The confluence of the transfer portal, NIL and the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has college football in a very strange place. Because of COVID-19, the NCAA has granted some players additional college seasons, allowing a number of notable players—especially quarterbacks—to continue their college careers well into their 20s.
That has been a boon for players like Michael Penix Jr., who went from an injury-plagued four-year career at Indiana to thriving at Washington over the last two seasons. On Monday, he’ll lead the Huskies in the national championship game.
