It is no secret that the transfer portal has completely transformed the landscape of college football. Name, Image and Likeness adds an additional element to the entire ordeal.
Coaches and staffers have called for change, with Lane Kiffin being especially vocal in opposition of the current system earlier this week. They are forced to re-recruit their entire roster each offseason while trying to fill the void left by players who chose to transfer… with players from other teams who chose to transfer. There is no telling what a roster is going to look like come bowl season.
Texas A&M played its postseason matchup with 55 scholarship players. USC had even less. Florida State — in the Orange Bowl — is without more than 50% of its two-deep depth chart.
It’s mayhem. Roster management is a nightmare.
In addition to all of the logistical issues, the move often does not end well for players. Especially those who make the jump from the ‘Group of Five’ level to the ‘Power Five’ level.
There are success stories like Tez Johnson, Jaylen Key, Jalen McLeod, Jimmy Horn Jr., and Evan Williams, among others. However, more often than not, it is a harsh reality for G5 players at their new P5 programs.
Max Olsen of The Athletic did the math.
Among these 186 transfers (who left the G5 level for the P5 level), 72 percent played fewer snaps for their new team, and 37 percent have not started a game this season.
— Max Olsen of The Athletic
It goes even deeper.
104 Group of Five players who entered the transfer portal last offseason recorded 500 or more snaps for their former teams during the 2022 college football season. The vast majority of them did not meet or surpass that snap count in 2023. Only 13 of 104 were able to get the same or greater playing time on their new teams.
The 186 G5 transfers combined for 95,637 snaps in 2022. That number dropped to 60,345 snaps on the P5 level in 2023. They averaged 190 fewer snaps after transferring.
There are a few especially grim examples.
Western Michigan running back Sean Tyler was a workhorse for the Mustangs last year and ran for more than 1,000 yards. He ran for just 242 yards at Minnesota as the third-string ball-carrier this year.
Former Georgia State defensive lineman Thomas Gore played 610 snaps last season. He transferred to Miami and saw that number dwindle by more than 75%.
Kent State quarterback Collin Schlee was electric with the Golden Flashes and transferred to UCLA.
The redshirt junior was relegated to QB3 for the Bruins and attempted just 47 passes compared to 266 last fall. Schlee will be in the mix for the starting job in 2024, but will begin as QB2.
All of this goes to say that the grass is not always greener.
Meanwhile, the Group of Five coaches are forced to replace superstar players like Tyler and Schlee, who would have had a greater opportunity to shine if they stayed. It’s a revolving door. It’s chaos.
The college football transfer portal is out of control!