HBCU coach has blunt message on transfer, especially for Division II players

As the head coach of a Division II HBCU, Allen University's Cedric Pearl knows all too well the dark sides of the transfer portal.

Pearl does not reject the portal. He knows players want bigger stages, better scholarships and more exposure. But during a recent interview with The SIAC Sitdown on HBCU Gameday, the Allen head coach made it clear that the portal cannot replace the purpose of college.

That purpose, he said, still starts with a degree.

"Everybody is not going to get the million dollars, so at the end of the day, the degree is still worth it," Pearl said. "That's still the prize."

For HBCU programs in Division II, that message has become harder to deliver. The transfer portal has changed how coaches recruit and rebuild. Pearl said his approach is now a mix of high school recruiting, junior college prospects and portal players.

"It's pretty much year-to-year now," Pearl said. "But the bottom line is, you have to get the best football player you can get, the best student-athlete."

The portal has changed the math

Pearl has seen both sides of the transfer portal. He has brought in portal players. He has also lost players to bigger opportunities.

Two defensive linemen came to Allen as freshmen, played two seasons and then moved up to the FBS level. Amarie Fleming went from Allen to Texas A&M in the SEC. Pearl also had a portal player spend one season at Allen before moving on to an FCS program.

That is the new landscape for HBCU coaches, especially at Division II. A player can come in, develop, produce and leave. That does not make the player wrong. But it forces coaches to keep recruiting their own locker room.

"Recruiting your team, man, is a full-time job," Pearl said. "You've got to recruit in-house first."

The challenge is financial, too. Pearl said the biggest retention issue between Division II and Division I is money. At a Division II HBCU, many athletes still need loans. At the FCS level, a full scholarship can change the decision.

"For a Division II athlete to get an FCS scholarship, that means now he doesn't have to take out any more student loans," Pearl said.

That is a powerful pitch. It is also a reminder that the portal is not only about ego or playing time. For many families, it is about debt.

The degree remains the goal

Still, Pearl worries that too many players enter the transfer portal without a real plan.

He wants athletes to talk with their parents, understand their options and know where they are going before they move. Pearl cited large Division II portal numbers and said he does not believe every player who enters has a clear path out.

That is where the HBCU mission enters the conversation.

Pearl's own story started with a scholarship to Tuskegee. His coaching career took shape because mentors pushed him toward graduate school. That history informs how he talks to players now.

"You still have to have a degree," Pearl said. "The elite, the 1%, they're the ones who are going to make the money."

Pearl is not telling athletes to ignore opportunity. If a player can move up and improve his future, he understands. But for most college athletes, especially outside the Power Four spotlight, the degree remains the safest return.

"At the end of the day, man, if you're down below that Power Four or nobody is offering you real money, you need to keep your mind on the prize," Pearl said. "Keep your eye on the prize and get that degree."

That is the balance HBCU programs like Allen are trying to strike. Coaches must build rosters in the transfer portal era. They must help players chase opportunity. They also have to remind them that football is not the whole plan.

Pearl's pitch to recruits is simple. Allen's goals are to graduate and win championships.

In Division II, that order matters. And in the transfer portal era, it may matter more than ever.

The post HBCU coach has blunt message on transfer, especially for Division II players appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2026

This story was originally published July 7, 2026 at 8:40 AM.