Is it just money? Is it playing time AND money? Is it just "get me outta here"?
I ask these questions because I'm seeing folks who have opportunities to leave smaller schools and choose non-football schools/conferences after visits with schools like &tate. An example would be the kid from North Texas who was supposed to visit us and commits to Rutgers. Rutgers........ I mean, I know we aren't a blue blood, but Rutgers over a potential opportunity in the SEC?
I know a lot of folks on this board won't accept this, but nationally, the opportunity to play in the SEC isn't really viewed differently from an opportunity to play in the Big Ten. Playing at State isn't going to be viewed as a bigger opportunity than Rutgers. I assume you're talking about DT Sheffield. I'm from Corinth, like him, and I moved out to DFW, like him. After a year of living in DFW, one of the country's major metro areas, I can kind of understand the appeal of a young guy wanting to continue living near a major metro area. Rutgers offers him a chance to do that. Maybe he just doesn't want to go back to Mississippi.
I think overall, "what are players looking for?" It's four major things:
1. I think a lot of these guys loved the attention that they got during their high school recruitment, but then they got on campus and the love and attention stopped. Being in the new transfer portal era, that attention train never has to stop. They get to put themselves back in that position 1-4 more times.
2. Money. 90% of these guys are never going to go pro and most of the ones that do will be gone within a few years, so this is their opportunity to maximize their earning potential.
3. Opportunity. If you're a junior QB and your school brings in a senior transfer from a bigger school, then it's because you're getting replaced or going to have to fight for playing time. If you can go somewhere else and be their assumed starter, why wouldn't you?
4. Relationships with coaching staff. Once things go sour, it's a lot easier to try to start over fresh instead of trying to repair.