I worked in recruiting for a long time. It can't be overstated how much the portal has impacted high school recruiting.
From the players side, high schoolers who were getting 5-6 comittable D1 offers are lucky to get 1-2 anymore. So they're stuck hoping for a walk-on invitation to their "dream school," or settling for a FCS or lower program, with the hopes they'll be able to portal out to somewhere more desireable later.
For us as fans, I sincerely don't know why anyone pays attention to freshman anymore. They show up, and if they're not immediately the starter, they are almost definitely leaving. We're seeing kids portal out after their early-enrollee spring semester, which really makes no sense to me whatsoever. Especially when other programs "totally don't tamper" and they get the idea they can secure the bag somewhere else. What's even crazier to me is that in our case, Caleb Down was a notable starter and All-SEC player as a true freshman on a Playoff semifinalist team... and left. To secure a bigger bag.
I'm happy the players can earn a little side money from their NIL on jersey sales now, but those players need to actually lay down some roots if they actually want anyone to buy them.
On the other hand, I don't know how the universities can sustain any semblance of success long-term now. Your roster is recycled in half the time it used to be, and now your recruiting efforts are split three ways instead of just one. The schools are choosing to focus much more time on the portal because they're getting more of a known commodity, even if the 'known' is just proving they show up to class and stay eligible in lieu of significant playing time. High school players, unless they're a borderline generational talent, simply won't get the attention. Oh, and the coaches still have to re-recruit their own players endlessly.
Long story short; only the really wealthy teams with the most cash to burn will win. Period.
We won't see another sustained Boise State type run from a G5 school again anytime soon. Or a lower-tier Power-5 (4?) if we're being totally honest.
But I'm sure this is going to change dramatically again once players unionize and gain employment status. That's when contracts can come out to play and lock things in, which is what a substantial amount of coaches *want* to happen at this point.
Good read...
I'm in the same boat as you when it comes to the freshman. Why even waste the time figuring out who's coming in when you know half of those guys are going to leave.
It's a double edge sword when it comes to NIL money. Like you, I'm happy for these guys to have the chance to get money out of their "likeness" and jersey sales.
Tyrone Protho comes to mind... that guy would've made a nice bag on his jersey sales and endorsements. I get a free education and degree is very valuable.. but getting paid for putting your body on the line should come with that.
I also think you hit the nail on the head with the Boise St comment....
A team like that in this current environment is not even imaginable.
I’ll miss Caleb Downs like everyone else, but he didn’t just leave bc of money. He left bc the legendary coach who recruited him and who he signed to play for up and retired out of the blue.
People seriously need to take that into consideration and stop bashing a 19 year old kid who simply chose to go somewhere else after his coach retired. And good for him on getting money out of it too. I wish him nothing but the best and will continue to cheer him on.
Also, the kid literally chose Alabama over Ohio State during recruitment. Like give him a break, damn.
Since we want to treat these 19 year olds now making millions of dollars like NFL players, are NFL players allowed to leave when a coach retires? What's going to happen when players start jumping ship when their coordinators take other jobs? Why should boosters invest millions of dollars into these athletes knowing full well they can easily take the money and run (A&M)?
Well instead of bashing the kids for doing what’s in their best interest and sort of getting shit end of deals, how about bitching about the system in place that started all of it?
Yeah, I used to write for some recruiting sites, go to HS games and all-star events/tournaments, camps etc and follow all the recruiting and updates. The NIL era and the impact it’s had on recruiting has made me lose most of my interest in a hobby/job that I’d enjoyed & maintained for at least a decade.
Have noticed what IMO is an extreme drop off in the passion of HS recruits for the game. It’s all business for many now so it’s hard for me to garner much enthusiasm for what’s going on in recruiting nowadays. Can’t knock anyone for wanting to get paid but passion, both from the players and fans, used to be what CFB was all about & it’s lacking in the sport since NIL.
This should be top comment. Better perspective than I could provide.
College football was always flawed. But I guess it was a good kind of flawed lol
The way it was before wasn't the best either and this way sucks. Finding the middle ground is going to be tough.
Sucks man, I used to get hyped up being around the recruits & even players that never went on to play collegiately. That “would die for the game” attitude was infectious & added something that $ can’t buy to the environment. Social media changed it some, for better and worse but more good than bad. But NIL has completely shifted the focus for most.
That’s where my passion for it began, with the magazines. My Uncle, huge Bama fan, lives in a house that is literally a travel trailer with rooms built on/around it in such a way that he could still hitch-up and bail if the authorities ever come a’knockin, used to get every recruiting magazine there was. Had to retire in his early 50’s after being electrocuted & legally dead for the 3rd time, so he was usually home all day sitting on his porch drinking Busch, smoking swisher sweets and those left handed cigarettes. That was my first exposure to the recruiting side of CFB,(as well as a few illicit substances), going over there and reading the magazines and bs’ing w/ him on teams/players and the upcoming season as a kid.
I liked CFB “NIL” better before it was legal. When the ambiguous “bag-men” were the ones greasing the wheels behind the scenes, tampering would actually get your program in trouble, recruits stayed humble bc they couldn’t be to flashy w/ the $ & you could secure a commitment from a top 150 player w/ $50k cash dropped in a brown paper bag instead of a $1.5 mil open NIL contract that a player can use as leverage for a bigger payout elsewhere.
