[SamuelMcF]

However, the graduate transfer route (and to a lesser extent the transfer portal) have changed the value proposition. It used to be that if you were a redshirt junior, choices were to take a light academic year (or, for football, as little as one extra quarter) and graduate in 4+ years after playing your redshirt senior year or leave and start the rest of your life. Transferring for graduate school wasn’t a thing, because players had to sit out a year and their five year clock would expire.  Now, the alternative is to graduate from Stanford with a degree, get into grad school somewhere else, and play somewhere else. At worst, you get a chance to start at a lower ranked school (if you were a marginal contributor), or play big time football (if you were a major contributor), without giving up a Stanford degree, and with the upshot of graduating with a masters.


BC

Absolutely gets to the heart of the matter. Just one quibble. There are also players who were complete "steak eaters" who didn't play much, if any (less than "marginal" contributors). Those guys can take advantage of this too, even if they end up at a much lower ranked school and STILL don't start. Free education. They just have to find somebody who wants them.

This happens often, and I have no idea why G5 schools still bite on those "steak eaters." It's one thing if players are "marginal" P5 guys (i.e. have a little bit of tape, played sparingly, etc.) but another if they literally never saw the field at all. We've seen recent examples of that from outbound Stanford guys for sure.

[SamuelMcF]

However, the graduate transfer route (and to a lesser extent the transfer portal) have changed the value proposition. It used to be that if you were a redshirt junior, choices were to take a light academic year (or, for football, as little as one extra quarter) and graduate in 4+ years after playing your redshirt senior year or leave and start the rest of your life. Transferring for graduate school wasn’t a thing, because players had to sit out a year and their five year clock would expire.  Now, the alternative is to graduate from Stanford with a degree, get into grad school somewhere else, and play somewhere else. At worst, you get a chance to start at a lower ranked school (if you were a marginal contributor), or play big time football (if you were a major contributor), without giving up a Stanford degree, and with the upshot of graduating with a masters.


BC

Absolutely gets to the heart of the matter. Just one quibble. There are also players who were complete "steak eaters" who didn't play much, if any (less than "marginal" contributors). Those guys can take advantage of this too, even if they end up at a much lower ranked school and STILL don't start. Free education. They just have to find somebody who wants them.

This happens often, and I have no idea why G5 schools still bite on those "steak eaters." It's one thing if players are "marginal" P5 guys (i.e. have a little bit of tape, played sparingly, etc.) but another if they literally never saw the field at all. We've seen recent examples of that from outbound Stanford guys for sure.