DESTIN, Fla. — South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer lost some key contributors from last season’s eight-win team to the NCAA transfer portal this offseason.
In a few cases, it seemed as if things moved pretty quickly for the former Gamecocks.
“It was strange based on conversations I’d had with guys two or three days before they went in the portal. It’s interesting how things happen,” Beamer said this past week at the Southeastern Conference’s spring meetings in Florida.
NCAA rules state schools cannot recruit athletes who are currently on another team’s roster. But with college football players granted more freedom to transfer than ever before — and name, image and likeness compensation opportunities being dangled — coaches are frustrated the recruiting starts even before the name pops up in the portal.
SEC football coaches all say tampering is more prevalent than ever, but there are few, if any, ways to stop it.