Honestly, it was a better system IMO & added a clandestine element and room for rampant speculation that was another added layer to the sport.
Schools should be required to pay out the scholarship value of an incoming transfer player from their previous school. That or it must be repaid by the player if they stay a “free agent”. It is so bizarre that players can just take that free education and walk… I don’t think that they did their part of the agreement just by being on the squad. Back ups are just as critical as starters, so stick around be a better back up until your number is called.
I’m sure this attitude will get downvotes, but I’ve never respected players who only care about “the bag”. Players need to be paid more and they need to show more loyalty to the team in kind. For example, Ty Simpson has done exactly what he should have done.
Edit: scholarships of incoming transfer players should count double toward the cap since they would be paying out full or in part for the scholarship value at the previous school. They need to really want the transfer player to give him a “better deal”.
To me, a lot of those guys think the grass is greener on the other side...
Which usually isn't the case. These dudes need to look internally at themselves and ask why are they really transferring.
Is another school going to pay you more?? If that's the sole reason.. a part of me understands that. This is football. There is no guarantee to make it in the NFL no matter who you are.
Even if you do make it... one injury could change everything. So getting money while you can... especially with this sport.. I can see how that can be an attractive offer.
But.. at the same time, it diminishes what College Football was.
Exactly.. I already said how much it hurt when Downs transferred out.
I was telling anybody who would listen about this kid.. that he's going to be better than Minkah..all this shit.
And now he's playing for Ohio St of all places!?! Sucks
I don’t know somehow Georgia is still recruiting insane qbs even with a beast of a qb room, and defensive backs; OSU is absolutely rolling in wide receivers; and Texas is getting everyone they look at.
I think the issue is we are a top-ten recruiting team but no longer a top-three recruiting team.
I think Kirby Smart is just insanely good at recruiting.. the guys we were getting when he was at Bama speaks for itself.
I would agree Bama is not in the category it once was.. but I think with the transfer portal is not thattt big of an issue.
I respect your opinion, but I have to disagree, respectfully. I believe the transfer portal has fundamentally changed the way NCAA football will operate. The coach of the program now needs a front office to manage talent coming and going, every player, from incoming FR to players possibly ending their eligibility. He cannot be expected to do X’s and O’s, and manage the talent portal as well.
I think Coach DeBoer, along with guys like Sarkisian, Day, Smart, and Lanning, guys at forefront programs, will be the new generation of coaches who have to turn over the job of assembling talent on the field to someone else. They still have to coach on the field and practice.
The game has changed to exactly what the NFL is now.
Valid points. From my opinion being a HC in CFB has gotten harder than an NFL position.
To what your saying, the amount of stuff a CFB coach has to deal with has become insane...
Who's staying.. who's leaving.. is this guy happy.. is the FR that's supposed to take this guy's job next year ready... or is he going to transfer too!?!
I would much rather be an NFL HC than CFB.
All credit to these new generation of guys getting the job done.
Spot on. I think the job as college HC outside of a few programs (and we are one) is too varied in its roles for too little pay as compared to what an NFL guy has to do now. Some guys made it in college but hated pro (Saban, Spurrier come to mind), some guys the opposite (no one comes to mind), and then there’s the Pete Carrol’s of the world. They won at both levels.
Anyway, I’d take 5million for one year of ineptitude at either place.
I mean, that’s the goal, right? I live down here in Destin, FL, and all I see are people on vacation or retirees, burning money right and left, and not working. I hope to see Jimbo (more likely to see Orgeron) around town, because he’s buying my drinks, dammit!
My point is that the transfer portal impacts all teams and I’ve found myself super envious of Georgia and Texas when I used not to be envious of any other programs. Maybe in a year or two of doing more with less we can get back there but who knows.
That's a valid point. I feel that envy too, almost questioning if they have more to offer or is it just the amount of NIL money... or is it both!?
Doesn't help both teams are in SEC and we're very familiar with both Coaches lol
Idk that I would describe their qb room that way. Their starter is good but they’ve lost a few guys and don’t have any playing time behind Carson Beck. I would take tx and our QBs as a group over theirs any day of the week and it ain’t even close.
I think the market will eventually correct itself. People, no matter how rich, aren’t just going to continue to give free money away just for folks to pull a Caleb Downs (or a Proctor 😂) on them. Eventually something more efficient and cost effective will prevail. The current system is not sustainable.
Things will get corrected when this 'progress towards a degree' gets going. And it will. It is softly elbowing its' way into the conversation now. By the end of the season , look for the NCAA to announce some rules on that.
That will slow some transferring down. Have faith .
I don’t blame you if you don’t want to invest the time/effort/level of caring to closely follow recruiting. It definitely is different in that more guys will be gone quicker than they had in the past.
That said, HS recruiting absolutely still matters if you want to win a title. Very few impact OL and DL hit the portal, at least to date, so if you want to be good enough in the trenches to be a contender, you have to get most of your guys through traditional recruiting. You can absolutely supplement (ie Brailsford this portal) but those aren’t position groups you can remake on the fly.
We got in Brailisford but we just lost Brockenmeyer. We also lost McLaughlin (which was probably for the best lol )
And the whole Proctor thing was just weird, honestly he should've just stayed at Iowa. He's a flip flopper.
I wouldn't totally agree with that statement about the OL/DL transfers.
