Washington State WR Isaiah Johnson-Mack: Mike Leach is restricting transfer

Nick Bromberg
·College football and motorsports writer
Washington State wide receiver Isaiah Johnson-Mack wondered on Twitter why Mike Leach would restrict his transfer. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Washington State wide receiver Isaiah Johnson-Mack wondered on Twitter why Mike Leach would restrict his transfer. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Washington State wide receiver Isaiah Johnson-Mack wants to transfer from the Cougars. And he says coach Mike Leach is limiting his transfer options.

Johnson-Mack announced his decision to transfer from the program on Wednesday. On Saturday, he wondered on Twitter why Leach would restrict his transfer despite interviewing for a new job himself this week. Leach met with then-Tennessee athletic director John Currie about the Volunteers’ head coaching gig on Thursday.

Gotta say, Johnson-Mack has a point.

Johnson-Mack was the team’s second-leading receiver in 2017. He had 60 catches for 555 yards and five touchdowns. The sophomore had 35 catches for 246 yards and a score as a freshman in 2016.

A native of Belle Glade, Florida, Johnson-Mack was a three-star recruit in the class of 2016, according to Rivals. He’s reportedly set to meet with Leach on Friday.

Transfer restrictions on players are absolutely insipid, and college football coaches should realize this by now. Earlier in 2017, Kansas State coach Bill Snyder relented on transfer restrictions against wide receiver Corey Sutton after Sutton went public that Snyder was limiting his transfer. Snyder responded by saying Sutton had failed drug tests at the school, but quickly let Sutton transfer to the school of his choice after backlash against the restrictions.

If coaches can leave for multi-million dollar contracts whenever a new school wants them, players can find a new school to pursue their education, help their family or simply find more playing time. If players don’t have that freedom, then maybe they’re more like employees than students. And if that’s the case — the NCAA and schools certainly don’t think so — then it’s time to start paying them.

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Nick Bromberg is the editor of Dr. Saturday and From the Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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