College athletics' transfer portal, fueled by the greener pastures afforded by competing NIL offers, has created the freest free agency in all of sports.
At the University of Utah this past offseason, defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa left for BYU, cornerback Cam Calhoun left for Alabama and wide receiver Zacharyus Williams left for Southern California. Meanwhile, the Utes welcomed New Mexico quarterback Devon Dampier, Washington State running back Wayshawn Parker and UC Davis cornerback Blake Cotton, all of whom are projected to start this season, as well as running back NaQuari Rogers and wide receiver Ryan Davis from New Mexico, according to the DeseretNews.
Between freshmen and transfers, new players make up roughly half of Utah's football roster heading into the 2025 season, Joe Coles of the DeseretNews reported.
"Until federal legislation is enacted or collective bargaining happens, Utah is doing what it can to entice athletes to stay in Salt Lake City," wrote Coles. "That includes signing some athletes to multiyear revenue-sharing deals."
According to Coles, the deals don’t prevent a player from leaving for another school but can include buyout clauses stipulating how much money a player or their new school has to pay to Utah to exit the deal, similar to coaches' contracts.
Not many Utah athletes are under multiyear contract at this time, since the concept is new, and it's unclear how widespread such deals will be moving forward.
"I don’t want to hold kids back," Utah athletic director Mark Harlan told the DeseretNews. "I’m not in the business for that, so we’re just going to have to kind of figure it out as we go.”
Wrote Coles, "Until transfer limits are restored, more and more schools will roll out multi-year deals to try to keep athletes on their campus. The other hope for schools is that with the new revenue-sharing cap and a clearinghouse that will evaluate third-party NIL deals for 'true market value,' there will be a more level financial playing field in the Power Four, which will in turn limit the volume of players transfers to new schools for a pay increase."
