPN with Yates mentioned in the article as well. Wonder if "the suitor" drops the offer with that bit since with a commitment from Yates, it would be glaringly obvious whodunnit.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[ScottVib]

No intent to harm the program? Pryce literally came back and took a spot from someone mora and Co could have used on someone in the portal.

Mora has said he gives the departing player first shot to come back before filling their spot. I don’t doubt that Pryce was sincere when he returned and I don’t think you can doubt his effort in the game. His reentry doesn’t prevent Mora from filling the spot so if circumstances changed, so be it… they’ll fill it and UConn will move forward.

Best of luck to Pryce in the future.

 

[Skiblets]

Mora has said he gives the departing player first shot to come back before filling their spot. I don’t doubt that Pryce was sincere when he returned and I don’t think you can doubt his effort in the game. His reentry doesn’t prevent Mora from filling the spot so if circumstances changed, so be it… they’ll fill it and UConn will move forward.

Best of luck to Pryce in the future.

Fewer players available in the portal now is my biggest issue with the timing. That and a D that is going to look completely different next year

 

[Hoophound]

We can recover by getting older players from the portal. We’ve had good luck with older guys. The Ivy League produces some really good older transfers.

Yates was probably offered a very large sum of money by someone and he got to thinking. When you see some of the numbers being thrown around, he may have been offered a really big payday. We aren’t talking 150k, we’re talking big money with a player like Yates.

 

[noeynox]

Fewer players available in the portal now is my biggest issue with the timing. That and a D that is going to look completely different next year

More players will enter after their bowls and the playoff. Fewer players are not something I'd worry about. We are not shopping off the top racks in the portal. The guys we target are not the apple in eye of teams with more money to spend.

I find the hate toward Yates too much. They will fill his spot without issues from within or from outside. Matt Hoffman had a nice bowl game as well rushing the passer. It is always next man up. Coming into the year I thought we would miss Jackson Mitchell so much. Jaden McDonald I thought was better in the spot.

The portal with NIL combined has been a net positive for UConn. What i really worry about is the revenue sharing proposal.

 

[huskymedic]

Fewer players available in the portal now is my biggest issue with the timing.

The bucket will fill back up when the Portal reopens April 16th thru 25th 2025. We been successful during that period filling needs (e.g. Jayden McDonald).

 

[noeynox]

The bucket will fill back up when the Portal reopens April 16th thru 25th 2025. We been successful during that period filling needs (e.g. Jayden McDonald).

We are on the same wavelength here.

 

[coachcap]

I'd ease up on Pryce. Yes, the flip flopping is not a good look, but Id suspect he's getting some bad advice from a supposed adult wanna be agent and another supposed adult in another program who promised a bigger pot of gold. Need some of our NFLers (hello Travis Jones) to intervene and let him know there's a pathway to league through Storrs.

Paging Dan O....

 

[businesslawyer]

More players will enter after their bowls and the playoff. Fewer players are not something I'd worry about. We are not shopping off the top racks in the portal. The guys we target are not the apple in eye of teams with more money to spend.

I find the hate toward Yates too much. They will fill his spot without issues from within or from outside. Matt Hoffman had a nice bowl game as well rushing the passer. It is always next man up. Coming into the year I thought we would miss Jackson Mitchell so much. Jaden McDonald I thought was better in the spot.

The portal with NIL combined has been a net positive for UConn. What i really worry about is the revenue sharing proposal.

The hate for Yates is silly. The only people who should be bashing him are people who've turned down opportunities for jobs they've really wanted, paying them materially more, because they had just given a verbal commitment to their prior employer that they weren't going anywhere.

Unless you've done that because you thought morality required you to turn the better offer down, you really should keep your mouth shut here. I'm not bashing the kid because I doubt I would do differently in his shoes. Heck, I tell people who work for me when they take new jobs that what they owe me is two weeks notice and working their butts off every hour during that period.

 

[uconndogs]

I agree with biz on this. Heck, these kids are not doing anything different than coaches have been doing forever. The current system allows for this and the kids are taking full advantage. From my standpoint, college athletics brought this upon themselves.

My biggest concern is for the kids. This system is going to bring out some very bad players as "agents" and if kids don't have a good support group around them they are going to get some very bad representation and advice. The leadership at the schools that play in this realm have been completely innept at guiding major college athletics. They have been long greed and short of leadership. There have already been some very bad situations and I fear we are only at the tip of the iceberg.

 

[fleaflicker]

So, for an old UConn grad, 85 years old, it sure is different in the world of college football. Allot like Money Ball now. I am so happy for all the fans, including myself, who got a chance to see UConn beat a team like NC. Even if NC was lacking some players I believe JM had them ready to win. I was not on board with predicting a win for UC. As a matter of fact I had NC winning the game. BUT, I desperately wanted to be wrong and I am SO VERY GLAD I WAS. Again, I thank all you for your posts regarding the Fenway Bowl win, and your thoughts on what will happen with the portal going forward. I guess the old saying applies, "You can't drive the car forward while looking backward". Happy New Year to all of Husky World. Old Guy!

 

[Skiblets]

The hate for Yates is silly. The only people who should be bashing him are people who've turned down opportunities for jobs they've really wanted, paying them materially more, because they had just given a verbal commitment to their prior employer that they weren't going anywhere.

Unless you've done that because you thought morality required you to turn the better offer down, you really should keep your mouth shut here. I'm not bashing the kid because I doubt I would do differently in his shoes. Heck, I tell people who work for me when they take new jobs that what they owe me is two weeks notice and working their butts off every hour during that period.

Surprised by this take.

