https://x.com/JacksonGoebel5/status/1907412074960994577?t=sa4pSe9UUA5AeThoutYdOw&s=19

Jackson Goebel out of Lomira, is headed to Carthage. He was 1st team all-conference and HM D4 All-State.

The portal impacts all levels and sports, including a heavy reliance at North Park. Just curious, does Vetter from nat'l champ Trinity bite on a scholly at a level or two above three?

Quote from: markerickson on April 05, 2025, 09:49:28 PMThe portal impacts all levels and sports, including a heavy reliance at North Park. Just curious, does Vetter from nat'l champ Trinity bite on a scholly at a level or two above three?

Not sure why Vetter wouldn't bite on a D2 or, especially, on a D1 scholarship. Especially, given the fact that so many kids consider themselves too good or above D3, and basically an under performer unless they secure an athletic scholarship at some point on their athletic journey. We see this carried to the point where some kids will attend an academically inferior school, often an NAIA school, just so they can say they got a (athletic) scholarship. Vetter, of course, could be programmed differently. From a family economic standpoint, he probably doesn't need it as much as many others. He is originally from Kenilworth, IL, an ultra rich suburban Chicago enclave. Prior to Trinity, he attended Canterbury School in New Milford, CT. Tuition there is currently $77,650!! Highly doubtful his family is anywhere near what could be termed economically disadvantaged. Yet, from a competitive standpoint, why not accept a D2 or D1 scholarship if one is offered?

On the second point referred to above, namely North Park's (very) heavy reliance on the reliance on the Transfer Portal, I find this a very interesting situation. Most teams nowadays are going to have some transfers on the roster. Get a couple of JUCO transfers, or even possibly a D2 or two, and there's a good chance you can instantly significantly boost the skill level of your roster. Still, I would think the majority of D3 rosters are composed of kids coming directly from high school. However, if you peruse this season's NPU roster, of the 17 players listed (with jersey numbers) on the varsity roster, it appears only 5 of the 17——- DJ Strong, DJ Wallace, Lance Nelson, Mike Vuckovic, and Jahki Gray, matriculated to NPU directly from high school. Three players attended 2 schools before NPU, and one player made stops at 3 other institutions before finding his way to North Park. So, as markerickson advised, a heavy reliance on the Transfer Portal indeed.