Keeping Walk Ons

 

 In college football, keeping a walk-on position means a player joining a team without a scholarship but is able to earn a scholarship and a roster spot on the team. Walk Ons are not recruited or offered scholarships by the coaching staff. They are not guaranteed a place on the team and have to compete for one. With the NIL deals and the transfer portal it's ruining it for the walk-on players. The transfer portal has reduced the walk-ons ' chances of earning a scholarship or making the team. The portal has the NCCA thinking about reducing the potential roster sizes because of the transfer portal. Walk Ons are players who are not offered a scholarship but are admitted to the team through tryouts or a "preferred walk-on" designation. Walk-ons can contribute significantly to the team, serving as practice squad players, scout team members, and even potentially earning game time if they demonstrate exceptional skill and hard work. While one can often find a spot especially if they excel in special teams or scout team roles the recent settlement with the NCCA has created uncertainty about the future walk one with some predicting a decline in their numbers due to limited roster limits. I feel like the NCAA should keep the walk Ons because some players don't get a chance of earning a scholarship right out of high school. Walk Ons also can motivate scholarship players with the hard work and dedication regardless of them being on scholarship already. It's a decent number of pro players that were walk Ons. Walk Ons can be better than players that are on scholarship but were overlooked in high school. I feel like walk Ons can make more NIL money than scholarship players because they got it out of the mud. Walk Ons should be kept because that's what plays sports better.