College football isn’t allowed to trade its players. Not outright, anyway. The transfer portal, however, has given players more control of their playing careers than ever before.
And, yes, they are careers, especially now that NLIs are a thing.
Oklahoma wide receiver Jadon Haselwood is expected to visit Arkansas on Saturday after entering the portal. He caught 39 passes for 399 yards and six touchdowns with the Sooners last year, marks that were second on the team in receptions and yards and first in touchdowns.
If Haselwood were to choose Arkansas, the move would feel a bit like a trade. Former Arkansas wide receiver Mike Woods transferred from the Razorbacks to the Norman, Oklahoma, and played this past year for the Sooners. He caught 32 balls for 381 yards and two touchdowns. More or less, they’re the same numbers, save Haselwood’s touchdowns.
Would Arkansas want another Woods-like player (in production, mind you) in the fold? Absolutely. It’s likely leading wide receiver Treylon Burks will leave for the NFL draft this spring. Tyson Morris and De’Vion Warren are out of eligibility. Warren Thompson and Ketron Jackson Jr. would be the two leading returners out wide.
Good for Haselwood, anyway. Whether he chooses Arkansas or not, he clearly wanted no more of whatever madness was happening in the Sooner State. Feels like the intrigue of playing with a quarterback like KJ Jefferson and like Sam Pittman would be an opportunity for at least some good times, which, we’re betting he didn’t have many of last year.
The transfer portal is great.