Mark Stoops says recruiting with transfer portal is 'extremely challenging'

The transfer portal was meant to help college athletes find new homes if their current landing spot wasn’t panning out for themselves or their careers. On the flip side, though, it has created a hurdle for head coaches to work against. Several programs are happy to use it when filling in their team’s gaps. When it comes to re-recruiting their own players, though, Mark Stoops is one of the many head coaches who seem frustrated.

Stoops spoke about balancing high school recruiting vs. recruiting from the portal during his National Signing Day press conference on Wednesday. He said the current model isn’t sustainable because of how hectic it makes things and that it has provided a very real challenge to his program.

“It’s extremely challenging, to say the least,” said Stoops. “I don’t know. I don’t have all the answers but this right here is not sustainable. It’s just clearly not. I think any and all head coaches would say that in some form or fashion.”

The Wildcats have actually been one of the portal’s big winners with their acquisitions this cycle. Former NC State QB Devin Leary headlines their current group of six signees from the portal. However, several players from UK hitting the portal, specifically on offense, caused some of those needs for the program.

Stoops believes changes will come with the portal because, in his eyes, it has to. It seems many head coaches are holding their breath for that moment as well. Still, as of now, Stoops’ program is doing its best while they’re along for the ride or just until the right people can sit down together and make the necessary adjustments to the system.

“We’ll see where it goes,” Stoops said. “I mean hopefully we’ll all get together, find some common ground, and some ways to help everybody that’s involved.”