HBCU football programs are still in flux thanks to the transfer portal, which is open for one more week as of Friday.
The portal’s effect on college football isn’t limited to just the current group of collegiate players, but also high school players hoping to be recruited.
According to Morgan State director of football operations Gerald Huggins II, high school coaches should look within for answers regarding today’s recruiting climate.
HS coaches,
You share some of the blame for the current recruiting landscape. Having worked at a DII and FCS HBCU program, I see how we’re treated compared to other institutions when we come into your building.
— Gerald J. Huggins II, M.A. (@Coach_HugginsII) January 7, 2026
“HS Coaches; You share some of the blame for the current recruiting landscape,” Huggins posted on X Wednesday morning. “Having worked at a DII and FCS HBCU program, I see how we’re treated compared to other institutions when we come into your building.”
Huggins followed with another post, saying “When we decide to go the portal route, those top guys you hid from us need a home, because the schools you rather cater to dropped them, and now it’s “does anybody recruit HS anymore?
We’re not a priority until we’re your only option.”
Huggins’ statements were met with a mix of backlash and agreement from high school and college coaches alike, which begs the question: was Huggins right in his assessment?
I can’t say he’s wrong, that’s for sure.
The dismissal of HBCU athletics programs is the culmination of a 50-year project known as desegregation, or integration if you prefer.
When major Division I programs (which have now consolidated to the Power 4/Group of 5) started recruiting Black kids in the 70s, Black College sports suffered greatly.
Fast forward to 2026 and it’s genuinely a surprise when an athlete in any sport with a three-to-five-star ranking considers an HBCU.
This is a problem that has many causes. Some HBCU coaches are so turned off by the treatment they receive at some high schools that they may write off them off.
There’s also the “street agent” aspect that Texas Southern football coach Cris Dishman mentioned as a lot of parents and athletes have “advisors” (in quotation marks for a reason) who have little interest in doing what’s right for the kids; they just want to be seen.
That mostly comes at the expense of HBCUs because these “agents” feel our athletic programs are inferior to PWI mid-majors and the Group of 5/Power 4 level.
While the problem has many causes, are there solutions? A few, in fact.
From the coaches and recruiters’ side of it, relationship building is key. While not an athlete (worth talking about anyway) or a coach, my experience as a journalist has shown me that you must build strong relationships with sources such as coaches, athletes and administrators so you can do your job as a reporter.
HBCU coaches will need to build relationships with high school coaches, administrators, parents and so on but only the ones who are interested in doing so.
As the old saying goes, “Go where you’re celebrated, not where you’re tolerated.”
On the other side, high school stakeholders should be willing to give HBCUs a chance instead of dismissing the athletics programs, education and experience as inferior.
The ultimate goal should be 1) a great education 2) plenty of playing time and 3) finding a school that is willing to pay the most for said education.
As the portal turns, college coaches will likely need to resume strong relationships at the high school level and high school coaches must remain open-minded about where they can and should go.
This new era of college athletics is here to stay. It would be beneficial to HBCU and high school coaches to work together to survive a game that only a select few can play at this point and time.
