Link: 2026 Transfer Portal

[RollTide-YNWA]

It would be extremely insightful to be a fly on the wall and have privy to the money and where its allocated.

Absolutely!

 

[DzynKingRTR]

We basically have the college football equivalent of dodgers or yankees. they can just throw all the money at every high profile player. Everyone else just gets the scraps because they will never be able to compete with the teams with all the money.

Edit: By "we" I mean college football fans.

 

[Toddrn]

Hollywood Smothers flip to Texas just announced.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2010424291708301787

There is no such thing as commitment in college football.

 

[CoolBreeze]

This is like the best golfers in the world suddenly have to use a 4 oz heavier ball. And then those dominating suddenly start failing and those who could swing for distance suddenly can.

Money pal, money changes everything. The thing that we really have to realize is that we have to re-recruit everyone on the team and they are all getting raises. Got a great nucleus of players, awesome high school recruiting class coming in but just have to shore up the trenches and suddenly this picture is looking good.

 

[RollTide-YNWA]

What I read was Morgan initial offer was lower than expected when Smothers arrived on campus. If that's the case, can't blame the kid and unfortunately a black eye on this staff.

I hope that's not the case, unless they had a good backup plan.

 

[KrAzY3]

I will reiterate that people will try to make money an excuse, but Alabama didn't have to get in bidding wars for guys Texas was going after. They chose to. That's a strategic move.

Part of the issue to me is that this staff is either getting out-worked or over-whelmed. There's a period where they generally hit their stride, the team is playing good football, they are recruiting well then you get to that late season and suddenly things look a lot worse.

2024 it was the Oklahoma and Michigan losses, one of which knocked Alabama out of the playoff/SECCG and both of which were to teams with mediocre records. Followed up with a weak portal class that actually turned out worse than the already weak rankings.
2025 we saw the blowout losses to Georgia and Indiana, and a portal class that seems to be similarly flailing, with neither quantity nor quality.

I hope it isn't what it looks like, I want to see something better. I can say this much, it's not just money. Money is only an obstacle to people that try to spend their way out of every problem. Money is only an issue in this case because Alabama went head to head with Texas. They also lost out on a guy to South Carolina they wanted while chasing guys Texas wanted. Believe me, South Carolina isn't richer than Alabama in any way, shape or form.

 

[CrimsonBloodn62]

Money pal, money changes everything. The thing that we really have to realize is that we have to re-recruit everyone on the team and they are all getting raises. Got a great nucleus of players, awesome class coming in but just have to shore up the trenches and suddenly this picture is looking good.

The PGA–LIV situation proves the point: when the money is there, people move. College athletes are no different show them the money and they’ll come.

 

[CoolBreeze]

We basically have the college football equivalent of dodgers or yankees. they can just throw all the money at every high profile player. Everyone else just gets the scraps because they will never be able to compete with the teams with all the money.

Think you still have to look at the IOU blueprint, who in 2 years brought in a bunch of players from lower levels to take a national championship. Our emphasis, even as a blue blood, should be developing a staff of evaluators combing through the rosters of all levels of college football during the season to find these gems that definitely exist out there in the upcoming portal.

 

[BamaBoySince89]

We basically have the college football equivalent of dodgers or yankees. they can just throw all the money at every high profile player. Everyone else just gets the scraps because they will never be able to compete with the teams with all the money.

This was never about parity to begin with! Yet another successful attempt to disrupt the chokehold dynasties had on the sport. Anyone with a little money will win out every time.

 

[BamaFanInTally]

I just get the feeling that we are striking out in the portal based on two factors: 1) Not enough NIL $$ to compete, and 2) Recruits not believing in this staff. I hope I’m wrong about #2.

 

[JDCrimson]

There is no such thing as commitment in college football.

Well if we reneged on our deal we should lose him. This is looking like amateur karaoke.

We should not be chasing RBs at all. We should be using our limited resources for OL and DL.

We (coaches included) need to get used to it but we are the Oakland A's...

 

[Jack Bourbon]

These kids aren't looking at that. We need dudes. Problem is that we need a way to evaluate thousands of kids we know nothing about because most are competing at lower levels. But they are out there. Just need to find them and bring them in.

Seems like we cannot afford those who we would know from possibly having recruited them from HS, unfortunately

 

[DzynKingRTR]

Think you still have to look at the IOU blueprint, who in 2 years brought in a bunch of players from lower levels to take a national championship. Our emphasis, even as a blue blood, should be developing a staff of evaluators combing through the rosters of all levels of college football during the season to find these gems that definitely exist out there in the upcoming portal.

and we have a lot of fans that lose their minds when we go after guys at Mercer or Cal Poly

 

[RollTide-YNWA]

I hate what this sport has become.

Side note: I hope sexat loses every single game.

Sark better hope they go very, very far next year or he'll be out in his ear. Can't imagine there will be any more excuses for him. I like Sark, but I hope they lose every game, too.

 

[CoolBreeze]

I will reiterate that people will try to make money an excuse, but Alabama didn't have to get in bidding wars for guys Texas was going after. They chose to. That's a strategic move.

Let's not forget that Texas has been throwing around a bunch of money on busts also. It is my understanding that they had a lot of RBs leave their program because they were chasing the transfer from Louisville that eventually stayed put. Then, their RB room was gutted and went after dudes like smothers out of desperation. So, everyone has problems but of a different nature.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

Sark better hope they go very, very far next year or he'll be out in his ear. Can't imagine there will be any more excuses for him. I like Sark, but I hope they lose every game, too.

Now I would laugh my butt off if Sark takes an NFL job. I might literally die laughing.

 

[CoolBreeze]

Seems like we cannot afford those who we would know from possibly having recruited them from HS, unfortunately

That's the market these days, unfortunately. Because we always go after the best guys in high school, which was Nick's effective strategy. Now, we have to work harder and evaluate better. Again, spicoli has given us the blueprint.

 

[CoolBreeze]

and we have a lot of fans that lose their minds when we go after guys at Mercer or Cal Poly

Guess who also came from Cal Poly. Josh Cuevas.

 

[ga tide man #9]

Any chance we circle back to Justice Haynes? We need at least 1 RB with vision.

 

[KrAzY3]

For the record according to 247, Alabama has the 49th ranked portal class, this after losing 20 guys via the portal. They started out with staff chirping about how they weren't losing anything of importance.

Clearly this is just about money though, since college football heavyweights like Kentucky and Arizona St. have top 10 portal classes. To put it in another context, Alabama now has the second worst portal class in the conference.

And mind you, if they were racking up on sleepers I'd be alright with it and say let's wait to see how these guys pan out. But it's still as of this moment a single digit class, even counting the walk-on tight end!