SEC football coaches unite in support of keeping walk-ons

DESTIN, Fla. — SEC football coaches aren’t sure what roster caps will look like under new settlements that are poised to reshape college sports. The answer has been no for months.

Collectively, the coaches made it clear Tuesday at the SEC spring meetings that they want to be a part of college football as roster camp details are hashed out.

First-year Texas A&M coach Mike Elko came out strongly against the idea of ​​limiting rosters to 85 scholarship players.

He said, I am strongly against it. “I think it’s absolutely against college football, what it stands for and what it is. I think it’s going to be a big problem, especially, when you look at the legacy of Texas A&M kids who are going to get the opportunity to play football at Texas A&M potentially from them. has been taken away.

“I think it’s something really bad for the sport.”

Georgia coach Kirby Smart began his remarks by saying he’s interested in learning about the settlement and what it looks like before forming a firm opinion on the issues. He made it clear that he wonders at the mere idea of ​​eliminating walk-ons, noting that coaches like Will Muschamp and Dabo Swinney began their coaching careers as walk-ons.

“I don’t know anyone who would be against a walk-on,” he said. “What does it cost us? I think it hurts high school football, and football as a whole, when kids can’t even dream of (a chance to walk on).”

The problem hit home for other coaches. Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea is a former walk-on who now coaches at his alma mater. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said his son Brady is a Texas walk-on. Elko coaches at a school where 12th man, which began with a student coming from the stands to play in a 1922 game, is part of the school’s lore and includes multiple walk-on traditions.

Sarkeesian noted that Texas has had 35 walk-ons and that the ability to have walk-ons resonates with “what college football is about.”

Coaches are months away from knowing what the roster cap might look like. And in the coming months, commissioners and athletic directors will drill down on the specifics of how roster caps might work. There seems to be time and momentum for a common sense solution, as hard capping rosters with a certain number of scholarship players and not making room for walk-ons will obviously be met with stiff opposition.

“I’m hopeful that we can find a common ground on something that’s a reasonable number,” Sarkeesian said. “Again, I’m not opposed to change. Change is going to happen. OK? But hopefully we’ll find a reasonable number where we still feel we can operate at a high level for the coaches and our players.”

Alabama coach Calen DeBoer said he has had rosters as small as 105 players and as large as 135 in his coaching career. A larger list plays a role in health and safety, as coaches may limit the practice reps of beginners. They can help maximize reps for depth players who contribute to development.

“There are so many variables that come into play,” DeBoer said. “So first and foremost it comes down to healthy safety and skill and a successful practice that I think you want to execute every day. That’s important with the numbers you have on the roster.”

While the fate of walk-ons emerged as a hot-button issue of the day, coaches also made it clear they were eager to learn more from SEC officials due to meet here this week. A decision on this may not come until after the 2024 season.

“What I heard was that I couldn’t believe what I heard,” Leah said. “I think that all these things should be determined, and I would like to know more about it all.”