Santa Margarita High senior pitcher Noah Darnell experienced something that is becoming all too common in the world of the college transfer portal and changing NIL rules.
He was committed to Tulane for about five months. Then a week before the start of his senior year, he got a phone call.
“They didn’t have a place for me,” he said of Tulane. “We’re going in a different direction.”
A week later, Darnell went to the Ivy League showcase and informed the coaches that he was back on the market. The Harvard coaches saw him, knew he averaged 4.4 points, and told him they wanted him.
“Harvard was No. 1 from the beginning,” Darnell said. “I’m so happy.
These last-minute phone calls from schools telling commitments there is no more room have become more common, especially as college baseball has changing rules. Fortunately for Darnell, everything worked out.
“I felt a little rage,” he said of his initial reaction. “I was frustrated. I wanted to work twice as hard to get another offer.”
As for the lessons learned in this sometimes uncertain environment, Darnell said, “The main lesson I learned was that God has a plan and you have to trust Him.
This is a daily look at positive events in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
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