Link: 2026 Transfer Portal

[tusks_n_raider]

I want to be wrong about the situation, but Alabama is still sitting at 6.5 players via the portal basically, which means they have 29.5 slots available.

People keep fixating on the handful of four stars and making excuses, but it's a problem if that's their entire plan. Where's the depth? Where are the hidden gems? Where's the evaluation finds? Everyone knows who those guys are that they're targeting, you don't need a GM, you or I can go oh hey let's get one of the top rated RBs, or one of the top WRs or what ever out of the portal and write checks with someone else's money. That's not earning your keep, that's just checking on a forum or a recruiting site and going oh hey that's one of the top guys, let's go try to get them.

Without going further, there's a team in the playoff whose staff seems hungry (making almost half what Alabama's staff makes) while the Alabama staff seems well fed.

Nail meets Head

There are hundreds and hundreds of players in the Portal.

*IF* we can’t go head to head with other schools in the Top 10 of NIL pockets then we better at least be better than the Teams 11-40

I mean we do have to field a full team next season and need not just starters but depth.

We seem to be trying to put all our eggs in one basket and are willing to just keep striking out.

If we aren’t trying to find some diamonds in the rough from the pool of 2-3 Star Players then that’s a problem.

People keep saying that CKD just doesn’t have the right players for the system.

There is no way on earth there aren’t guys under 4 stars who could be found to fit ‘His System’

They may not be Uber talented and they might not do everything well but maybe they fit and are coachable.

What is this staff even doing right now?

We look like we are planning on fielding a team with 80-90 scholarship level players of which 20+ are TF and then another 30 players who walked on.

There’s about a week left to turn this around but right now roster management is looking abysmal.

 

[The Ols]

I get this feeling that this staff is getting out worked by many many other staffs in the portal.

That’s a pretty big accusation…how do you know this? Swings and misses don’t mean you’re not working…retaining your current roster doesn’t mean you’re not working…my goodness everyone back off the edge. We’re not the only team trying to navigate this crazy new world. It sucks, everyone has said they hate it, we get it…I hate it…I’m guessing that there are a handful in here that could do better than our staff??? Come on…

 

[Cruiser]

It should be obvious that our failure thus far in the TP, is either because of an underperforming coaching staff, but there is another possibility (outside of the money aspect) that is alarming. These players are not concerned with Alabama's football history or how great the perception of playing in the SEC is, they see that CNS has retired and his replacement is struggling to keep the ship afloat. The winds of change have realigned what you might call the current blue bloods and folks, Alabama ain't one of them. Alabama was never a truly CFB quality team this year and I have no idea of how or if we make it back.

Losing 3 games by 70 points tends to soil the reputation

 

[smith5753]

A word of caution here, to anyone who still expects that "brand name", as in The University of Alabama, matters in this current state of the game:

It doesn't.

These guys will pile into whatever program, in a D1 FBS conference, that pays out the big money. Indiana is your easy first case, as in started out throwing around big money, then got to a championship.

Oregon has a great setup with all of their Nike money. Ohio State has shown us what they will do to get players, and it involves outsized $$$,

Most of the southeast schools aren't going to be able to compete with this, going forward. Texas isn't necessarily "southeast", but they and A&M, are closest to being able to compete dollar for dollar. I'd throw LSU into the mix, but they seem bent on spending everything on coaching staffs. What are they, like three head coaches deep now on the payroll?

Anyway, the time in the sun, 2006-2022, is over now for the SEC. It was a magnificent run. It's over for now.

Spot on! I think most of the changes we’ve seen in the sport over the past 15 years was a direct response to the dominance of the SEC. Alabama’s dominance specifically drove every other fan base crazy. The year Bama and LSU played for the championship shifted everyone’s attention to a playoff system and how can we get other teams and conferences in the lime light. Transfer portal and even NIL has pulled the stock piled talent away from the SEC and leveled the playing field. And I’m actually okay with a level playing field when a school comes by it naturally and honestly with hard work and pedigree. What’s even the point of winning a national championship anymore if you bought your entire roster and outbid everyone else for the best players? Seems like it really cheapens the sport and the experience in my opinion.

 

[AlexanderFan]

Nail meets Head

There are hundreds and hundreds of players in the Portal.

