Bret Bielema accuses Kirby Smart, Georgia football program, of improper recruitment practices.
Tackling the messy world of college football recruitment, there's a persistent issue known as tampering. This happens when a player from one team receives unsolicited communication from another team before they've even jumped into the transfer portal. Yep, you read that right — it happens all the time, and the consequences are often nonexistent.
Let's take the case of Illinois football last season. One of their top players, Josh McCray, mysteriously ended up playing for the Georgia Bulldogs a heartbeat after entering the transfer portal. Illinois head coach Bret Bielema isn't shy about accusing Kirby Smart and Georgia of pulling some underhanded tactics.
"I don’t know how that happened, but it's crazy," Bielema said during an interview. "Wish Josh all the best. He took advantage of that opportunity."
Tampering — direct or indirect contact with athletes who aren't in the transfer portal — is against the rules by the NCAA. But the rules are frequently bent and enforcement is tricky with the wild west environment created by NIL opportunities and transfer portal chaos. To add fuel to the fire, the NCAA doesn't regulate or certify agents, which means there are no checks when potential big bucks are offered to players.
It's a major issue that has been criticized for years by coaches. If programs are caught, penalties can be harsh: probation, fines, suspensions, even show-cause orders. But despite Bielema's accusations, as of June 2025, there's no public report or investigation linking him, Illinois football, or any other team to NCAA tampering violations.
Tampering might be rampant in college football, but Bielema's taking a next man up approach. With a solid running back room filled with potential superstars, he's optimistic about the Fighting Illini's future regardless of who comes and goes.
[1] NCAA Recruiting Rules: What you need to know about recruiting tampering. (n.d.). Retrieved July 2025, from https://www.si.com/college/football/news/ncaa-recruiting-rules-tampering[2] Schultz, R. (n.d.). College football's recruiting problems need to change. Retrieved July 2025, from https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/7/11/15990048/college-football-recruiting-problems-need-to-change[3] Wisconsin self-reports recruiting violations; penalties handed down by NCAA. (n.d.). Retrieved July 2025, from https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/32160389/wisconsin-football-program-impacts-recruiting-violation-a-one-year-probation[4] Bret Bielema accuses Georgia of tampering with Josh McCray. (n.d.). Retrieved July 2025, from https://247sports.com/college/illinois/Article/Bret-Bielema-accuses-georgia-tampering-josh-mccray-transfer-portal-178496341/
- Despite the NCAA regulations against tampering in American-football recruitment, cases such as the Josh McCray transfer from Illinois football to the Georgia Bulldogs suggest that tampering remains a persistent issue in college football sports.
- In the world of college sports, the complex environment created by the transfer portal, NIL opportunities, and a lack of regulation over agents can make enforcing recruiting rules, like those against tampering, difficult and tricky.
