Portal Urgency?

#1

RockiesTop22

On the night train from Memphis
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#1
Yeah I know portal isn’t our number one strategy- but with a lot of transfers going out and a lot of positions of need why are we not hitting this a little harder?

Auburn, LSU and others are cleaning house on all the top players- we grabbed an o lineman listed outside the top 100 in the transfer rankings.

Reading the transfer portal threads we just simply are not trying with a lot of guys…

Maybe we believe in the up and coming players? Maybe we were too busy on our amazing playoff gameplan… but if we’re going to fill some holes we need to get going now.
 
#2
#2
I have a theory... but it's just a theory. It seems like there's money up north that has been freed up by NIL. The same is true of the south, but we'd already found ways to pay players and have been doing it for decades. It seems like northern teams are seeing an inflow of new money, making it harder for SEC teams to compete in the portal.

If that's true... wouldn't it make sense to play the long game and say, "Let's just do enough to stay relevant and position our resources to get what we need to make a push when Nico is a junior."

Can we compete in the portal every year with teams who have $20M+ annual allowances?
 
#3
#3
I have a theory... but it's just a theory. It seems like there's money up north that has been freed up by NIL. The same is true of the south, but we'd already found ways to pay players and have been doing it for decades. It seems like northern teams are seeing an inflow of new money, making it harder for SEC teams to compete in the portal.

If that's true... wouldn't it make sense to play the long game and say, "Let's just do enough to stay relevant and position our resources to get what we need to make a push when Nico is a junior."

Can we compete in the portal every year with teams who have $20M+ annual allowances?
It may be true.. I’m not sure- it doesn’t explain Auburn already landing 14 transfers including the number 1 and 3 players.. LSU right there with them- and Ole Miss owning the portal last year.

Now, I don’t care to build a team through the portal like they do- but I wish we could get 4-6 studs each round. As a playoff team with plenty of money we should be able to do that.
 
#4
#4
Desperately need two or three big time receivers. The receiver core is average at best this season.

Have to get more mean on the OL and need depth.

Our window with Nico and his talent is right. Have to get him a few top-notch skilled players he can get the ball to.
 
#6
#6
I have a theory... but it's just a theory. It seems like there's money up north that has been freed up by NIL. The same is true of the south, but we'd already found ways to pay players and have been doing it for decades. It seems like northern teams are seeing an inflow of new money, making it harder for SEC teams to compete in the portal.

If that's true... wouldn't it make sense to play the long game and say, "Let's just do enough to stay relevant and position our resources to get what we need to make a push when Nico is a junior."

Can we compete in the portal every year with teams who have $20M+ annual allowances?
Auburn and LSU aren't in the North...
 
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#8
#8
The portal is not a solve all. Ole Miss, LSU, and Auburn did not reach the playoffs. Got to develop your HS talent. Not sure why but our WR and O line is underdeveloped.
 
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#10
#10
Auburn and LSU aren't in the North...
True. Neither is Mississippi State, but they're 5th in the portal rankings thanks a bunch of 3-star guys nobody else wanted. I'm just now realizing how weak the portal is on talent. I guess if there's any legs to my "theory" it would show itself more in HS recruiting than in the portal. I don't see many big money players in the portal. We'll see where Zachariah Branch goes.
 
#11
#11
I think you have to be selective in the portal. Some of these guys won't play for a big time program again and have to drop to FCS. Most of the time there is a reason that player isn't playing. The top guys are a bid for player auction basically. We usually don't participate or win those most of the time.
 
#14
#14
Im sure the new "talent tax" will save us !!!!
Yeah I'm not seeing it. Heupel seems to be more focused on roster retention and plucks a handful out of the portal each year. I don't disagree with that strategy, but everyone is starting to see where the help is needed. If there was a time to get aggressive it's probably now..
 
#16
#16
The portal is not a solve all. Ole Miss, LSU, and Auburn did not reach the playoffs. Got to develop your HS talent. Not sure why but our WR and O line is underdeveloped.
Agree 100%! Add atm to that list along with many others busting the portal. You can’t make a living or win a championship with hired assassins, you’ve got to bring in loyal talent and train them up.
 
#17
#17
Desperately need two or three big time receivers. The receiver core is average at best this season.

Have to get more mean on the OL and need depth.

Our window with Nico and his talent is right. Have to get him a few top-notch skilled players he can get the ball to.
The top receivers have already been claimed.
 
#19
#19
I'm starting to get early 2000s vibes.

in those days, players consistently 'fail[ed]to develop' as ole Phlegmatic Phil use to babble about as he waddled up to the microphone after games. That and other Fulmerisms: 'workin' like heck', 'watch the tape', ' gotta want it more' and the other BS he spewed in his passive aggressive style. The only time he showed signs of life was toward the end when he turned on fans for actually wanting results.

If one or two 5 stars and a few 4 stars never really make it, it can be attributed to misses.

If large numbers of 4 and 5 stars never really progress, that's on YOU, coach. And the buddies and hangers-on coaches you never replace.

Good golly I hope Heupel isn't Phlegmatic Phil II. I really, really do.
 
#20
#20
Agree 100%! Add atm to that list along with many others busting the portal. You can’t make a living or win a championship with hired assassins, you’ve got to bring in loyal talent and train them up.
I agree that it’s not the top strategy and can be a bust - but I think in todays college football you have to have balance.
We are not a top 5 recruiting staff-we are not a top 10 developmental staff - so portal has to be an influence if we want to compete.
 
#22
#22
I’m not a football expert here. So humor me when I ask this: if a player is in the portal, it’s usually for a reason. Saban said as much. So getting guys from the portal to me seems like a gamble as to whether or not they’ll be studs or duds. Am I looking at the portal wrong or missing something? I can see upgrading some, but enough to win a Natty….
 
#23
#23
I’m not a football expert here. So humor me when I ask this: if a player is in the portal, it’s usually for a reason. Saban said as much. So getting guys from the portal to me seems like a gamble as to whether or not they’ll be studs or duds. Am I looking at the portal wrong or missing something? I can see upgrading some, but enough to win a Natty….
I think it’s the guys whose reason is they were under recruited out of high school- and have proven to be elite talents and want to compete at a higher level- those are the guys you go after..
And ones that full immediate needs
 

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