*IF* we can’t go head to head with other schools in the Top 10 of NIL pockets then we better at least be better than the Teams 11-40

I mean we do have to field a full team next season and need not just starters but depth.

We seem to be trying to put all our eggs in one basket and are willing to just keep striking out.

If we aren’t trying to find some diamonds in the rough from the pool of 2-3 Star Players then that’s a problem.

People keep saying that CKD just doesn’t have the right players for the system.

There is no way on earth there aren’t guys under 4 stars who could be found to fit ‘His System’

They may not be Uber talented and they might not do everything well but maybe they fit and are coachable.

What is this staff even doing right now?

We look like we are planning on fielding a team with 80-90 scholarship level players of which 20+ are TF and then another 30 players who walked on.

There’s about a week left to turn this around but right now roster management is looking abysmal.

The portal closes for entrance, there will be “free agents” in the portal after that.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

That’s a pretty big accusation…how do you know this? Swings and misses don’t mean you’re not working…retaining your current roster doesn’t mean you’re not working…my goodness everyone back off the edge. We’re not the only team trying to navigate this crazy new world. It sucks, everyone has said they hate it, we get it…I hate it…I’m guessing that there are a handful in here that could do better than our staff??? Come on…

This staff is getting absolutely BODIED right now.

Real Time Rankings:



There are literally 60 Staffs doing a better job and 50 of those are working with less NIL funds.

 

[KrAzY3]

That’s a pretty big accusation…how do you know this? Swings and misses don’t mean you’re not working…retaining your current roster doesn’t mean you’re not working…

The issue is they should have room to sign over 20 more guys, and yet they're actually not very active in the portal. This is a team that lost 20 players via the portal! They have needs, but they're slow walking the portal additions, which to me is the opposite of what you should do if you have your list of evaluation finds, 3 stars, those sort of things. Those guys are waiting to be snatched up, so what is the staff waiting for?

There is absolutely no reason to wait to snatch up a hidden gem you found. So the fact that they're not leads one to conclude they didn't find them, which is not a good look. Couple this with the bad portal class last year and it starts to add up.

Edit: Even Clemson has more portal additions! Dabo, who famously hates the portal and doesn't want to use it has added more players via the portal!

 

[Con]

No. Last night the announcers highlighted a Duck (Can't recall who.) who was in the portal ... and still playing in that game.

It was #22 the running back. He looked pretty good too.

 

[Bpilktree]

So the backup RB decided to enter the portal just days before playing in a playoff game? College Football is dead.

No the 4th string running back entered the portal back in December along with 5th string running back. There number 1 guy was Whittington he got hurt in practice sometime this week. There number 2 guy Davidson broke his collarbone in the Texas Tech game. There number 3 guy Hill played some but he is more 3rd down back. Lamar the 4th stringer entered the portal before there playoffs started and left the team. The number 5 guy Harris is in the portal but stayed with the team and played last night getting the bulk of the attempts.

 

[RTR2u]

It should be obvious that our failure thus far in the TP, is either because of an underperforming coaching staff, but there is another possibility (outside of the money aspect) that is alarming. These players are not concerned with Alabama's football history or how great the perception of playing in the SEC is, they see that CNS has retired and his replacement is struggling to keep the ship afloat. The winds of change have realigned what you might call the current blue bloods and folks, Alabama ain't one of them. Alabama was never a truly CFB quality team this year and I have no idea of how or if we make it back.

I fear you might be correct, sir.

 

[Bpilktree]

No, the #3 guy, who played last night, is also in the portal already. he chose to play, but the #2 decided to bail.



Yep - there is less and less I like about this game as this era evolves.

Harris played was number 5 guy and is in portal. 1 Whittington and 2 Davidson got hurt in Texas Tech game and practice this week. Hill number 3 played and Lamar the 4 transferred and left team.

 

[CrimSonami]

This staff is getting absolutely BODIED right now.

Real Time Rankings:

View attachment 55123

There are literally 60 Staffs doing a better job and 50 of those are working with less NIL funds.

Honest questions that I don’t know the answer.

How do we know the in/out talent ratio is positive or negative?

Is our staff being outworked or not as hasty?

I’m not defending or condemning this staff but what choice do I have, as a fading sidewalk alumni fan, but to standby and hope we can somehow catch up in talent.

