Football is an ever-evolving sport, especially at the collegiate level.
The addition of the NCAA transfer portal and name, image, and likeness (NIL) has closed the talent gap.
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Schools are able to recreate rosters with the portal and give themselves a shot to compete for a national championship. Programs such as Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, Clemson, and Southern California dominated the landscape of the sport for a long time because of the talent accumulated. Now, schools like Colorado take the transfer portal and become competitive quickly.
NIL gives power to the student-athlete for it to gain compensation for their likeness.
Players are less likely to pursue the NFL Draft after their junior seasons because they are getting paid now. The Southeastern Conference has been viewed as the most dominant one in college football, but it is struggling some this season. Several marquee teams, including Alabama, Texas A&M, and LSU, have at least one blemish on their record. Alabama has an opportunity to run the table to an SEC Championship and a College Football Playoff appearance if it handles Texas A&M at Kyle Field. Nick Saban sees the regularity of teams getting beat in the conference. He addressed the impact of the portal on the Pat McAfee Show.
“It’s a little easier if you have … I’m gonna say an average team because you have another way and another resource to bring players to your team,” Saban said.
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“So, if you have an average team, it’s easier to get better faster because you have a transfer portal almost like free agency in the NFL, where before you had to build your team from the bottom up with freshmen. So, young guys coming into the program, which might have taken them two or three years to mature and you still have the opportunity to recruit some good young players so they also can contribute. I just think that the transfer portal, it offers an opportunity for people to improve more quickly.”
Alabama has also benefitted from the portal. It got Jameson Williams as a wide receiver in 2021, and he helped the Crimson Tide to an SEC Championship. If not for an injury to him in the CFP National Championship Game against Georgia, Alabama would defeated thee Bulldogs. Jahmyr Gibbs, a running back, transferred to Alabama from Georgia Tech. He gave the Tide valuable production in 2022 with 926 rushing yards, 444 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns. The transfer portal has equally spread the talent around college football. It allows teams that normally don’t have a chance to compete for championships to have a chance.
Alabama benefitted from the portal in the spring by getting Trezmen Marshall and CJ Dippre. Marshall, a transfer from Georgia, has 30 total tackles. The veteran linebacker is second on the team for the Tide in tackles and has 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Dippre, a transfer from Maryland, has five catches for 104 receiving yards as a tight end.
Coach Saban is hopeful that both will assist the Crimson Tide to a championship.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
