Clemson, the reigning Atlantic Coast Conference champion, has one player on its depth chart who arrived in Death Valley via the transfer portal: The backup quarterback.
No. 4 Florida State is trying to reclaim the ACC crown from the Tigers, and has used the portal to supercharge a rebuild under coach Mike Norvell. Most of the Seminoles’ best players used to play at other schools.
Seminoles vs. Tigers is one of several huge matchups this weekend in college football and one that feels like a referendum on roster management in the sport’s new era.
Clemson sits right outside the AP Top 25, having already taken a loss that again sparked questions about whether Coach Dabo Swinney’s program is working the transfer market aggressively enough since the rules changed in 2021.
“Do I prefer the portal? No, but am I opposed to it? No, absolutely not,” Swinney said the day after the Tigers were upset at Duke.
He better not be because through three weeks of this season the transfer portal appears to be one of the big winners.
Whether it’s Florida State re-emerging as a national power, Deion Sanders’ extreme makeover at Colorado, Texas State’s stunning upset of a Big 12 team or a Pac-12 resurgence fueled by transfer quarterbacks, reasons to embrace college football free agency are everywhere.
“I do think there is a bit of a narrative out there, the portal is not sustainable,” Florida State general manager of personnel Darrick Yrary said. “Well, it’s only been around for a little bit. I don’t think anyone really knows what it is and what it isn’t. But we’re trying to field the best football team every single year. So whatever avenue that does come from we want to make sure our hat’s in the ring for that.”
According to SportSource Analytics, the percentage of production by transfers has increased across major college football compared with last season in every category, from games started to yards gained passing, rushing and receiving to tackles, sacks and interceptions.
Colorado is likely contributing to that trend as much as any school in the country.
Sanders made headlines by flipping Colorado’s roster with the most aggressive use of the portal since the NCAA changed its rules three years ago to allow all football players to transfer one time as an undergraduate without sitting out a season.
The Buffaloes have 87 new players, 58 of them transfers, including quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the coach’s son; two-way star Travis Hunter; and leading receivers Xavier Weaver and Jimmy Horn.
No. 19 Colorado (3-0) has already tripled its win total from last season and heads to No. 10 Oregon on Saturday as one of the biggest stories in sports.
Colorado is one of eight ranked teams in the Pac-12, which is having an ironic renaissance before 10 of its members depart for other conferences. Six of this weekend’s ranked-vs.-ranked matchups are Pac-12 games.
Of the league’s eight ranked teams, six are starting transfers at quarterback. Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams of No. 5 USC, No. 8 Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix all arrived via the portal last season and blossomed into stars.