And it seems like if a guy in that position does transfer... whoever was penciled in as the starter, is not going to stay to be a backup. Kinda seems like what happen with Brailsford and Brockenmyer
I wouldn’t consider Brockermeyer an impact OL, so maybe that’s part of where we don’t see it eye to eye. Depth absolutely matters, not arguing that. My point was there’s not a ton of surefire starters that hit the portal so banking on the portal to be able to build an OL is a risky strategy.
And the only top ~10 team I can think of that’s really trying to fundamentally rebuild their line through transfers is ole miss on DL, and the way people talk about it is that’s more of an all in move than a sustainable strategy. Am I missing a team that’s rebuilt one of those units successfully through the portal?
Ole miss Issss currently ranked #1 for transfer portal rankings.. it is an interesting strategy.
Bama has already lost Mclaughlin, Tj Ferguson, both Brockenmeyers. These are 4 star guys and one of the Brockenmeyers was a high 5.
If we didn't get Proctor back and sign Brailsford... it was very close to being a disaster lol
[This Link](https://247sports.com/season/2024-football/transferportalpositionranking/) is good tool to see who's gone where and who we have lost.
yep，I think we're doing okay with our recruiting. Besides, it's April, not December. Why is someone in such a hurry to recruit classes? I'll never understand
Look at basketball final four team excellent coach getting some attention and they jump ship
I understand fb players transferring after Saban retired
Honestly spending
NIL money on a player is a horrible risky investment but it's the game these days
Young folks buying jerseys hell naw dude might be at Auburn next season
Crazy as hell certainly takes some enjoyment out of it.
It does, I just said this in another comment.
Let's take Sterling Dixon as an example. 4 star prospect and was borderline a 5.... this kid has played at 3 different high schools here in Mobile.
I can almost guarantee that this kid will not be at Bama in 3 years... he's already shown in HS, he has no loyalty.
There's a huge "me first" attitude in sports now.
And to your point, the basketball stuff is crazy. Why would Sam Waters leave? And taking Auburns best player?? The fuck is that lol
Just a weird environment right now.
It hasn’t killed the excitement at all. Maybe your definition of it, but ask any Ohio State alum/fan about the portal and they’ll lay their body across the tracks to support it. The portal, by design, has made college football a 25 team race that has left 300 other schools its wake. It’s everything that Nick Saban was actually decrying as he was on the mountain’s top. It’s a total pay-for-play that in a capitalistic society demands attention. And let’s face it, you’re splitting hairs when you’re talking about the elite of the elite, so go where the money is. Effffff the national title aspirations. Michigan just won a title with the oldest college football team since the 90s. See what that gets them in the draft. Sure, they’ll do okay by volume, but only because they’ve ALL stuck around. Look at year out and they’re lucky to get four or five drafted. That’s my point.
The excitement of recruitment is alive and well. Its focus has simply shifted to who can pay the most for positions of need and whose coach can compel the collectives to pony up the necessary dollars.
The 25+ “elite” teams will be division 1 schools as defined by the collective dollars they can raise and built and the other 300 schools will be tier two schools that serve as sacrificial lambs to play elite schools once a year, but joyously celebrate rivalry wins as they occur. Think Princeton beating Harvard. Absolutely no impact on a national championship, but their fans love it.
The NCAA wins because they effectively pass their authority to the school’s ability to fund raise. If a school’s collective can’t raise enough $$$ to pay player X to come and play there, they risk dropping to tier 2, and the program with it. Transparency prevails.
Again, very exciting for elite schools because there is nothing holding any athlete of any caliber to any modicum of loyalty. Pay me, play me, AND develop me or I’m gone. No repercussions. It’s completely on the school to recruit and rerecruit each individual athlete every. Damn. Day.
What a great time to be an elite college athlete and a casual college fan who doesn’t contribute to a collective.
THIS should be the top comment. I am relatively new to recruiting, so I suppose ignorance of the past is bliss. Still, just because it changed doesn’t necessarily make it worse… just different. Not really buying the glass-half-empty tone in here.
Yep, transfers, and NIL are killing college sports.
I’ve found myself watching sooo much less college athletics these days. It used to be by far my favorite sporting events to watch. It didn’t even really matter what sport I was watching either. They were all fun to watch, because of the athletes tenacity, their desire to win, and their love for the game was always so obvious.
I knew that most of them weren’t gonna make any real money playing their sport, which meant they were playing it for the love of the game (plus a college degree….but mainly the love haha).
Transfers in particular are awful, because it seems most of the top players are transferring even though they would prefer to stay. They just know that once they enter their name in the portal that the amount of money that will be thrown their way will be huge.
Whenever a player puts their name in the portal, but then takes it out and stays….what actually happened was that their current school increased their NIL payment.
I fully believe the only reason Rylan Griffen is leaving is, because he couldn’t turn down the money. I can’t blame him either, that can be life changing money for them, and their family.
He was a starter on a team that went to the Final 4, and will be expected to be very good next season as well. I’d understand if he wasn’t starting, but why else would he leave? Plus, NBA teams seem to like the players Nate Oats is sending there, and they seem to be doing well.
> does a #1 class even matter anymore
Yes, almost as much as it did previously. Which is that the exact number doesn’t really matter, just being in that top group does.
> But now… who gives a shit?
So don’t follow recruiting. I still love it. We’ve always had guys decommit and flip and transfer out. We’ve always had high-ranking recruits who didn’t necessarily pan out.
