HBCU Football: Deion Sanders sounds off on NIL, the portal and tampering

Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders talks about the transfer portal, NIL, tampering, and HBCUs closing the recruiting gap. 

247Sports recruiting analyst Carl Reed had a conversation with Coach Deion Sanders Tuesday. The influx and influence of name, image, and likeness (NIL), HBCU players in the NFL Draft, the transfer portal, and coach tampering were topics he and Coach Prime discussed.

Reed and coach Prime touched on the transfer portal in three different ways. First, it was in the context of name, image, and likeness. Pittsburgh wide receiver Jordan Addison entered the transfer portal at the deadline because of an alleged 3 million dollar deal on the table to play elsewhere.

Coach Prime on the transfer portal and NIL:

Deion Sanders spoke about this from the perspective of the portal’s effect on college football and its effect on individual players.

"“I like it. I love for these guys to be able to be paid for their name, image, and likeness, but it’s becoming free agency and if you don’t have it, you’re not going to be able to compete,” Sanders said. “It’s just another way to me to keep the schools that don’t have the proper funding down.”"

Coach Prime wants his players to focus on the NFL, not getting NIL money. He also feels as if NIL money could harm players’ motivation. “If you get comfortable and you’ve already got a meal coming, man, cmon, how hungry are you going to be to go out there and work and go get it. We can’t lose the fact these are young men; they’ve got to stay hungry and invested. When a kid says (to me) coach, how about that paper, click.”

Sanders was highly critical of Florida A&M defensive end Isaiah Land deciding to enter the transfer portal, saying he “hated it” during the interview. Sanders felt that Land was upset because safety Markquese Bell went undrafted.

“Don’t run from change; be the change,” Sanders commented. Coach Prime went on to say that the system he played in was perfect for him, and that might not be the case elsewhere.

The issue on a macro level with both NIL and the transfer portal is regulation. When NIL were coming down the pipe, the NCAA passed the buck to state and federal legislatures, and this is the result.

The deadline to enter your name in the transfer portal and play the next season is May 1.

Coach Prime on HBCU players getting drafted and recruiting:

Four players from HBCUs were drafted this season after none were drafted last year. Nearly twenty more players either were signed to undrafted free agent contracts or invited to mini camps. The number of players getting an opportunity to play in the NFL has increased this season.

Coach Prime argues this means there will be even more next season. Of his opinions about the postseason All-Star circuit and draft process, his idea about an All-Star game and expanding the scouting combine were most interesting.

Sanders feels there should be an FCS v. FBS All-Star game as he feels that HBCUs (specifically those in the SWAC and MEAC) should be more closely associated with FCS programs. Coach Sanders also believes in full inclusion at the NFL Scouting Combine.

If there is anything that came across was that he wants equity in all of college football. Coach Sanders feels that stars get you in the door but hard work and development keep you in the door.

“When you’re able to acquire those type of guys, it’s a blessing, those four or five-star guys that are immediate game changers and you can see the ability. But I’m not one just for stars. Forget the stars by their name, because after the first half of the college season, nobody’s going to say Travis hunter’s a five-star, they’re just going to say, Travis Hunter. The stars may get you there, but the stars can’t keep you there. Now you’ve got to work.”