It’s not been a good week personnel-wise for the Liberty football team.
Monday morning, a pair of Liberty football players, cornerbacks Kei’Trel Clark (pictured) and Tayvion Land, announced on Twitter that they have both entered the NCAA transfer database. And the reason? Land cited “racial insensitivity” as the basis for his decision. Clark, meanwhile, mentioned “cultural incompetence.”
As it turns out, that same night, another Liberty football player, Waylen Cozad, confirmed that he too is entering the NCAA transfer database. The senior linebacker, who is white, cited neither “racial insensitivity” nor “cultural incompetence” in making the move.
“Officially entered the transfer portal,” Cozad wrote on Twitter. “Ready for a new opportunity.”
Officially entered the transfer portal. Ready for a new opportunity 🤞🏽
— Waylen Cozad (@WaylenCozad) June 23, 2020
The moves came a couple of weeks after Liberty president Jerry Falwell Jr. kicked up a firestorm with a tweet that referenced Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s blackface scandal. Falwell later deleted the tweet and apologized.
Now, for what’s seemingly becoming a daily disclaimer when it comes to transfers.
As we’ve stated myriad times in the past, a player can remove his name from the portal and remain at the same school. At this point, though, other programs are permitted to contact a player without receiving permission from his current football program.
NCAA bylaws also permit schools to pull a portal entrant’s scholarship at the end of the semester in which he entered it.
A junior college transfer, Cozad played in 11 games his first season with the Liberty football team in 2019. The Auburn, California, native was credited with 25 tackles, one quarterback hit and a half-tackle for loss.
