can walkons really enter the portal? aren't they just free to leave whenever?
Baker Mayfield wasn't, which was complete bullshit.
The portal didn't exist when Baker Mayfield transferred. Yes, walk-ons which Petrakis isn't anymore, are subjected to the same transfer rules as scholarship athletes because their non-covid eligibility clock, 5 years to complete 4, is the same regardless of scholarship status. Walk-one do go in the portal because they can go from non-scholarshipped at Arizona, to being on scholarship at Bowling Green.
Baker Mayfield wasn't screwed anymore than anyone else who transferred from Big 12 school to Big 12 school when the school he or she is leaving either doesn't grant the release or is slow to. The rile has now been changed. Tech did eventually release him but it was after the semester started and Baker had already red shirted so OU ended up being granted an extra scholarship. Knowing Baker, it's pretty safe to say that transfer wasn't as simple as him not wanting to be there anymore and he just looked at schools completely on the up-and-up. I'm not willing to give Baker, his family, and OU the benefit of the doubt on there being no shenanigans.