Kent State football's Jack Bailey of Kirtland enters transfer portal
Apr. 5—Jack Bailey has laid it all on the line for the Kirtland and Kent State football teams.
The 6-foot-3, 290-pound offensive lineman is now ready to do it for a new team.
A former All-Ohioan at Kirtland and a three-year letterwinner at Kent State, Bailey has put his name in the college football transfer portal. Bailey made the announcement early April 5 on via Twitter.
— jack bailey (@jackbailey74) April 5, 2023
Said Bailey in his social media post, "I want to thank everyone at Kent State for a memorable 4 years and for giving me the opportunity to further my career. The memories I have made are ones that will last forever. ... To my teammates, I wish you nothing but the best and it was a pleasure playing with you all. ... I will be entering the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining."
After splitting time at center his as a redshirt sophomore, Bailey started the past two years primarily at left guard. He said his decision two enter the transfer portal came down to two things.
"I'll graduate in May with my degree in construction management," Bailey told The News-Herald. "I also have two years of eligibility left. I just think I'm ready to explore new options."
Bailey declined to say if any school had reached out to him yet via the transfer portal or if he had any specific program in mind. He said he is keeping his options open. However, two destinations that could make sense are Pittsburgh, where fellow Kirtland All-Ohioan Sam Kukura is a recruiting analysis on Coach Pat Narduzzi's staff, and Colorado, where former Kent head coach Sean Lewis and former Kent offensive line coach Bill O'Boyle are on the staff for Coach Deion Sanders' Buffaloes.
"I haven't talked to any schools, honestly," Bailey said. "We'll see what happens. I know I'll be pursuing my Master's Degree, maybe get my MBA. But I'm not sure yet."
Bailey said leaving Kent State will be difficult. He has a treasure chest of memories there.
"Definitely winning the MAC East in 2021 against Miami," Bailey said of his highlights at Kent. "The Buffalo game last season, too. Our whole program came together that day. We couldn't go to a bowl game, but we all played for each other. That was a special moment."
The son of Mark and Mira Bailey was back in his hometown of Kirtland on April 5 chatting with former coaches such as head football coach Tiger LaVerde. As excited as he is to see what the next step might be in his football career, he's equally as stunned at how fast time has gone. He said it feels like just yesterday that he was helping lead Kirtland to state football championships, and here he is on the cusp of a college degree and a new college football opportunity.
"The memories, the teammates, the people I met are times I'll cherish the rest of my life," Bailey said of his years with the Golden Flashes. "It's crazy how fast time goes. You never believe it when somebody tells you how fast it goes. It really sneaks up on you."