Edit: And I dunno, this may sound lame...but take joy in the moment. Be excited about a young player's potential. Sure, maybe they'll transfer out. Nothing you do will affect that, though; and what does it actually cost you? A young guy shows flashes on the field...enjoy that. Don't see it and focus on "he may transfer out."
And maybe they won't transfer out. Jaylen Waddle came in behind three future first rounders and stayed until he declared early for the draft. Tua and Najee considered transferring out after their freshmen years but stuck it out. We just saw 5 star Justice Haynes stuck as the fourth string running back, but he's stuck around.
I’m on both sides of this argument, any one individual player doesn’t excite me anymore, because the success/fail rate with transfers on top of it makes any one person feel insignificant. It goes both ways though, we may bring a rental player in to play over guys to.
On the other side, as you said, it’s very important to get a large number of high talent players. The days of the Julio Jones marquee recruit are over, but to be fair that’s been over for 5ish years now. I’ve had this discussion with Michigan fans/family, they’re my distant second team, they kind of laugh at and take pride in them beating the recruiting odds to win a natty. It’s obviously possible, some of the earlier Clemson natty teams recruited similarly, but the vast majority of playoff teams have been elite recruiting teams.
Not at this rate. A #1 class has lost a lot of value. I would rather have the #12 class and have everybody stay and develop than loose half those guys in a year or two.
I mean yeah we had top guys like Anoma, Alfano, Ben Davis and Trey Sanders not pan out.
Now with the Brockenmeyers gone it seems like players are just giving up and transferring.
Your speaking as if this was a yearly occurrence. I remember when Sheffield transferring out that was kinda a big deal. A highly rated DB leaving Bama!?! Was unheard of.
Now it seems like majority of the top recruits will just leave if they're not happy.
And look I'm from Mobile.. I played with Cj Mosely, I've seen or played agaisnt just about every major recruit to come out of this area since 2013... it just ain't the same.
A commitment just doesn't have that same feeling it used too.
If you're more concerned about recruiting, you probably know that it's April, and our recruiting class ranks are pretty good right now.kalen deboer is winner,at least its is probably one of the reasons why our 5 Stars are willing to stay。
For right now.. my point is does class rank even matter anymore?
Half the dudes will be gone. Keeping the 5 stars is great and all but losing the majority of the 4-3 stars that could develop into starters hurts just as much.
So prime example is Sterling Dixon.. I've seen him play here in Mobile twice. My best friend coached against him...
This kid has already been to 3 high schools!!
I want to save this comment and I'll eat my words if I'm wrong...
I GURRANTEE THAT KID IS GOING TO TRANSFER OUT.
Dude, you're weird. You really want some players to transfer 。I'm talking about our 5 star here.（hanyes, zay mincey,zabien brown ,keeley,james smith,qua russaw…）Our 5 stars are always less than our 4 stars. Even if Sterling Dixon transferred, it would only be because he was beaten by a freshman or replaced by a transfer student. Maybe you should start doing some research on how many lb's we've committed to in the 25class。It's April……hs recurit combined with transfer。that's why uconn mbb 2 peat
Also UCONNs head coach has specifically spoken to not recruited guys like Sterling Dixon.
He literally said one of the first things he looks into is how many High schools / AAU teams has a kid played for??
Literally wouldn't recruit a kid like Sterling Dixon.
CFB is very different from what it was 10 years ago. Better? Worse? That’s up to each person.
Now that the student athlete model has become an NFL minor league, it’s your decision whether to endorse it with your time, money, and attention.
I was a huge Bama fan back when we feared the thumb. What the last couple months have taught me though is that I was more of a Nick Saban fan; with the current CFB landscape I’m not sure I’ll continue to give it much energy.
Once the GOAT left and we weren’t getting weekly leadership lessons ain’t much left, honestly.
It's uncontrolled chaos lol
I have a better idea of who'll be starting for the Pittsburgh Steelers NEXT FOOTBALL SEASON lol not this upcoming one.
I mean isn't it crazy to even think I have a better idea of who'll be starting on a pro team... A season from now, than who's going to be starting at Bama lol
That's just weird.
No, that's not crazy because the NFL pays their players and has enforceable contracts. College Football could have avoided this chaos if they hadn't spent decades obstinately refusing to break off any money for the players. Instead, they assumed they would be protected by the courts (which is wild since they seem to lose every case) or politicians. I'm glad the players get money now and I don't begrudge them if they leave for more money. LOTS of people switch jobs for more money all the time. Why is it suddenly bad if a player does?
What does loyalty truly mean? You want players to put themselves in a worse financial position right now for the potential of more money in the future? The same potential that will exist no matter where they play? If I told you today that you could stay at your current job and there's a very very small chance of you being promoted and getting a raise in the future or you could take a new job right now, make more money and still have the exact same very small chance of the promotion/raise, you'd be insane to outright dismiss the opportunity.
