Shot:
Chaser:
The first isn’t that shocking until you see the second. As we are nearing the close of the portal, some SEC teams are negative in returning talent by double digits. A few are either breaking even or in the positive.
The two fanbases who are taking this the worst? That’s be Tennessee and Alabama, especially after Alabama lost the bidding war for Cam Coleman’s services to Texas (shocker).
In other news…Texas is back!
Be patient. This crap aint going to last.
That has to be true eventually, right? I bet a lot of us (myself included) thought that the facilities “arms race” couldn’t last. Or the ever-increasing coaching contracts and buyouts. The money has to run out sooner or later…doesn’t it?
The sum being negative shows coaches use the portal to jettison unwanted players. Once the pain of losing valued players a greater than the need for a way to cut dead wood the coaches will drive change.
So far, we have been pretty good at retaining the ones we want even if it hurts our depth; however, only fair at obtaining superior talent, Branch being the exception
Colby
Mims
Tykee
Etienne
Kendrick
Understand, but it’s current year that makes a difference in today’s world, in my opinion.
Which completely explains giving last year’s example.
A few disappointments
Pope
Rashada
Jackson III
Bouie
Whitehead
Modozie
Maddox
Harris
Gill
But all the HS signees are hits!
Wonder what this looks like for the 12 teams on the cfp?
For Miami and Indiana, the outbound portal has not closed.
The question on the portal always is not whether you are net “positive” on raw numbers. It’s whether you upgraded your talent.
With Georgia, I look at it and ask the question, “Does this guy we brought in upgrade our talent?” I measure that by whether he is a better player than the best player in the position group we lost.
Let’s use #3 as an example. Can you find a better RB than him in the portal (and that isn’t about quantity)? The other question is whether the NIL deal makes sense. If I think I have similar (but possibly unproven) talent already on the roster at a lower NIL deal, I’m ok with the decision. By the way, don’t take this as my opinion on Nate as a player or teammate … he seems to be awesome at both.
I think we need a “Leave the Bottle on the Bar” post with the numbers of HS kids brought in by these schools so we can see the strategies each team has decided to (or is able to) supplement their losses, and who is in the most desperate positions. Here are the 247 composite rankings for the 2026 class:
https://247sports.com/season/2026-football/compositeteamrankings/?Conference=SEC
Thought the same thing, need that piece of the equation also, thanks for the link!
I think the lists read…New coaches, then Coaches in desperate need of help, then Kirby.
New coaches, coaches Kirby beats regularly, then Kirby.
Of course Texas is back, they don’t have to play us next season.
Until the SECCG, and then we get a layup for the ThreePeat!
#GoDawgs