Iowa Football Falls Victim to a Transfer Portal Shocker!

The college football gods giveth, and they taketh away.

This morning I'm reminded of an old saying that you no doubt had stated to you at some point growing up. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." The Iowa Hawkeye Football program has once again been left holding the jockstrap of a departed five-star recruit courtesy of the transfer portal. Now I understand that is something that happens in the current sports environment we live in. But it is the second time this player has spurned the Hawkeyes!

We are of course talking about offensive lineman Kaydn Proctor. His tale began in 2022 when he verbally committed to play football at the University of Iowa. Then, on the day before national signing day, he flipped his commitment to the University of Alabama. Iowa fans were disappointed but understood Proctor's decision to head to Tuscaloosa to play for Nick Saban and a National Championship.

After an up-and-down freshman year at Alabama and the retirement of Nick Saban in the offseason, Proctor decided to enter the transfer portal. It didn't take him long to settle on his home state of Iowa. Hawkeye fans rejoiced! The prodigal son had returned! Iowa had its starting left tackle and a future NFL lineman on its roster! As Lee Corso says, "Not so fast my friend."

Scott Dochterman at The Athletic broke the story yesterday of Proctor once again entering the transfer portal with intentions of heading back to Alabama. And he made that announcement on the eve of spring football practice in Iowa City. The Athletic reports that Proctor went on a spring break trip with several former Alabama teammates but let's not pretend that is the reason why he is headed back to Alabama.

I am in favor of NIL money for athletes, and I'm OK with the transfer portal. But clearly, the system needs some adjusting. This kind of commitment whiplash makes college football look stupid and the NCAA clueless.

I'm not going to speak poorly about Kaydn Proctor. I don't know him, or his situation. But I do know one thing. He clearly doesn't bleed black and gold. And if you don't, then you don't deserve to be a Hawkeye.