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Zone Read: In the Portal with Myles Libman

Eric Sorenson
Arizona Sports News online

Myles Libman sits across the table from me, picking away at a bag of chips while enjoying our relatively quiet mid-afternoon lunch at Desert Ridge Mall in the north Valley.

This small window is about the only down time the former Pinnacle High star wide receiver has had in the past few weeks since announcing in early December he would be leaving Stanford, with his Communications degree in hand, and entering the transfer portal. When we met on Tuesday, he had just come off a visit and was possibly heading out for two more later this week.

In this “Zone Read,” we pull back the curtain for a unique, in-depth look at life in the college football transfer portal.

Before we get into all the portal stuff, while you were at Stanford, you were awarded the first ever Jeff Trojan Memorial Scholarship. Explain what that is and why that award meant so much to you? “From day one, when I decided to go to Stanford as a preferred walk-on, the end goal was to get a full scholarship. It was a long road, a lot of ups and downs but, I just kept working towards that goal.

“I ended my sophomore year really well. I played on special teams, was starting to see the field, and I had a really good spring ball. I was really hoping this was going to come about.

“Andrew Luck [Stanford QB legend and current GM], [Jeff Trojan] was one of his best friends who passed away. He always talked about him because he was a walk-on wide receiver. We always used to talk about Jeff Trojan and what he meant for the program…we got to fall camp and at the end of one of the practices, the Trojan family was there. For some reason I just started thinking, ‘Oh wait, this could be something good (smiling).’ 

“Andrew got up there and started talking about the scholarship, so we were very familiar with [Jeff]. Getting that award was really special.”

Andrew Luck is an icon and one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play. Did you have the opportunity to talk in-depth with him and pick his brain about football? “He was really involved. We saw him a lot.  He was in meetings, he’d be on the field with us. There were even times I caught passes from him. He’s so smart – knows the game inside and out. 

“Even when we would be putting in plays in install meetings, he would be giving his points of what he saw. If I had a question about a route or wanted to talk walking off the practice field, he was a resource to us all the time.”

He’s a pretty funny dude, right? “(laughing) Yes! He’s got his own little comedic tone to him. We always used to say, ‘He’s a Stanford guy.’ Just in the way he makes jokes. He is a really funny guy.”

Where did your game grow the most when you were at Stanford? “For me, it was the knowledge of the game. I was able to not just know the playbook inside and out, but figure out coverages and run my routes. When you start understanding coverages and why I’m running my route this way compared to that way because he’s playing Cover Two and not Cover Three, the game just slows down, and I think it becomes a lot easier.”

One more – take us through your first college touchdown reception against San Jose State last year. “I actually wasn’t even supposed to be in on that play (laughing)…one of the guys, I think Bryce Farrell, had a big catch right before that. He needed a break, so the coaches said, ‘Myles get in there! Get in there!’

“We called ‘Nike.’ So, I had a one-step, little slant…I was open, [quarterback Ben Gulbranson] hit me. When I caught it and I dive, I didn’t even know I scored. Then I got up and heard the stadium going crazy. I had to watch the replay. ‘Did I score (laughing)?’ You never know when you’re diving and stuff. I didn’t know where they were going to mark [the ball].

“It was definitely one to remember. Great game. That was a fun night.” 

That’s unbelievable. Okay, you’re in the portal. Do you have an agent? “I do.”

How did you go about selecting your representation? “Right when I got in the portal, I was trying to decide if I wanted an agent or not. I ended up deciding to go with one just because the agent…getting in the portal early [Libman announced in early December] gave me a head start. I signed with my agent right after I announced it. 

“I knew when I left Stanford I wasn’t coming back. That’s why I announced early…so I could say goodbye to everyone, instead of announcing the other way, after they got home. I wanted to get a head start in my recruiting and get my name out and on these coaches’ boards and in their minds [that I’m available]. I’ve been planning all this out for over a month, even though the portal didn’t officially open until [January] 2nd. It feels like it’s been over a month because we’ve been planning and getting my name out there and reaching out to schools.”

What role do they play in all this? “I’m with 2 Live Culture [Sports Management and Sports Marketing]. They do a lot of the heavy lifting. They’re the ones sending my film out to all the coaches and talking to all the GM’s – just seeing where I would play and where I would fall [on the depth chart]. They’ve been doing that for a month now.

“[My agent] also makes sure that I’m open-minded. He does a lot more than I even notice.”

Does he negotiate your NIL deals, as well? “He does because I like to keep money and football separate. I actually don’t like talking to coaches about money because I just don’t want to be negotiating how much I’m worth. I let him handle all of that…a lot of schools are NIL competitive.

“It’s hard to put this portal in one window and make everyone happy. There needs to be a decent amount of time for a player to go into the portal and take a couple of visits and really sit down and think about it without feeling rushed. It’s definitely a tough spot to be in.”

Is it “exciting” for you to get re-recruited or are the dynamics so much different now, it’s more a timing and business decision than anything else? “It’s definitely a lot different than high school. It’s a lot faster. The big thing for me is, I already have my degree. I’m not saying school isn’t important now, but that definitely gets put behind other [factors]. 

“Now, for me, it’s where can I be the best receiver and the best version of myself. So, it really became more of a football decision. In high school, it was where can I get a great degree and be blessed to play football. Now it’s more, where can I go play the game I love. In a way, it became more simple. Now when I’m on these visits, I don’t want to take the pictures and do all that. I really just want to sit with the coach and talk football. Hear his visions for me and how he sees me growing as a player.

Does a high school prospect visit differ from a transfer portal visit? “Yes and no. Obviously, it’s quicker. I remember in high school, I was taking weekends to do them. Now, I’m doing them in 24 or 36 hours. However, I took one last weekend and I still was in an academic meeting. So, there are still bits and pieces that are the same but I definitely think it’s definitely more focused on the football aspect. 

“Obviously, I was still looking at where I’d live and what the campus life would be like…but it’s definitely different.”

Were you excited to jump in the portal and see what opportunities were out there for you? “It was bittersweet because I loved the people and coaches at Stanford but, at the same time, it was really exciting because I get to go play the game I love, have fun, and try something totally different. A new experience, a new opportunity and grow in ways that I couldn’t have imagined.

“Once I got my degree, I wanted to experience a different college, a different life.”

Did you consider staying at Stanford?  “I did. I did for a really long time. I think that was the hardest decision…I was really excited to stay and I was really excited to leave because a Master’s [degree] from Stanford wouldn’t be bad, either. I think Stanford is going to shirt more to a power, running offense.”

Tell me something you learned about the transfer portal process that you didn’t know previously. “One of the most interesting this is just how fast coaches can move. One thing I learned is respond to every coach that hits you up, regardless of what level or what school they’re at because one day they’re coaching at Delaware State and the next day they’re coaching at Oregon. Just being open-minded to every opportunity. 

“Just seeing it in real time. Having a coach text me and then the next day him saying, ‘Hey, I got a new job.’ 

 

 

 

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A Valley native, Eric has had a passion for the Arizona sports scene since an early age. He has covered some of the biggest events including Super Bowls, national championships and the NBA and MLB playoffs in his near 20 years in local media.

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