In the age of the transfer portal, there is a constant debate about roster construction in major college football. Like the NFL with free agency, quick fixes are now possible. Teams can, at least in theory, completely turnover a roster and flip momentum almost instantly for their team.
As we see more and more examples of programs utilizing the transfer portal, and some more than others, we can get a much better idea for the best and worst practices. The early returns point to programs best using it to fill in gaps, and taking elite talent when it presents itself.
We have already seen teams who utilize it to a high level, but don’t consistently develop through the high school ranks, have gotten much less positive returns. The Michigan State team under Mel Tucker was a good example, having one good season but then falling apart. Both Florida State and Colorado are a couple of modern examples who have also had mixed results.
It appears we might have another example with the Ole Miss Rebels , who are coming off of a 29-26 loss to the LSU Tigers , moving their record to 5-2 on the season. That is certainly a let down following the preseason hype. Ole Miss hit the portal heavily, spent a lot of money, but the payback has not been what many projected.
When you think of free agency in the NFL, the teams that break the bank in free agency are rarely ever the biggest winners in the end. Instead it is typically the general managers that find value, and identify complimentary players to go along with your homegrown talent. It isn’t shocking that the sustainable products in college football also follow that model.
When you talk about schools like Georgia , Ohio State and Alabama , they absolutely utilize the portal. The difference is that they go to the portal because they want to, not because they have to. That’s a major distinction.
A school like Ole Miss does it because they are trying to bridge the gap between the bigger programs, and are trying to capitalize on one good offseason. The secret to sustainability is patience, high school recruiting, and development. Instead, Lane Kiffin and the Rebels have chosen to put their attention to those rentals, especially this offseason.
When you think of the best players on the Ole Miss roster, you would be hard pressed to find many players who were recruited, and developed in house. On offense, past transfer portal players include quarterback Jaxson Dart (USC), wide receivers Tre Harris (Louisiana Tech) and Antwane Wells Jr (South Carolina), running backs Henry Parrish Jr. (Miami) and Ulysses Bentley IV (SMU), and tight end Caden Prieskorn (Memphis).
And then on defense, that includes the likes of defensive lineman Walter Nolen (Texas A&M), JJ Pegues (Auburn) and Princely Umanmielen (Florida), linebacker Chris Paul (Arkansas), and defensive back Trey Amos (Louisiana). You will always find an example of that homegrown talent such as defensive end Jared Ivey but those examples are a very, very small sample.
At some point, you have to find a balance between high school recruiting and utilizing the portal. Ole Miss is just another example of not wanting to use it too much, and sacrifice the other. Until Coach Kiffin and this program find that balance, we are going to see a volatile roster, and volatile performances on any given Saturday.
With Kiffin’s name being mentioned so often associated with future job openings, patience is probably not going to be a quality he possesses much of. This might just be the Rebels identity while he is the lead man of the program, which will lead to good results at times, but more than likely very few great ones.
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