SEC storylines to watch as December portal window approaches
As transfers become more prevalent in college football, the rules around changing teams continue to change. The latest adjustment was the NCAA's implementation of "transfer windows," two periods during which players can enter their name in the transfer portal (graduate students and players whose head coaches were fired may still enter any time).
The first window is set to open Dec. 5, the day after bowl selections are announced. That should lead to a flood of players into the portal. We're looking two months into the future to project the top storylines in the SEC for the first ever transfer window.
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1. Who will look for an upgrade at quarterback?
The recent explosion of transfers in college football has impacted the quarterback position more than any other, with dozens of signal-callers looking for a new team every offseason. That will undoubtedly be the case again this year.
Last week, we took a look at some SEC quarterbacks who could transfer out. But which teams will seek to bring in a new passer from the portal? Kentucky, which is expected to lose Will Levis to the NFL, could seek to replace him with another transfer. Same goes for Tennessee and Hendon Hooker. Auburn, whose quarterbacks have struggled mightily this season, might seek an upgrade from the portal. Even Alabama could be in the market for a new quarterback after Bryce Young's expected departure for the NFL. Freshman Jalen Milroe looked solid in relief of Young after the reigning Heisman Trophy winner left the Crimson Tide's win over Arkansas on Saturday, but Nick Saban has shown a willingness to upgrade via the portal if a good enough player comes available.
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2. Will any coaching changes result in a mass exodus?
Last offseason, both LSU and Florida saw players leave their programs en masse following the firings of Ed Orgeron and Dan Mullen. Thirty former LSU players hit the portal between Orgeron's firing and the start of this season, as did 19 former Gators. As a result, both Billy Napier and, especially, Brian Kelly had to rely on the portal hard to fill out their rosters after taking over at those schools.
It wouldn't be an offseason in the SEC without at least one coaching change, with Auburn looking the most likely right now. Would that lead to a large-scale migration of Tiger players to the portal? History suggests it might.
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3. Can the Portal King do it again?
The story of the year so far in the SEC might be Ole Miss, which is 5-0 and ranked No. 9 despite losing last season's starting quarterback, Matt Corral. A key to the Rebels carrying over their success from 2021 was Lane Kiffin's ability and willingness to mine the portal for talent. The self-titled "Portal King" added the Rebels' current starting quarterback (Jaxson Dart), second-leading rusher (Zach Evans), two leading receivers (wideout Malik Heath and tight end Michael Trigg) and leading tackler (Troy Brown) from the transfer ranks during the offseason.
Will Kiffin rely on the transfer portal so heavily again in 2022, or was that a one-time thing? The bigger question might be whether he can recreate that kind of success if he tried. Mel Tucker and the 2-3 Michigan State Spartans provide a cautionary tale about trying to catch lightning in a bottle twice from the portal.
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4. Will Georgia finally embrace the portal?
The only FBS team not to add at least one transfer to its roster last offseason was the defending national champion. So far, that hasn't appeared to hurt Georgia, which is 5-0 and ranked No. 2 nationally.
Given Kirby Smart's recruiting success, the Bulldogs shouldn't have to rely too heavily on the portal. Georgia has inked a top-five class every year from 2018 through 2022, with three of those finishing No. 1. But it seems almost reckless to ignore the portal in modern college football. Plus, Smart tends to mimic Saban, his former boss and mentor, so it wouldn't come as a surprise if he starts to sprinkle the occasional transfer into his recruiting strategy as well.
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5. How will teams slated for New Year's Six bowls or the College Football Playoff be impacted?
The timing of the new transfer window is interesting in that any team that qualifies for the postseason will still have at least one game to play when players are allowed to enter the portal. While many players haven't let the allure of playing in a bowl game stop them from leaving a team in the past, it will be interesting to see how many players from teams that qualify for New Year's Six bowls - or even the College Football Playoff - enter the portal during the first window. Of course, it likely wouldn't be significant contributors leaving the roster at that point, but no coach who is still playing for a national title is going to want to see his depth or scout team numbers suddenly depleted a few weeks before a playoff game. Players from those teams could wait and still enter the portal during the spring transfer window (May 1-15), but there's reason to be concerned that a lot of landing spots could be filled up by then.