I worked in recruiting for a long time. It can't be overstated how much the portal has impacted high school recruiting. From the players side, high schoolers who were getting 5-6 comittable D1 offers are lucky to get 1-2 anymore. So they're stuck hoping for a walk-on invitation to their "dream school," or settling for a FCS or lower program, with the hopes they'll be able to portal out to somewhere more desireable later. For us as fans, I sincerely don't know why anyone pays attention to freshman anymore. They show up, and if they're not immediately the starter, they are almost definitely leaving. We're seeing kids portal out after their early-enrollee spring semester, which really makes no sense to me whatsoever. Especially when other programs "totally don't tamper" and they get the idea they can secure the bag somewhere else. What's even crazier to me is that in our case, Caleb Down was a notable starter and All-SEC player as a true freshman on a Playoff semifinalist team... and left. To secure a bigger bag. I'm happy the players can earn a little side money from their NIL on jersey sales now, but those players need to actually lay down some roots if they actually want anyone to buy them. On the other hand, I don't know how the universities can sustain any semblance of success long-term now. Your roster is recycled in half the time it used to be, and now your recruiting efforts are split three ways instead of just one. The schools are choosing to focus much more time on the portal because they're getting more of a known commodity, even if the 'known' is just proving they show up to class and stay eligible in lieu of significant playing time. High school players, unless they're a borderline generational talent, simply won't get the attention. Oh, and the coaches still have to re-recruit their own players endlessly. Long story short; only the really wealthy teams with the most cash to burn will win. Period. We won't see another sustained Boise State type run from a G5 school again anytime soon. Or a lower-tier Power-5 (4?) if we're being totally honest. But I'm sure this is going to change dramatically again once players unionize and gain employment status. That's when contracts can come out to play and lock things in, which is what a substantial amount of coaches *want* to happen at this point.
If there’s zero buy-in from the players why would the fans buy into the program? I think that’s where I’m at.
Good read... I'm in the same boat as you when it comes to the freshman. Why even waste the time figuring out who's coming in when you know half of those guys are going to leave. It's a double edge sword when it comes to NIL money. Like you, I'm happy for these guys to have the chance to get money out of their "likeness" and jersey sales. Tyrone Protho comes to mind... that guy would've made a nice bag on his jersey sales and endorsements. I get a free education and degree is very valuable.. but getting paid for putting your body on the line should come with that. I also think you hit the nail on the head with the Boise St comment.... A team like that in this current environment is not even imaginable.
I’ll miss Caleb Downs like everyone else, but he didn’t just leave bc of money. He left bc the legendary coach who recruited him and who he signed to play for up and retired out of the blue. People seriously need to take that into consideration and stop bashing a 19 year old kid who simply chose to go somewhere else after his coach retired. And good for him on getting money out of it too. I wish him nothing but the best and will continue to cheer him on. Also, the kid literally chose Alabama over Ohio State during recruitment. Like give him a break, damn.
Since we want to treat these 19 year olds now making millions of dollars like NFL players, are NFL players allowed to leave when a coach retires? What's going to happen when players start jumping ship when their coordinators take other jobs? Why should boosters invest millions of dollars into these athletes knowing full well they can easily take the money and run (A&M)?
Well instead of bashing the kids for doing what’s in their best interest and sort of getting shit end of deals, how about bitching about the system in place that started all of it?
“19 year old kid.” He’s an adult and a semi-professional adult. Dude can vote and join the military.
If you honestly believe that being able to join the military and vote is what makes you an adult, you’ve got a lot to learn.
Ironically it sounds like YOU have a lot to learn.
Yeah, I used to write for some recruiting sites, go to HS games and all-star events/tournaments, camps etc and follow all the recruiting and updates. The NIL era and the impact it’s had on recruiting has made me lose most of my interest in a hobby/job that I’d enjoyed & maintained for at least a decade. Have noticed what IMO is an extreme drop off in the passion of HS recruits for the game. It’s all business for many now so it’s hard for me to garner much enthusiasm for what’s going on in recruiting nowadays. Can’t knock anyone for wanting to get paid but passion, both from the players and fans, used to be what CFB was all about & it’s lacking in the sport since NIL.
This should be top comment. Better perspective than I could provide. College football was always flawed. But I guess it was a good kind of flawed lol The way it was before wasn't the best either and this way sucks. Finding the middle ground is going to be tough.
Sucks man, I used to get hyped up being around the recruits & even players that never went on to play collegiately. That “would die for the game” attitude was infectious & added something that $ can’t buy to the environment. Social media changed it some, for better and worse but more good than bad. But NIL has completely shifted the focus for most.
I remember buying the pre season and recruuting magazines and going over every team. Those were the days man lol
That’s where my passion for it began, with the magazines. My Uncle, huge Bama fan, lives in a house that is literally a travel trailer with rooms built on/around it in such a way that he could still hitch-up and bail if the authorities ever come a’knockin, used to get every recruiting magazine there was. Had to retire in his early 50’s after being electrocuted & legally dead for the 3rd time, so he was usually home all day sitting on his porch drinking Busch, smoking swisher sweets and those left handed cigarettes. That was my first exposure to the recruiting side of CFB,(as well as a few illicit substances), going over there and reading the magazines and bs’ing w/ him on teams/players and the upcoming season as a kid. I liked CFB “NIL” better before it was legal. When the ambiguous “bag-men” were the ones greasing the wheels behind the scenes, tampering would actually get your program in trouble, recruits stayed humble bc they couldn’t be to flashy w/ the $ & you could secure a commitment from a top 150 player w/ $50k cash dropped in a brown paper bag instead of a $1.5 mil open NIL contract that a player can use as leverage for a bigger payout elsewhere. Honestly, it was a better system IMO & added a clandestine element and room for rampant speculation that was another added layer to the sport.
