Last Friday afternoon, the University of Hawaii football team was on the clock.
In 90 minutes or so, coach Timmy Chang noted on that afternoon, “I’ll know what team I’ll have.”
When the clock struck April 26 on the East Coast, the window closed on college football’s second — and final — transfer portal of the 2024-25 academic year. After that, without a special exemption or circumstance, a football player on an NCAA Division I roster is not eligible to be recruited by another school until December.
That meant coaches no longer had to worry about their players — even recruits who were signed in February or last December — seeking proverbial greener opportunities.
It meant that long-snapper Jack Mowrey could announce his transfer from James Madison University to UH. Mowrey, who was in the portal, was encouraged to keep his transfer hush-hush until the documents were signed to avoid potential poaching. It was a lesson from last year, when punter James “Thor” Rendell reached an agreement to join the Warriors. But then the South Bend Tribune reported that Notre Dame “flipped” Rendell, who then committed to the Fighting Irish, presumably for a better arrangement. The UH coaches were suspicious because the Fighting Irish referred to Rendell with the nickname the Warriors had given the punter. Nobody — not even an Australian punter who had never played American football — was safe from other recruiters.
And in this era of “free agency” and name-image-likeness deals, long-snappers can command interest. (Instead of a scholarship, a collective associated with a power-four school recently reached a six-figure agreement with a long snapper, according to people familiar with the situation.)
While coaches have been allowed free movement, for too long, players did not have the same freedom as any other “employee.” After signing a National Letter of Intent, a player who decided to transfer could practice with the new team but not play in a game for a year. Eventually, graduate student-athletes could transfer without restrictions. And now players, who declare for the portal, are immediately eligible at their next school. With players and their representatives seeking NIL deals, and with schools expected to share a portion of their profits with student-athletes, recruits no longer ink letters of intent. A scholarship agreement assures a school will hold a scholarship for a player, although the recruit is not bound to honor the commitment.
An NCAA exemption allows this academic year’s seniors an extra season if they previously played in a non-NCAA league, such as with a junior college. Cornerback Caleb “C-Bo” Brown and defensive back Justin Sinclair used that exemption to return to the Warriors this spring after participating in senior night festivities last November.
But the NCAA also is imposing a hard cap of 105 football players on an FBS roster. In paring the UH spring roster to below 90, some walk-ons were cut, some players — by mutual agreement or seeking better opportunities elsewhere — entered the portal, which opened April 15 for 10 days.
Long-snapper Jax Thompson, who had transferred from TCU in January, is retiring from football. Former TCU kicker Caleb Sempebwa left because of a medical situation involving a family member. Mowrey will replace Thompson. At kicker, Kansei Matsuzawa, last year’s starter, remains atop the depth chart.
The Warriors did not know Brown was entering the portal when they received a signed commitment from speedy cornerback Ben Drake of Sierra College. Brown transferred to Virginia Tech. In a post on X, Drake was wearing No. 13, Brown’s jersey number last season.
Receiver Dekel Crowdus announced his intent to transfer a few hours ahead of the portal’s closing last Friday. Crowdus transferred to UH from Kentucky last summer. In 2024, Crowdus averaged 25.1 yards on 16 catches for the Warriors. He entered the portal last December, but then retracted his application and rejoined the Warriors in January. A day after re-entering the portal, he received an offer from Wisconsin on Saturday.
Two-sport athlete Jarret “JJ” Nielsen, who was the co-No. 2 quarterback in spring training, decided to enter the portal as a way of retiring from football and focusing on playing baseball at another school. By going through the football portal instead of the baseball one, which opens in late May, it opens a roster spot and gives Chang and his staff enough time to find another quarterback.
For now, the UH coaches can focus on adding to the roster, particularly on the offensive line and at corner, and enjoy a respite from a college-football landscape that is sure to continue changing. At least until the clock resets.
