Marginal HS recruits vs transfer portal

[seccats04]

The transfer portal is a new reality of college football. If you were a HC, would you focus your recruiting efforts on the HS ranks or transfer portal?

If I were the HC at a mid-tier SEC school like UK, where you can't hand pick 5 star recruits, I would focus on the portal. You obviously sign as many blue chip HS recruits as possible, which for UK is usually between 5-10 a year. I would sign another 5 or so that are high 3 stars that need a little development but not long term projects. Those guys are much more likely to leave because they won't get on the field for a few years. The portal guys are proven at the college level so there's not as much projecting. Plus, they've already transferred once, so they are less likely to do it again.

What say you?

 

[K_TIME]

The transfer portal is a new reality of college football. If you were a HC, would you focus your recruiting efforts on the HS ranks or transfer portal?

If I were the HC at a mid-tier SEC school like UK, where you can't hand pick 5 star recruits, I would focus on the portal. You obviously sign as many blue chip HS recruits as possible, which for UK is usually between 5-10 a year. I would sign another 5 or so that are high 3 stars that need a little development but not long term projects. Those guys are much more likely to leave because they won't get on the field for a few years. The portal guys are proven at the college level so there's not as much projecting. Plus, they've already transferred once, so they are less likely to do it again.

What say you?

I have to agree…but on the other hand the coaches are also part of the problem basically telling players I need the spots and need the development player to leave

So a guy like calvin Taylor…you can’t wait for those guys to bloom.

So guys like Hayes Johnson, Redd at lber, etc…and in last year class the kids from PRP out of Louisville thet left inside a yewr….are we wasting time vs just go for portal dudes in those slots

 

[BlueRaider22]

I would tend to follow more of an NFL model. You build the team mostly through the draft, then supplement through free agency.

So, in college you build the foundation of the team through recruiting......then in the off-season find funding to keep the guys you want and to supplement for holes, needs, etc. Frankly, it has to be both. The issue is that at a place like UK, you've got to nail down the priority positions and/or needs.......(ie QB, etc.)

 

[Dddjdd]

The transfer portal is a new reality of college football. If you were a HC, would you focus your recruiting efforts on the HS ranks or transfer portal?

If I were the HC at a mid-tier SEC school like UK, where you can't hand pick 5 star recruits, I would focus on the portal. You obviously sign as many blue chip HS recruits as possible, which for UK is usually between 5-10 a year. I would sign another 5 or so that are high 3 stars that need a little development but not long term projects. Those guys are much more likely to leave because they won't get on the field for a few years. The portal guys are proven at the college level so there's not as much projecting. Plus, they've already transferred once, so they are less likely to do it again.

What say you?

Good post and I think you’re pretty much right. If you can recruit high schools at a high level, lean on that and only supplement with transfers.

If we look at the SEC, this plays out. UGA and Bama only have one transfer commit each. The schools with the most are mid-tier: Ole Miss, MS St, SCar, us. I know Georgia and Alabama will take a few more and have had high impact transfers, but it’s still mostly recruit + develop for schools that can do it IMO

 

[vhcat70]

The transfer portal is a new reality of college football. If you were a HC, would you focus your recruiting efforts on the HS ranks or transfer portal?

If I were the HC at a mid-tier SEC school like UK, where you can't hand pick 5 star recruits, I would focus on the portal. You obviously sign as many blue chip HS recruits as possible, which for UK is usually between 5-10 a year. I would sign another 5 or so that are high 3 stars that need a little development but not long term projects. Those guys are much more likely to leave because they won't get on the field for a few years. The portal guys are proven at the college level so there's not as much projecting. Plus, they've already transferred once, so they are less likely to do it again.

What say you?

Its not that they already transferred, it’s that they have fewer years left to do it again.

 

[Pelosigalore]

I feel like Stoops and staff struggle to develop players, especially on offense. So the portal is gonna be more important going forward.

 

[Deeeefense]

The signing of great HS recruits doesn't mean as much as it use to as there is no guarantee you will have them more than a year or what they might ever develop into. It does make more sense to focus on the portal where you get experienced guys that you know you will get one solid year of production out of and sometimes two.

I can see the day coming where most P5 schools get the bulk of their roster from the portal, and most high school recruiting falls to GO5 schools

 

[seccats04]

I feel like Stoops and staff struggle to develop players, especially on offense. So the portal is gonna be more important going forward.

This. Stoops staff have, for the most part, developed guys well on the D side. However, the coaches have failed miserably on the O side, aside from a few RB's and OL. The TE's have been underutilized and we may have the worst track record in P5 in developing QB's.

 

[mrschwump]

If I didn't think I could get a HS guy on the field in a couple of years I'd pass on him, hit the portal. Seems to me the big loser here are JUCOs. Just aren't seeing as many signing as a few years ago. I liked the period Stoops was taking JUCO DBs, Lonnie Johnson, Echols, Mosely, etc. Wished he had never stopped.

Advantage of taking portal guys are you're getting an older, more experienced, better developed player. That's good.

 

[Kattopper]

Stoops seems to be filling holes not building his roster off it. UL is living on it. Which would make me uneasy.
I go back and forth on the portal. In some ways I hate it for the sport but I find it even more exciting to read about than HS recruiting.

I’m sure its easier to evaluate a portal player due to film against college level competition. Vandergriff makes nervous bc there is very little game film. I think the portal helps schools like KY. We fill holes right away and not having to rely on first year players out of HS. I think Stoops has done a good job managing it.