How transfer portal shifted SRU football coach Shawn Lutz’s recruiting plan: ‘Go where you’re wanted’
Before last season, JuJu Johnson quietly committed to Nebraska.
The standout running back/safety at Farrell — about an hour northeast of Butler — didn’t shout it from the rooftops. He didn’t even post a commitment graphic on social media. If not for letting it slip during an interview, few would have known his intention.
“There’s no way we’re getting JuJu Johnson,” Slippery Rock University football coach Shawn Lutz said after his program signed him, speaking from previous perspective. “We’re just not getting those type of kids.”
Now they are.
As Division I programs have hastily overhaul rosters through the transfer portal, yanking in as much experience as possible in hopes of winning immediately, high schoolers such as Johnson have been squeezed out in a game of musical chairs.
For SRU, the shift has created opportunity, as it can offer stability and quicker playing opportunities for recruits.
“Kids can play earlier now as freshmen because a lot of these kids — if it wasn’t for the portal — three or four years ago, we would not be getting these type of kids because they’d be going a little bit higher,” Lutz said. “Everybody wants to win so quickly, and I think where they make the mistake is to take these kids off the portal.
“We’re not gonna take as many anymore. I want to develop these kids.”
Johnson rushed for 2,305 yards and 35 touchdowns last season. He didn’t plan on enrolling early with the Cornhuskers, where he expected to play safety, which put him behind the curve. His would-be position coach was replaced and Johnson began looking at other options. Even if a spot remained for Johnson when the dust settled, he wasn’t thrilled with the idea of redshirting.
Penn State reached out. As did Akron, Kent State and Temple, but the fits weren’t right.
“I just feel like I wasn’t really gonna be the guy to get in and be able to make my name known,” said Johnson, who might play both ways for The Rock. “I feel like, at Slippery Rock, I could probably be that guy, make my name known (and) get on the map.”
He wasn’t alone.
Caden Halajcio, a standout tailback at Montour and another Rock signee, fielded offers from Mercyhurst and Robert Morris. He checked in with coaches during the season, only to learn “they’re really trying to look for some transfer guys first before bringing in a young running back from high school,” he said. “It definitely made me a little frustrated, because it was getting close to that time where I had to start thinking of where I (wanted) to go.
“The options (started) chopping off the board.”
Joey Lutz, a North Hills tight end and one of 49 players who committed to SRU during the recent recruiting cycle, had the same sort of calls. He felt like, at this point on his path, a Division I choice would mean he’d have to wait until his junior season to get on the field.
“I don’t know why you’re even recruiting me if I’m already (possibly) getting replaced,” he said of his thoughts when he’d hang up the phone with coaches. “I want to be coming in with a full head of steam and have the ability to start right away.”
Shawn Lutz felt as if his program was in arm’s reach of a national title after making it to the 2024 NCAA Division II semifinals. He turned to the transfer portal to try to break through but dealt with a 6-4 effort last season.
“We thought maybe we could do it with portal guys, and I just think there’s a different kid that we’re looking for,” Lutz said.
This cycle, SRU added 10 transfers — all from Division II or III programs — Shawn Lutz said are “still hungry.”
For this crop of recruits, Lutz heavily focused on the high school scene, bringing in local products and players that have a championship pedigree. Glenville (Ohio) safety Aaron Scales won three state titles before deciding to call Slippery Rock home instead of Akron or Bowling Green.
“It just taught me (there’s) a lot that comes with winning,” Scales said. “Winning is not easy. ... It’s a lot of hard days, long nights, early mornings. It takes a lot of discipline and sacrificing.”
Since 2018, SRU has gone 73-18 with six trips to the D-II playoffs, four PSAC title game appearances and one conference crown.
Its reputation resonates with recruits.
Joey Lutz referred to the program as a “powerhouse.” Twinsburg (Ohio) receiver R.J. Ruffin, one of The Rock’s 11 wideout signees, turned down a preferred walk-on opportunity from Akron after noting SRU’s track record of sending players to the NFL.
Cayden Parker, a Seneca Valley senior edge rusher, was set on playing on the FBS level at James Madison before “a fallout of some sort” with the Dukes’ coaching staff. Toledo, Miami (Ohio) and Buffalo were also after Parker, but with transfers gobbling up roster spots, he couldn’t find a fit.
“If I wasn’t gonna go D-I — and I was gonna go D-II — I wanted to go the best D-II (program) I could possibly go,” Parker said. “That’s what I found in Slippery Rock.”
“There’s nothing wrong with dropping down a level just because of the portal,” Joey Lutz said. “If you have to go D-II, it is what it is. ... I think the biggest thing is to go where you’re wanted and not to go where the media comes for clicks.”
Playing time remains a clear selling point. Shawn Lutz has no intention of slow-playing young talent.
“We are not waiting on our freshmen to develop,” Lutz said. “We’ll play the guys that are gonna give us the best chance to win. ... These guys are gonna play right away. They’re gonna get every opportunity.”
