Barry Odom’s departure has yet to cause mass exodus at UNLV

Under Barry Odom’s two years of leadership, the NCAA transfer portal was always pivotal for the UNLV football team. In the aftermath of the accomplished coach’s exit, that remains true.

The transfer portal, a crucial platform for coaches looking to recruit players and for athletes considering new opportunities, opened Monday.

Despite Odom leaving the Rebels on Sunday after a historic two seasons to coach at Purdue, UNLV players didn’t announce they were entering the portal en masse as some might have expected. But that doesn’t mean an exodus won’t take place.

Freshman running back Greg Burrell and senior cornerback Tony Grimes announced they were entering the portal on Sunday, saying they would still play in the LA Bowl under interim coach Del Alexander.

On Monday, it wasn’t announced or reported that any additional players who suited up for UNLV this season were looking to move on. Athletic director Erick Harper said himself Sunday that departures could be coming.

“I can’t say that (players) won’t reach out to (Odom),” Harper said. “But if they do, they better talk to the compliance office before they do reach out, because they have to be in the portal to transfer. So that’s a part of the process.”

What is the transfer portal?

When former UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka expressed his intentions to leave the team after starting the first three games, he created arguably the largest transfer portal story in the country this year.

But even Hajj-Malik Williams, who led the Rebels through the remainder of a regular season that ended Friday with a loss to Boise State in the Mountain West championship game, arrived in Las Vegas via the portal from Campbell.

So did senior linebacker Jackson Woodard and defensive back Jalen Catalon, who both followed Odom after having previously played under him at Arkansas.

The portal is a platform that the NCAA requires all athletes to enter before they transfer schools. Once a player informs their current program that they want to enter the portal, the university has 48 hours to report the information to the online database. From that point, coaches from other teams can watch additions to the portal live, as it’s constantly updated with new players.

Coaches are then allowed to begin recruiting immediately, and the portal closes Dec. 28.

It appears UNLV players will have longer to enter the portal, as NCAA guidelines require the platform to open for 30 days to athletes who have lost their coach.

Uncertainty

The quiet transfer portal opening was paired with none of UNLV’s early signees announcing their decommitment from the program.

An NFL Players Association certified agent who also represents collegiate coaches and players told the Review-Journal on Monday that the lack of movement was indicative of the uncertainty surrounding the Rebels.

“People are trying to figure out what’s going on,” the agent said, as UNLV and Purdue’s staffs are influx.

If an internal hire was selected to replace Odom, such as star offensive coordinator Brennan Marion, existing talent could feel more comfortable staying in Las Vegas and building on Odom’s existing foundation instead of participating in a rebuild. Harper even said Sunday he would be meeting with some players as part of his search.

Harper also said the new coach will have full control of the entire staff. Which means everyone in the recruiting department, for example, could be replaced, and the players they recruited could follow them elsewhere.

But that hasn’t stopped UNLV’s recruting efforts.

Whether Brad Odom, hired by his brother as director of player personnel in 2023, will follow the former UNLV coach to West Lafayette, Indiana, is yet to be seen.

A source confirmed that Brad Odom is still employed and working for UNLV, and the rest of the previously hired recruiting department is still active and in place.

Woodard to be honored

Even with all of the change and uncertainty, UNLV still has some things to celebrate.

Woodard, the 2024 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, is one of 16 finalists for the William v. Campbell Trophy, also known as the “Academic Heisman.”

Woodard, the first finalist in UNLV history, will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and be honored Tuesday at the 66th NFF annual awards dinner at Bellagio.

Also, cornerbacks coach Akeem Davis was named a member of the American Football Coaches Association’s 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute class for 2025 on Monday.

The former NFL player was selected from a field of more than 200 candidates to participate in the program intended to scout and develop future coaching standouts.

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.