Schools should be required to pay out the scholarship value of an incoming transfer player from their previous school. That or it must be repaid by the player if they stay a “free agent”. It is so bizarre that players can just take that free education and walk… I don’t think that they did their part of the agreement just by being on the squad. Back ups are just as critical as starters, so stick around be a better back up until your number is called. I’m sure this attitude will get downvotes, but I’ve never respected players who only care about “the bag”. Players need to be paid more and they need to show more loyalty to the team in kind. For example, Ty Simpson has done exactly what he should have done. Edit: scholarships of incoming transfer players should count double toward the cap since they would be paying out full or in part for the scholarship value at the previous school. They need to really want the transfer player to give him a “better deal”.
To me, a lot of those guys think the grass is greener on the other side... Which usually isn't the case. These dudes need to look internally at themselves and ask why are they really transferring. Is another school going to pay you more?? If that's the sole reason.. a part of me understands that. This is football. There is no guarantee to make it in the NFL no matter who you are. Even if you do make it... one injury could change everything. So getting money while you can... especially with this sport.. I can see how that can be an attractive offer. But.. at the same time, it diminishes what College Football was.
No, not really. You won’t be able to get attached to players anymore, because they’ll bolt for a bigger bag the moment it’s presented to them.
Exactly.. I already said how much it hurt when Downs transferred out. I was telling anybody who would listen about this kid.. that he's going to be better than Minkah..all this shit. And now he's playing for Ohio St of all places!?! Sucks
I don’t know somehow Georgia is still recruiting insane qbs even with a beast of a qb room, and defensive backs; OSU is absolutely rolling in wide receivers; and Texas is getting everyone they look at. I think the issue is we are a top-ten recruiting team but no longer a top-three recruiting team.
I think Kirby Smart is just insanely good at recruiting.. the guys we were getting when he was at Bama speaks for itself. I would agree Bama is not in the category it once was.. but I think with the transfer portal is not thattt big of an issue.
I respect your opinion, but I have to disagree, respectfully. I believe the transfer portal has fundamentally changed the way NCAA football will operate. The coach of the program now needs a front office to manage talent coming and going, every player, from incoming FR to players possibly ending their eligibility. He cannot be expected to do X’s and O’s, and manage the talent portal as well. I think Coach DeBoer, along with guys like Sarkisian, Day, Smart, and Lanning, guys at forefront programs, will be the new generation of coaches who have to turn over the job of assembling talent on the field to someone else. They still have to coach on the field and practice. The game has changed to exactly what the NFL is now.
Valid points. From my opinion being a HC in CFB has gotten harder than an NFL position. To what your saying, the amount of stuff a CFB coach has to deal with has become insane... Who's staying.. who's leaving.. is this guy happy.. is the FR that's supposed to take this guy's job next year ready... or is he going to transfer too!?! I would much rather be an NFL HC than CFB. All credit to these new generation of guys getting the job done.
Spot on. I think the job as college HC outside of a few programs (and we are one) is too varied in its roles for too little pay as compared to what an NFL guy has to do now. Some guys made it in college but hated pro (Saban, Spurrier come to mind), some guys the opposite (no one comes to mind), and then there’s the Pete Carrol’s of the world. They won at both levels. Anyway, I’d take 5million for one year of ineptitude at either place.
I'd rather be Jimbo, getting paid millions to NOT coach... Now thats playing Chess
I mean, that’s the goal, right? I live down here in Destin, FL, and all I see are people on vacation or retirees, burning money right and left, and not working. I hope to see Jimbo (more likely to see Orgeron) around town, because he’s buying my drinks, dammit!
My point is that the transfer portal impacts all teams and I’ve found myself super envious of Georgia and Texas when I used not to be envious of any other programs. Maybe in a year or two of doing more with less we can get back there but who knows.
That's a valid point. I feel that envy too, almost questioning if they have more to offer or is it just the amount of NIL money... or is it both!? Doesn't help both teams are in SEC and we're very familiar with both Coaches lol
Georgia in no way has as much NIL money as USC and Texas. They are the new Saban discount.
Idk that I would describe their qb room that way. Their starter is good but they’ve lost a few guys and don’t have any playing time behind Carson Beck. I would take tx and our QBs as a group over theirs any day of the week and it ain’t even close.
I think the market will eventually correct itself. People, no matter how rich, aren’t just going to continue to give free money away just for folks to pull a Caleb Downs (or a Proctor 😂) on them. Eventually something more efficient and cost effective will prevail. The current system is not sustainable.
Things will get corrected when this 'progress towards a degree' gets going. And it will. It is softly elbowing its' way into the conversation now. By the end of the season , look for the NCAA to announce some rules on that. That will slow some transferring down. Have faith .
I don’t blame you if you don’t want to invest the time/effort/level of caring to closely follow recruiting. It definitely is different in that more guys will be gone quicker than they had in the past. That said, HS recruiting absolutely still matters if you want to win a title. Very few impact OL and DL hit the portal, at least to date, so if you want to be good enough in the trenches to be a contender, you have to get most of your guys through traditional recruiting. You can absolutely supplement (ie Brailsford this portal) but those aren’t position groups you can remake on the fly.
