The debate around spring games in college football has taken center stage, with RJ Young bringing a strong perspective to the discussion. Recently, Young critiqued coaches like Matt Rhule, now at the helm of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, for stepping back from traditional spring games due to fears of roster tampering and transfer portal consequences. Rhule has been outspoken about the risks, concerned that showcasing players could attract attention from other programs or their NIL collectives.
Young, however, isn’t buying that logic. He argues that college football should be about players competing against each other, even if it's just a spring game.
“It ain’t no real game,” he remarked, emphasizing that avoiding these games doesn’t solve the problem-it merely sidesteps it. He suggests that if a program is worried about losing players just by putting them on display, the underlying issues might be deeper than they appear.
The shifting landscape of college football, with NIL deals and transfer rules making roster management more complex, has coaches rethinking their strategies. Young uses a sharp analogy to drive his point home: “If you’re afraid of losing her because other men might look… you ain’t never had her in the first place.”
He believes that avoiding spring games sends the wrong message, particularly for programs like Nebraska that thrive on fan engagement and exposure. These games are more than practice; they’re integral to a program’s identity, offering young players a chance to shine and building anticipation for the upcoming season.
While adjustments have been made to the spring transfer portal to address tampering concerns, hesitation among coaches lingers. Young sees this as a missed opportunity for programs to adapt confidently to the new era, rather than retreating from it.