Spring football is usually about optimism, development, position battles, and breakout candidates.
But this week, Aaron Roderick peeled back the curtain on a growing issue that continues to shape the modern game.
Speaking after a spring practice for the BYU Cougars, the offensive coordinator was asked about young players making strides during camp. His response was equal parts humorous and revealing.
“We’ve got some young players that are doing some good things,” Roderick said. “I’m a little reluctant to comment about young guys, though, because then people will start tampering with them before the next portal window. So, I’m just not gonna say nice things about the young guys anymore.”
A Growing Concern Across the Sport
In the era of NIL collectives and an active transfer portal, programs are constantly navigating the balance between promoting player development and protecting their roster. Coaches around the country, including several in the Big 12, have privately expressed concern about other programs reaching out to players before they officially enter the portal.
While tampering is prohibited under NCAA rules, enforcement remains murky, and proof is difficult to obtain. As a result, coaches are increasingly cautious about publicly praising under-the-radar contributors who could become portal targets.
Roderick’s comment reflects that tension. Compliment a freshman publicly, and suddenly, outside interest may spike. Stay quiet, and you protect the room, at least in theory.
Roderick may have delivered his line with a grin, but it underscores the broader instability facing college football. Coaches are now calculating not only how to build rosters, but how to keep them intact.
And in 2026 college football, even saying something nice about a freshman can feel like a recruiting risk.
