By Mummy Grace 
In a recent appearance on the LiucciCast podcast, the Lions’ head coach laid out one big red flag in his eyes—players who transfer two or three times during their college careers. To Campbell, that kind of movement signals a lack of toughness and an unwillingness to compete when things get tough.
“If you’re just leaving every time something doesn’t go your way, that tells me you’re scared of competition,” Campbell said. “We just get them off the board. It’s not worth it.”
It’s a bold stance in the age of the NCAA transfer portal, where players move schools more frequently than ever. But for a coach who’s built his Lions squad around grit, resilience, and blue-collar toughness, it makes perfect sense.
To be fair, Detroit did draft a few transfers this year—but those guys made strategic moves. Isaac TeSlaa stepped up from Division II to Arkansas. Miles Frazier made a leap from FIU to LSU. And seventh-rounder Dominic Lovett made an in-conference move from Mizzou to Georgia. None of those moves looked like someone running from adversity, and that’s clearly where Campbell draws the line.
Bottom line? If you want to wear Honolulu Blue, you better be the type who sticks it out and fights through the hard stuff. That’s the Dan Campbell way.