The NCAA transfer portal debuted Oct. 15, 2018, and its impact has forever changed recruiting on the high school level.
The portal gives college athletes who desire to transfer the chance to put their name in a site where other colleges can make contact and express interest.
Schools look at the portal as an opportunity to bring a more physically mature athlete in for immediate help. The increase use of the portal by colleges is affecting mid-level prospects who traditionally get hard looks from schools as a development-type prospect.
National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of CBS Sports Network said schools often save scholarships to search for talent in the portal.
"They're loading up with portal guys, which cuts down on the scholarships being given this year and for sure next year, too," Lemming said.
An in-state high school coach believed a prospect at his school was an FCS-caliber player but ended up signing with a Division II school.
Mid-level prospects in states such as California, Illinois, Oregon and North Carolina didn't play fall football and are affected the most, Lemming said.
"Especially the states that didn't play this fall and a lot of the seniors that were major college football players didn't get a chance to get that scholarship," Lemming said. "Now with the portal, there's even less chances."
The return of many college seniors who were granted an extra year of eligibility also takes away opportunities of high school players. Power 5 schools have the budgets to handle the extra costs of returning seniors while signing a full class of 25 recruits, but non-Power 5 schools may find it tougher for their budgets to absorb.
Prospects in the Class of 2022 should be proactive in their recruiting, according to Lemming.
"I think first of all you have to start getting on the same page as your high school coach and make sure he's talking to the colleges about you and promoting you, and they have to look at you," Lemming said. "You have to get your name out there."
If the NCAA lifts the dead period and allows schools to conduct on-campus summer camps, Lemming encourages prospects to attend as many as possible while not overdoing it.
"I think kids have to be cautious about not going to too many camps," he said. "They burn themselves out. I think the key will be this summer. Going to college one-day camps because I think they'll have them. Go to as many as possible and get your name out."
Lemming, who's been scouting high school talent since 1978, discourages camps where coaches can't see and evaluate prospects.
"Go to the college camps where they can actually offer you scholarships," he said.
Lemming also cautions college players about jumping into the NCAA portal without much thought.
A recent Sports Illustrated story detailed former LSU Tiger and 4-star prospect Mannie Netherly's decision to enter the portal in 2019. He was not picked up by another school and is currently working for FedEx and out of football.
'The key for the kids is make sure you have someplace to go before you enter the portal because once you're in there, the colleges don't have to take you back," Lemming said. "That's screwed up a lot of people. A lot of kids are without scholarships because they just didn't think things through. The good players will find a place but you have to careful."
Email Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com.