Athletes changing colleges has become an epidemic, so much so that the NCAA has an official site to help athletes weigh all of their options, including academic considerations.
The NCAA also has a portal where the names of those considering transferring become public to coaches. It is sort of like an amateur free-agent site, and this is the first year of its use, but that is another indication of how many athletes are transferring.
Ty Storey, starting quarterback for most of last season for the University of Arkansas, reportedly has put his name in the portal along with Alabama’s Jalen Hurts and others of course.
Storey isn’t talking, but Coach Chad Morris did say he was interested in a transfer quarterback, and the redshirt junior took a beating last year.
Cole Kelley has already left the team and enrolled in Southeastern Louisiana, a FCS program in the Southland Conference. Southeastern is in Hammond, La., and Kelley is a Louisiana native.
Both players deserve to be thanked for doing all they could to make the Razorbacks more competitive.
Entering the portal is not binding. Storey could come back, but there’s also a chance the Charleston native has an idea of who might be transferring in, and he wants to be on the field somewhere, which is really what football players want.
***
A lot was said about Arkansas’ youth after the basketball team lost Wednesday at Walton Arena to Florida, 57-51.
Mike Anderson starts one freshman and rotates three others in. There are three sophomore starters and a junior.
Overall, that’s pretty young for a rotation, but in this day of one-and-done schools like Duke, Kentucky and Kansas are generally pretty young, too.
One of the two biggest factors in the loss was Florida controlled the tempo. Michael White wanted low scoring. Anderson wants his Razorbacks up-tempo and more scoring.
The other factor was the best player on the floor, Daniel Gafford, got only four shots.
The Razorbacks host LSU at 5 p.m. Saturday. When Arkansas closed Florida’s 16-point lead to two late in the game, the crowd was inspirational. LSU is 11-3 and riding a four-game winning streak. Expect an up-tempo game from the Tigers.
***
Christina Lecuyer, a professional golfer and motivational speaker, will be the guest speaker for the PowHer Hour, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, at Heifer International, 1 World Ave., in Little Rock.
The event is free and Lecuyer will discuss breaking down barriers in lives.
Lecuyer is a three-time reality television competitor (golf, of course) and a frequent guest on 103.7-FM, The Buzz. She is the founder of “Decide It’s Your Turn” Women’s Weekend. She’s also an avid sports fan.
***
Kyler Murray, the Heisman Trophy winner from Oklahoma, is reportedly going to enter the NFL Draft.
Murray was the ninth pick of the first round by the Oakland A’s in the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft and would pocket $4.5 million.
However, he could possibly double that money if he’s a first-round pick in the NFL Draft.
Murray, who is listed at 5-10 (not a great height for a quarterback who needs to look over 6-4 linemen in NFL), will have an immediate conflict if he goes to the NFL Scouting Combine, where he would awe scouts with his speed and quickness. The A’s report on Feb. 15.
The combine is Feb. 26-March 4.
Murray is the son of Kevin Murray, who was a sensational quarterback at Texas A&M until he suffered a broken ankle against Arkansas State in 1984.
Read Wally Hall’s
SPORTS BLOG
Wallylikeitis.com