Kadyn Proctor Transfer Illustrates Unsustainable College Football Model

© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz looked to have pulled one of the biggest fish out of the transfer portal in offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor.  Proctor entered the portal after legendary head coach Nick Saban retired from Alabama and Kalen DeBoer took over.  Proctor the 6-7 360-pound offensive tackle and second-ranked player in the portal according to 247Sports would then commit to Iowa on Jan. 20, 2024.  Ferentz looked to have finally got his guy, Proctor committed to Iowa back on June 30, 2022, and would stay committed right up to the early signing window.  Proctor would de-commit from Iowa one day before the early signing window and commit to Alabama.

Proctor leaving Iowa is a perfect representation of everything that is wrong with this new college football landscape. It also brings up some questions that should be answered but most likely will not.

The first question that needs to be asked is, how does Proctor know there is a spot open at Alabama under DeBoer? Coaches within the Alabama Program are unable to communicate with Proctor until the spring window opens on Saturday, April 15, 2024.  Is it possible that coaches use their players to communicate with them?  It’s very ironic that after Proctor was seen on spring break with former Alabama teammates according to Scott Dochterman of The Athletic he would de-commit from Iowa and commit to Alabama right after. 

The second question should Proctor return any NIL disbursement he received from Iowa Collectives? Proctor's decision to go home to Iowa came with payments in the form of NIL. In my opinion, NIL is nothing more than pay-to-play where fans, boosters, and donors pay the salaries of the players instead of the universities. Proctor by taking that money should have agreed to fulfill certain services (playing for Iowa) and if he does not those funds should be returned. Unfortunately, it does not work like that, and Proctor will be able to keep that money. With a NIL deal from Alabama Proctor will seemingly be getting paid by 2 schools in the 2024 season while only playing for one.

Another question is will Proctor’s double dipping into NIL become the new normal and what stops other players from doing the same thing? The answers are most likely nothing.  What stops any player from entering the portal getting paid in the form of NIL by a new team and then just de-committing and returning to their original school?  Make no mistake, NIL is a good thing when it’s used in the way it was intended to be.  The problem is NIL has just replaced the Bagman, instead of players receiving payment in the form of hundreds rolled up in a paper bag they get a paycheck deposited into their account.  NIL deals should come with contracts where they can put in specifically that playing for a certain team is part of fulfilling the contract and until they can this will continue to happen.

Proctor has done nothing wrong, but it is just another illustration of everything that is wrong with college football today.  The NCAA has lost multiple legal battles when it comes to NIL and players being able to transfer.  Because of those losses the NCAA's hands have been tied and are unable to enforce any of the rules that were sent in place to control any of this. This Wild West landscape of college football if not brought under control will become an even more unsustainable model that will eventually come crashing down.