Dan Campbell Shares Key Reason Some College Players Are Removed from Lions’ Draft Consideration
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has made it clear what type of players fit his team’s culture: tough, competitive, and fully committed. Since taking over in Detroit, Campbell has emphasized a no-nonsense approach, favoring athletes who embrace hard work and aren’t afraid of challenges.
Speaking on a recent episode of the LiucciCast, Campbell opened up about one trait that can immediately disqualify a college prospect from being considered by the Lions: multiple transfers during their college career.
Campbell explained that when a player leaves one program because things aren’t going their way, and then repeats that pattern at another school, it raises a red flag.
“If a guy says, ‘This isn’t working for me, I’m not starting,’ and then jumps ship—and then does it again—those aren’t the types of players we want. That looks like someone avoiding competition,” Campbell said. “Not every case is the same, but usually, we just take them off the board. It’s not worth the risk.”
Despite the rise of the transfer portal in college football, the Lions drafted just three players this year who had transferred. Two of them—Isaac TeSlaa and Miles Frazier—moved to more competitive programs: TeSlaa stepped up from Division II to Arkansas, while Frazier transitioned from FIU to LSU. The third, Dominic Lovett, moved within the SEC from Missouri to Georgia, and his role didn’t shift significantly, which seemed to lessen any concern.
As college football continues to evolve and more players explore the transfer portal, it remains to be seen if the Lions will adjust their approach. But for now, it’s clear that players who bounce from team to team without solid reasoning may hurt their chances of landing in Detroit.