Personally I have no issue with a kid transferring. But taking his name out of the portal and declaring his commitment to the UConn family after the Bowl game while knowing he was gone is just a weak move by Yates. Process matters

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

The bucket will fill back up when the Portal reopens April 16th thru 25th 2025. We been successful during that period filling needs (e.g. Jayden McDonald).

Thank you for being the voice of reason. All hope is not lost. Spring will bring good things, and Mora will once again put a bunch of puzzle pieces together. Maybe even better things (hint hint) will come, but I believe he will reload pretty well. Happy New Year a bit early.

 

[Stray_Dog]

And don’t stand next to him on Fenway Bowl podium and echo Mora’s brotherhood sentiments. Then do this two days after.

Well, I'm going to say it this way - he Edsall-ed the team!

 

[gioff2323]

The hate for Yates is silly. The only people who should be bashing him are people who've turned down opportunities for jobs they've really wanted, paying them materially more, because they had just given a verbal commitment to their prior employer that they weren't going anywhere.

Unless you've done that because you thought morality required you to turn the better offer down, you really should keep your mouth shut here. I'm not bashing the kid because I doubt I would do differently in his shoes. Heck, I tell people who work for me when they take new jobs that what they owe me is two weeks notice and working their butts off every hour during that period.

Disagree. This is a kid saying I’m leaving for a better offer and then saying never mind, I love it here. And then a week later saying, oops never mind again.

They all have opp to enter portal, but treating it like a revolving door just reflects poorly on him. More, you know when he entered his name initially that the staff started looking for replacements. His coming back let them focus elsewhere. Now, who knows what was lost.

Your people can leave any day. That’s not how the portal works. If someone critical to the firm left the night before a case he was managing opened for trial I’m guessing your prepared pep talk might come across differently.

These kids are student athletes, not ladies of the night.

 

[Purple Stein]

So, for an old UConn grad, 85 years old, it sure is different in the world of college football. Allot like Money Ball now. I am so happy for all the fans, including myself, who got a chance to see UConn beat a team like NC. Even if NC was lacking some players I believe JM had them ready to win. I was not on board with predicting a win for UC. As a matter of fact I had NC winning the game. BUT, I desperately wanted to be wrong and I am SO VERY GLAD I WAS. Again, I thank all you for your posts regarding the Fenway Bowl win, and your thoughts on what will happen with the portal going forward. I guess the old saying applies, "You can't drive the car forward while looking backward". Happy New Year to all of Husky World. Old Guy!

The energy on the UConn sideline at Fenway was through the roof. The energy on the UNC sideline was pretty neutral. We came to play. Happy New Year, Old Guy!

 

[TheDrifter75]

Disagree. This is a kid saying I’m leaving for a better offer and then saying never mind, I love it here. And then a week later saying, oops never mind again.

They all have opp to enter portal, but treating it like a revolving door just reflects poorly on him. More, you know when he entered his name initially that the staff started looking for replacements. His coming back let them focus elsewhere. Now, who knows what was lost.

Your people can leave any day. That’s not how the portal works. If someone critical to the firm left the night before a case he was managing opened for trial I’m guessing your prepared pep talk might come across differently.

These kids are student athletes, not ladies of the night.

But with Pryce, our next case isn't until next fall, not tomorrow. Further, the staff did start looking when he initially entered and picked up Jackson.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Surprised by this take.

Personally I have no issue with a kid transferring. But taking his name out of the portal and declaring his commitment to the UConn family after the Bowl game while knowing he was gone is just a weak move by Yates. Process matters

It isn't a good look (and that's something he'll need to deal with) but I'm not going to be upset with the kid.

He very possibly is one accidental helmet to helmet collision away from ending his career (and as a lineman this can happen very easily). I also imagine that as he is from San Antonio, there are few places that he could move on to that wouldn't be closer to home.

I imagine that someone saw him Saturday and said "this kid can help us a lot" and then seemed him out. The conversation could have been something like:

"would you consider moving to our school and playing at {whatever} level?".

"Thank you but I am very happy with what we've worked out here".

"What have they promised you for NIL?".

"They've promised X".

"Hell, we can offer 2.5X!".

I wish the kid well and believe that we can overcome this loss.

 

[rich1122]

What’s lost here is are these kids getting a Degree. I mean short term money is nice, but you can’t live the rest of your life on it.

I’d be curious to know how this is affecting graduation rates and looking at a kid 3 years down the road after he got a potful of money.

Is this really helping?

 

[RSTuthill]

It isn't a good look (and that's something he'll need to deal with) but I'm not going to be upset with the kid.

He very possibly is one accidental helmet to helmet collision away from ending his career (and as a lineman this can happen very easily). I also imagine that as he is from San Antonio, there are few places that he could move on to that wouldn't be closer to home.

I imagine that someone saw him Saturday and said "this kid can help us a lot" and then seemed him out. The conversation could have been something like:

"would you consider moving to our school and playing at {whatever} level?".

"Thank you but I am very happy with what we've worked out here".

"What have they promised you for NIL?".

"They've promised X".

"Hell, we can offer 2.5X!".

I wish the kid well and believe that we can overcome this loss.

I would argue only with one aspect of your post. These are not kids. They are men.

 

[UConnJim]

The portal is the wild west. I heard of a kid (friend of a friend) who put his name in the portal in December and had $100k+ offers thrown out quickly from a couple big schools (he was a backup at a P4 school) and ultimately he committed to a low level FBS school. What happened? I don't know for sure, but my guess is that there are offers and then there are committable offers. Schools will throw out an offer and evaluate all of their choices and then decide who they want. I just hope if Yates was thrown an offer with money involved that it was a committable offer.