D1 Transfers Into The NSIC

[WPHB]

And Canyon Bauer from SDSU.

[Matt Witwicki]

I can’t speak historically, like many others, but checking out current rosters I saw:

Augie-1 from Iowa State

BSu-1 SDSU receiver and a few from the NSIC

UMD- 4 total: 2 from Montana State, 1 from Minnesota, 1 from NDSU, a few from the NSIC and a couple from other colleges/JUCO

Mankato State-7 total: Northern Illinois, Illinois State, NDSU, 2 South Dakota, North Dakota, Missouri. Several from the NSIC and others from different colleges

Off the top of my head....Augie has more than 1. I mean....QB Bauman is from MT State, the backup RB is from Illinois State, Bauer at WR was a bounce-back from SDSU.

[Matt Witwicki]

Off the top of my head....Augie has more than 1. I mean....QB Bauman is from MT State, the backup RB is from Illinois State, Bauer at WR was a bounce-back from SDSU.

(my guy above must've started his post the same time as mine..haha)

[Purple Mav Man]

That's technically true, however they did not transfer for academic purposes or a lack of playing time. They were both dismissed from their respective P5 programs.

They were already well ahead of the rest of the field when they joined their D2 programs.

It’s more than technically true because that’s exactly the point I was making :) There’s a wide variety of reasons why people end up at D2.

Here is what I said: “Either they were a walk-on at the D1, or maybe some discipline issues, grade issues, various team rule issues, playing time or closer to home.”

[Purple Mav Man]

If simply looking at rosters on the school’s sites, it can be tough to determine. Some don’t list the previous school unless you click into each individual player.

[Purple Mav Man]

I mentioned Ricky Lloyd and I also know they had Scott Leuis's kid a while back who seemed to play pretty consistently, but I can't recall many others off the top of my head who have made a significant impact.

Those are the FBS guys, but as I mentioned, Nate Gunn was the most prominent. Also, a guy that Lloyd threw to, Dorian Buford was a one-and-done transfer from Missouri State in 2014 and went for over 1000 yards and 15 TDs

[Thunder]

Northern has certainly dabbled in the transfer market much more with Schmidt than in previous years. Just going off the "Previous School" listed on the roster, the 2023 team had 23 transfers:

FBS - 6
FCS - 8
D2 - 1
NAIA - 1
JUCO - 7

As near as I can tell most of those transfers played this season. Dewaylon Ingram is quite possibly the best WR to ever play at Northern. Ian Marshall had an All-American season in 2022, but was less effective in 2023. I think fans can get a little overhyped regarding transfers and see them as a quick fix, especially when they are coming from a D1 school. In reality, most of those players are transferring for a reason. Sometimes transfers can work out great, but I'm of the believe that if you really want to build a successful program you need to recruit quality HS talent and develop them over 4-5 years. That is certainly getting harder to do as bigger schools poach top D2 players. If you can get a couple of quality transfers to supplement your homegrown roster I think that would be a good recipe for success.

[Thunder]

For comparison Mankato has 25 transfers on the 2023 roster

FBS - 3
FCS - 7
D2 - 8
NAIA - 2
JUCO - 5

[SW_Mustang]

It’s more than technically true because that’s exactly the point I was making :) There’s a wide variety of reasons why people end up at D2.

Here is what I said: “Either they were a walk-on at the D1, or maybe some discipline issues, grade issues, various team rule issues, playing time or closer to home.”

Gotcha, you had your bases covered! ;)

[SW_Mustang]

Those are the FBS guys, but as I mentioned, Nate Gunn was the most prominent. Also, a guy that Lloyd threw to, Dorian Buford was a one-and-done transfer from Missouri State in 2014 and went for over 1000 yards and 15 TDs

Guess I never realized Gunn was an FCS guy. Great RB, I remember him fondly. I remember Buford too.

[Purple Mav Man]

Guess I never realized Gunn was an FCS guy. Great RB, I remember him fondly. I remember Buford too.

He was at one of your favorite schools, USD. Can’t believe you didn’t have his Coyotes poster on your wall! Haha

Buford was fast, wish the Mavs had him more than the one year.

[SW_Mustang]

He was at one of your favorite schools, USD. Can’t believe you didn’t have his Coyotes poster on your wall! Haha

Buford was fast, wish the Mavs had him more than the one year.

Ha! I hung my USD poster next to my Wisconsin hockey poster. Haven't had time to hang up the one the PFL sent me. ;)

I did actually have a USD shirt in high school. Someone was adament it was a bootleg because it had a Coyote on it and not a Jackrabbit. No clue how I got it.

[Iowacoo]

I would assume these D1 transfers are also expensive from a scholarship standpoint. Maybe Wit or someone could attest to this .

[Matt Witwicki]

I would assume these D1 transfers are also expensive from a scholarship standpoint. Maybe Wit or someone could attest to this .

I don't have any data on that....as schools don't look to publicize it. But I think you can expect more $$ being thrown at those kinda guys typically..sure.

Maybe the biggest thing about a D1 guy coming to a D2 squad....are they coming in with a sense of entitlement or do they have a good work ethic and understand they are just 1 guy out of 100 now..and they will need to prove themselves. Typically there's a reason they landed D1 in the first place..and it's either superior athleticism or their frame. If a guy had some real production in D1..that would feel like something you might be able to count on..but a guy who redshirted or maybe was at a school for two years and is getting the rub that they aren't going to be in the plans....I can't blame em if they transfer to a D2, etc.

I never want to have the assertion that just because a D1 guy is coming in that they'll be a shot in the arm for the squad. There could always be a reason they weren't in the plans so much at the D1..and a school finds out, "ok, now I see why.."

But as stated....some can work out well. Bauman at QB did for Augie this year for certain. Ingram was the top wideout in the conference, etc.

[CollegeFBGuy]

I appreciate all of the conversation in this thread! The actual examples and numbers etc…it will be interesting to see if more or less (or maybe the same) guys drop down from FBS or FCS in the next couple of years, as we witness more and more with the portal. The scholarship $ potentially needed to land these guys was a consideration/gamble/chance I hadn’t considered.