We got in Brailisford but we just lost Brockenmeyer. We also lost McLaughlin (which was probably for the best lol ) And the whole Proctor thing was just weird, honestly he should've just stayed at Iowa. He's a flip flopper. I wouldn't totally agree with that statement about the OL/DL transfers. And it seems like if a guy in that position does transfer... whoever was penciled in as the starter, is not going to stay to be a backup. Kinda seems like what happen with Brailsford and Brockenmyer
I wouldn’t consider Brockermeyer an impact OL, so maybe that’s part of where we don’t see it eye to eye. Depth absolutely matters, not arguing that. My point was there’s not a ton of surefire starters that hit the portal so banking on the portal to be able to build an OL is a risky strategy. And the only top ~10 team I can think of that’s really trying to fundamentally rebuild their line through transfers is ole miss on DL, and the way people talk about it is that’s more of an all in move than a sustainable strategy. Am I missing a team that’s rebuilt one of those units successfully through the portal?
Ole miss Issss currently ranked #1 for transfer portal rankings.. it is an interesting strategy. Bama has already lost Mclaughlin, Tj Ferguson, both Brockenmeyers. These are 4 star guys and one of the Brockenmeyers was a high 5. If we didn't get Proctor back and sign Brailsford... it was very close to being a disaster lol [This Link](https://247sports.com/season/2024-football/transferportalpositionranking/) is good tool to see who's gone where and who we have lost.
sombody getting replace。we had james smith qua russaw keeley,And class 24 freshmen
yep，I think we're doing okay with our recruiting. Besides, it's April, not December. Why is someone in such a hurry to recruit classes? I'll never understand
Look at basketball final four team excellent coach getting some attention and they jump ship I understand fb players transferring after Saban retired Honestly spending NIL money on a player is a horrible risky investment but it's the game these days Young folks buying jerseys hell naw dude might be at Auburn next season Crazy as hell certainly takes some enjoyment out of it.
It does, I just said this in another comment. Let's take Sterling Dixon as an example. 4 star prospect and was borderline a 5.... this kid has played at 3 different high schools here in Mobile. I can almost guarantee that this kid will not be at Bama in 3 years... he's already shown in HS, he has no loyalty. There's a huge "me first" attitude in sports now. And to your point, the basketball stuff is crazy. Why would Sam Waters leave? And taking Auburns best player?? The fuck is that lol Just a weird environment right now.
It hasn’t killed the excitement at all. Maybe your definition of it, but ask any Ohio State alum/fan about the portal and they’ll lay their body across the tracks to support it. The portal, by design, has made college football a 25 team race that has left 300 other schools its wake. It’s everything that Nick Saban was actually decrying as he was on the mountain’s top. It’s a total pay-for-play that in a capitalistic society demands attention. And let’s face it, you’re splitting hairs when you’re talking about the elite of the elite, so go where the money is. Effffff the national title aspirations. Michigan just won a title with the oldest college football team since the 90s. See what that gets them in the draft. Sure, they’ll do okay by volume, but only because they’ve ALL stuck around. Look at year out and they’re lucky to get four or five drafted. That’s my point. The excitement of recruitment is alive and well. Its focus has simply shifted to who can pay the most for positions of need and whose coach can compel the collectives to pony up the necessary dollars. The 25+ “elite” teams will be division 1 schools as defined by the collective dollars they can raise and built and the other 300 schools will be tier two schools that serve as sacrificial lambs to play elite schools once a year, but joyously celebrate rivalry wins as they occur. Think Princeton beating Harvard. Absolutely no impact on a national championship, but their fans love it. The NCAA wins because they effectively pass their authority to the school’s ability to fund raise. If a school’s collective can’t raise enough $$$ to pay player X to come and play there, they risk dropping to tier 2, and the program with it. Transparency prevails. Again, very exciting for elite schools because there is nothing holding any athlete of any caliber to any modicum of loyalty. Pay me, play me, AND develop me or I’m gone. No repercussions. It’s completely on the school to recruit and rerecruit each individual athlete every. Damn. Day. What a great time to be an elite college athlete and a casual college fan who doesn’t contribute to a collective.
THIS should be the top comment. I am relatively new to recruiting, so I suppose ignorance of the past is bliss. Still, just because it changed doesn’t necessarily make it worse… just different. Not really buying the glass-half-empty tone in here.
Yep, transfers, and NIL are killing college sports. I’ve found myself watching sooo much less college athletics these days. It used to be by far my favorite sporting events to watch. It didn’t even really matter what sport I was watching either. They were all fun to watch, because of the athletes tenacity, their desire to win, and their love for the game was always so obvious. I knew that most of them weren’t gonna make any real money playing their sport, which meant they were playing it for the love of the game (plus a college degree….but mainly the love haha). Transfers in particular are awful, because it seems most of the top players are transferring even though they would prefer to stay. They just know that once they enter their name in the portal that the amount of money that will be thrown their way will be huge. Whenever a player puts their name in the portal, but then takes it out and stays….what actually happened was that their current school increased their NIL payment. I fully believe the only reason Rylan Griffen is leaving is, because he couldn’t turn down the money. I can’t blame him either, that can be life changing money for them, and their family. He was a starter on a team that went to the Final 4, and will be expected to be very good next season as well. I’d understand if he wasn’t starting, but why else would he leave? Plus, NBA teams seem to like the players Nate Oats is sending there, and they seem to be doing well.
