Eli Drinkwitz on the transfer portal: "You can never skip adversity in life"

Back in April the NCAA released some eye opening research regarding the transfer portal.

As of the last portal cycle, about 50% of student-athletes ended up enrolling at a new school, 7% withrew from the transfer portal, and the remaining 43% either were still exploring their transfer options, transferred to a non-NCAA level program, or left their sport.

Dating back even before the introduction of the portal, back when it was just an idea, coaches weren't shy to share critical opinions on its impact.

At his presser yesterday, Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz, who has witnessed first hand how it has helped inject immediate results at programs like Ole Miss, was asked about the portal and his response has gone viral.

Drink took a moment to collect his thoughts and words carefully, knowing how his message would echo with players and fans.

"We are such a instant gratification era, including myself...I'm not putting this on anybody, it's the entire world we live in."

"We are trying to skip the step of adversity, and growth, and you can never skip that in life. You are always going to have to face it."

"Whether that is in your marriage, whether that is in your job, or whether that's raising kids, and I know what has happened...we want to, as parents and as older people, we want to help the next generation not have to face some of the hardships that we had to face."

"But man, the greatest generation in the world is the greatest generation because they faced The Great Depression. They faced World War II. They figured it out."

"I just worry. We've got players that are going to leave our program, and I love them dearly., but maybe they're not excited about their role, or they're frustrated because they don't feel like they're being utilized the right way, but sometimes you've got to just keep growing."

"Sometimes the grass isn't always greener on the other side, and sometimes you're just trading one set of problems for another."

Hear Drink's full comments in the clip.