Iowa Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz has often faced criticism for not embracing the modern trends of college football, particularly when it comes to using the transfer portal.
Although Ferentz has made occasional use of the portal, such as bringing in quarterback Cade McNamara in December 2022 (which didn’t work out) and securing another talented quarterback, Mark Gronowski, this offseason, he has generally steered clear of it.
That has led to plenty of frustration from Iowa fans, and deservedly so considering how much other Big Ten schools have taken advantage of the portal over the last several years.
Well, the agitation of Hawkeyes fans will continue, as Ferentz recently stated at a press conference that he still doesn’t plan on using the transfer portal all that much.
“Then the portal, we’re not trying to build a roster out of the portal,” Ferentz told reporters. “Pretty sure I’m correct in saying we’re the lowest number in the Big Ten. I think Penn State had six, we had five, and I think Northwestern had nine. Everybody else it seems like is in the teens or beyond.”
It almost seems like Ferentz takes pride in not bringing in many players through the portal, but that approach is no longer effective in 2025.
Consider this: the Ohio State Buckeyes just won a national championship with a transfer quarterback (Will Howard), a transfer running back (Quinshon Judkins), and a key transfer safety (Caleb Downs).
While building a team through recruiting is undoubtedly the best path to a championship, ignoring the transfer portal is a mistake. Despite coaching Iowa since 1999, Ferentz has yet to fully adapt to this reality.
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