> does a #1 class even matter anymore Yes, almost as much as it did previously. Which is that the exact number doesn’t really matter, just being in that top group does. > But now… who gives a shit? So don’t follow recruiting. I still love it. We’ve always had guys decommit and flip and transfer out. We’ve always had high-ranking recruits who didn’t necessarily pan out. Edit: And I dunno, this may sound lame...but take joy in the moment. Be excited about a young player's potential. Sure, maybe they'll transfer out. Nothing you do will affect that, though; and what does it actually cost you? A young guy shows flashes on the field...enjoy that. Don't see it and focus on "he may transfer out." And maybe they won't transfer out. Jaylen Waddle came in behind three future first rounders and stayed until he declared early for the draft. Tua and Najee considered transferring out after their freshmen years but stuck it out. We just saw 5 star Justice Haynes stuck as the fourth string running back, but he's stuck around.
I’m on both sides of this argument, any one individual player doesn’t excite me anymore, because the success/fail rate with transfers on top of it makes any one person feel insignificant. It goes both ways though, we may bring a rental player in to play over guys to. On the other side, as you said, it’s very important to get a large number of high talent players. The days of the Julio Jones marquee recruit are over, but to be fair that’s been over for 5ish years now. I’ve had this discussion with Michigan fans/family, they’re my distant second team, they kind of laugh at and take pride in them beating the recruiting odds to win a natty. It’s obviously possible, some of the earlier Clemson natty teams recruited similarly, but the vast majority of playoff teams have been elite recruiting teams.
Not at this rate. A #1 class has lost a lot of value. I would rather have the #12 class and have everybody stay and develop than loose half those guys in a year or two. I mean yeah we had top guys like Anoma, Alfano, Ben Davis and Trey Sanders not pan out. Now with the Brockenmeyers gone it seems like players are just giving up and transferring. Your speaking as if this was a yearly occurrence. I remember when Sheffield transferring out that was kinda a big deal. A highly rated DB leaving Bama!?! Was unheard of. Now it seems like majority of the top recruits will just leave if they're not happy. And look I'm from Mobile.. I played with Cj Mosely, I've seen or played agaisnt just about every major recruit to come out of this area since 2013... it just ain't the same. A commitment just doesn't have that same feeling it used too.
If you're more concerned about recruiting, you probably know that it's April, and our recruiting class ranks are pretty good right now.kalen deboer is winner,at least its is probably one of the reasons why our 5 Stars are willing to stay。
For right now.. my point is does class rank even matter anymore? Half the dudes will be gone. Keeping the 5 stars is great and all but losing the majority of the 4-3 stars that could develop into starters hurts just as much. So prime example is Sterling Dixon.. I've seen him play here in Mobile twice. My best friend coached against him... This kid has already been to 3 high schools!! I want to save this comment and I'll eat my words if I'm wrong... I GURRANTEE THAT KID IS GOING TO TRANSFER OUT.
Dude, you're weird. You really want some players to transfer 。I'm talking about our 5 star here.（hanyes, zay mincey,zabien brown ,keeley,james smith,qua russaw…）Our 5 stars are always less than our 4 stars. Even if Sterling Dixon transferred, it would only be because he was beaten by a freshman or replaced by a transfer student. Maybe you should start doing some research on how many lb's we've committed to in the 25class。It's April……hs recurit combined with transfer。that's why uconn mbb 2 peat
Also UCONNs head coach has specifically spoken to not recruited guys like Sterling Dixon. He literally said one of the first things he looks into is how many High schools / AAU teams has a kid played for?? Literally wouldn't recruit a kid like Sterling Dixon.
Dude.. you can't type for shit.
CFB is very different from what it was 10 years ago. Better? Worse? That’s up to each person. Now that the student athlete model has become an NFL minor league, it’s your decision whether to endorse it with your time, money, and attention. I was a huge Bama fan back when we feared the thumb. What the last couple months have taught me though is that I was more of a Nick Saban fan; with the current CFB landscape I’m not sure I’ll continue to give it much energy. Once the GOAT left and we weren’t getting weekly leadership lessons ain’t much left, honestly.
your are right ,you are nick saban fan。i hope you don't forget that even he doesn't get anyone he wants.
What?
Would you rather be given 100 dollars knowing you probably have to pay back 40 or 50 dollars knowing you probably have to pay back 5?
Yawn, brother, it's all exciting! The class, the portal, all of it, just more layers
It's uncontrolled chaos lol I have a better idea of who'll be starting for the Pittsburgh Steelers NEXT FOOTBALL SEASON lol not this upcoming one. I mean isn't it crazy to even think I have a better idea of who'll be starting on a pro team... A season from now, than who's going to be starting at Bama lol That's just weird.
No, that's not crazy because the NFL pays their players and has enforceable contracts. College Football could have avoided this chaos if they hadn't spent decades obstinately refusing to break off any money for the players. Instead, they assumed they would be protected by the courts (which is wild since they seem to lose every case) or politicians. I'm glad the players get money now and I don't begrudge them if they leave for more money. LOTS of people switch jobs for more money all the time. Why is it suddenly bad if a player does? What does loyalty truly mean? You want players to put themselves in a worse financial position right now for the potential of more money in the future? The same potential that will exist no matter where they play? If I told you today that you could stay at your current job and there's a very very small chance of you being promoted and getting a raise in the future or you could take a new job right now, make more money and still have the exact same very small chance of the promotion/raise, you'd be insane to outright dismiss the opportunity.