Paul Finebaum has blunt response to Caleb Williams entering transfer portal
Paul Finebaum called Caleb Williams’ decision to enter the transfer portal a historic moment in college football history.
Paul Finebaum gave a blunt assessment of Caleb Williams entering the transfer portal this week.
“We now have free agency in college football. It’s as simple as that,” Finebaum said on ESPN.
Williams came to Oklahoma as a five-star quarterback and he supplanted Spencer Rattler as the Sooner’s starting quarterback as a true freshman.
However, head coach Lincoln Riley left for USC, setting off the domino that sent Williams into the portal.
“This is one of the most amazing moves in college football history,” Finebaum declared. “This guy is probably projected to be the No. 1 pick in the draft two years from now in the draft, and now he’s waiting to see what comes his way. What kind of offers; what kind of deals. That’s the new normal in college football.”
Paul Finebaum: Caleb Williams made “most amazing move in CFB history”
Finebaum is right that this is a historic move and the new normal. However, he’s getting ahead of himself just slightly when talking about free agency.
There was always free agency in CFB. It was just limited to head coaches who could up and leave their job at any time.
Williams didn’t enter the transfer portal because he wanted to gauge NIL deals. He entered because the head coach who recruited him to Norman got a job somewhere else.
In the past, players who were left high-and-dry by a coach had to stick it out. Now, they can reevaluate their options.
For Williams, that might mean following Riley to USC. It could also mean finding a new home that suits him as he is now, whether it’s driven by NIL money or championship possibilities.
And once he decides, he’ll need it to stick because unlike a coach or free agent, he won’t be able to move penalty-free again.
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