SEC coaches joined in support to keep walk-ons

Pete Thamel, ESPNMay 28, 2024, 03:58 PM ET DESTIN, Fla.– SEC football coaches aren’t sure what roster caps will look like under the brand-new settlement that’s poised to improve college sports. Answers aren’t due for months.Collectively, the coaches

made it clear Tuesday at SEC spring meetings that they want walk-ons to be part of college football moving forward as the information of roster camps are hashed out.First-year Texas A&M coach Mike Elko came out strongest versus the concept

of rosters being topped at 85 scholarship players. “I’m highly versus it,”he stated.”I believe it’s absolutely against college football

, what it stands for and what it has to do with. I believe that would be a major issue, specifically, when you look at traditions of Texas A&M kids that are going to get the chance to play football at Texas A&M potentially removed from them.Editor’s Picks 1 Associated”I believe that’s something’s truly bad for the sport.” Georgia coach Kirby Smart started his comments by saying that he aspires to learn more about the settlement

and what it looks like before forming conclusive opinions on the problems. He did make clear that the mere concept of removing walk-ons is baffling to him, pointing out that coaches like Will Muschamp and Dabo Swinney began their training paths as walk-ons.” I don’t know anybody that would be against having walk-ons, “he said.”At what expense does that bring us? I believe it hurts high

school football, and football as a whole, when kids can’t even dream [for the opportunity to stroll on]”The concerns struck home for other coaches. Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea is a previous walk-on who now coaches at his alma mater. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian stated his child, Brady, is a Texas walk-on. Elko coaches at a school where the 12th male, which began with a student coming from the stands to play in a game in 1922, is part of the school’s tradition and includes several walk-on traditions.Sarkisian kept in mind that Texas has 35 walk-ons which the ability to walk on resonates in” what college football is about. “Coaches are months away from knowing what roster caps can look like. And in the upcoming months

, commissioners and athletic directors will drill down on the specifics of how lineup caps can work. There seems time and momentum for

a good sense solution, as hard-capping lineups with a particular number of scholarship players and not enabling room for walk-ons would plainly be met strenuous demonstration.”I’m hopeful we can discover a common ground on something that is a reasonable number, “Sarkisian said.”Again, I’m not opposed to change. Modification is going to occur. Okay? But ideally we can find an affordable number to where we still seem like we can run at a high level as coaches and for our players.”Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer stated he has actually had lineups as little as 105 players and as huge as 135 throughout his training profession. A larger roster plays into health and wellness, as coaches can restrict beginners’practice reps. They can also assist optimize representatives for depth players that add to advancement.”

There’s a great deal of variables that enter into play, “DeBoer stated.”So most importantly it concerns health, security and effectiveness and having a successful practice that I think you wish to execute each and every day. That is necessary with the number that’s on your roster.”While the fate of walk-ons loomed as one

of the day’s hot-button concerns, coaches likewise made clear that they were eager for more information from SEC authorities as conferences unfold today. Choices on this issue might not come till after the 2024 season. “What I’ve heard is that everything that I have actually heard is not to be relied on,”Lea stated. “I believe that all that stuff is to-be-determined, and I need to know a bit more about all of it.”