Lions’ practice amid transfer window
Practice won’t be the only thing on the football coaches’ minds this week at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
The NCAA football spring transfer window opened Tuesday as the Golden Lions held their 10th of 15 practices. The two-week period lasts until April 30, three days after UAPB’s Black and Gold spring game.
Head coach Alonzo Hampton said if a player enters the transfer portal, he will wish them luck but turn his attention toward finding a replacement.
“I’m all for a kid that’s graduating and getting in the portal,” Hampton said. “I am. Coaches leave every single day, and I’m never going to tell a kid not to leave. I don’t get upset when they do it. I get excited, because I get a chance to go find somebody better, and I think that’s the mindset we’ve taken as coaches.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, two players have announced their intentions to enter the portal in this spring window, both as graduate transfers. Linebacker Timon Akins declared his intent Tuesday, joining offensive lineman Calvin Lester III, who declared last week. Both signed with UAPB out of high school.
Their departures come after several other players entered the portal during the December window following the season. That group included quarterback Jalen Macon and wide receiver Kenji Lewis, who transferred to Northern Illinois, and linebacker Rico Dozier, who transferred to Alabama State.
Many schools have already finished spring practice, allowing the coaches to focus solely on the transfer window. Hampton said he would have preferred to start practice earlier to get it done before the transfer window opened, but this schedule allows the spring game to coincide with Founders’ Week, which runs April 22-28.
Offensive coordinator Tony Hull said having practice during the transfer window is challenging, but there is an advantage.
“If guys from your school want to get in [the transfer portal], they’ll get in, and you can give more reps to the guys you know want to be here,” Hull said. “I believe we had, knock on wood, one kid offensively
jump in the portal. That just opened up more reps for the guys that was at that same position as him.”
Hampton has said from the beginning of spring practice UAPB will need to add more players before the season starts, and this window gives him and his coaches an opportunity to do so.
He said Tuesday he wants more offensive linemen, two or three wide receivers, one or two cornerbacks, and a quarterback.
“We got some young guys coming in that we really like, but at the end of the day, man, we’re plugging in pieces that make us be able to compete for a SWAC championship,” Hampton said as he prepares for his second season in charge. “Let’s be honest. This is year one. Last year, got the job late. Hey, that is what it is. Hey, we had guys. Hey, we didn’t cut guys on purpose. We didn’t do any of that. We ain’t trying to cut anybody, and we kept a lot of guys that we probably should have let go. But now, man, this is our team.”