Coaching? I’m definitely in ”Standby” mode now.

 

[JustNeedMe81]

The issue is they should have room to sign over 20 more guys, and yet they're actually not very active in the portal. This is a team that lost 20 players via the portal! They have needs, but they're slow walking the portal additions, which to me is the opposite of what you should do if you have your list of evaluation finds, 3 stars, those sort of things. Those guys are waiting to be snatched up, so what is the staff waiting for?

There is absolutely no reason to wait to snatch up a hidden gem you found. So the fact that they're not leads one to conclude they didn't find them, which is not a good look. Couple this with the bad portal class last year and it starts to add up.

Edit: Even Clemson has more portal additions! Dabo, who famously hates the portal and doesn't want to use it has added more players via the portal!

I agree with the part about the staff slow playing portal candidates. They did that last year and got burned several times... and yet, at the beginning of the portal cycle, Bama looked like they were aggressive and then reverted back to slow playing and I'm pretty much fed up with it. Lot of people are pointing to Morgan and I suspect he's not the issue here. He can get the players to the campus... the coaching staff has to close on deals. But I can forgive them if they can pull off few moves in next few days.... and make coaching changes and then I'll give them Hight C plus grade for their efforts.. and that's me being nice.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

Honest questions that I don’t know the answer.

How do we know the in/out talent ratio is positive or negative?

Is our staff being outworked or not as hasty?

I’m not defending or condemning this staff but what choice do I have, as a fading sidewalk alumni fan, but to standby and hope we can somehow catch up in talent.

Coaching? I’m definitely in ”Standby” mode now.

That chart shows it.

The avg ranking of players leaving is higher than the avg incoming players so far.

 

[Special K]

For all of you saying "be patient", "let the process work itself out", "back off from the ledge", etc., I have one question: Can you name one piece of evidence, one past concrete action that gives you even a modicum of confidence that this staff is going to figure this out and salvage this portal effort?

I'm willing to trust if there's good basis for doing so. I'm just not seeing it.

 

[KrAzY3]

I agree with the part about the staff slow playing portal candidates. They did that last year and got burned several times... and yet, at the beginning of the portal cycle, Bama looked like they were aggressive and then reverted back to slow playing and I'm pretty much fed up with it. Lot of people are pointing to Morgan and I suspect he's not the issue here. He can get the players to the campus... the coaching staff has to close on deals. But I can forgive them if they can pull off few moves in next few days.... and make coaching changes and then I'll give them Hight C plus grade for their efforts.. and that's me being nice.

I really started out trying to be optimistic and not worry about the departures and just go yeah, if they have a plan this will go fine. And they did seem to come out with a plan and I wanted to believe.

But, the issue is I'm not sure there's a plan B. They had their target list, but they should have been executing the additions on two fronts. The high paid 4 star big need type additions, which in their defense they at least seemed to be trying to do.

Then the budget 3 star type moves that will sure up the positions. That's where it's lacking. Someone was critical that Dabo's 8 portal additions weren't highly rated. And? They're cheap, right? He wanted them for a reason, right? Why isn't Alabama doing that as well? Why are we living in a world where Dabo is snatching up more hidden gems in the portal? The longer this drags on the less of those players will be left, that's a day one portal move to me.

 

[Bama Shoals]

I get this feeling that this staff is getting out worked by many many other staffs in the portal.

Or outthought and outplanned. Seems like all of it.

 

[BamaMoon]

Cignetti built a very good program but he has also had some luck. I believe they had 4 starters on offensive line make every start and only used 6 guys all year. They were selected to be 5th in the Big Ten preseason poll this season and the biggest two questions they listed was a bump up in schedule and they lacked depth at many positions especially on the lines. Well if none of them get hurt you don’t need as much depth.

If I understand correctly, the RB that would've started for Oregon tonight entered the portal this week. The 1st RB is injured so #2 would've started.
Absolutely ridiculous. The portal should NOT open before the end of the season. Dump the conf championships and move the playoff games up

Last night either GM or SM said that Indy only played 13 guys on defense most of the time this year.

So they've had some incredible injury luck.

And while all of CC lower ranked players are not entering the portal, Oregon has running backs in the portal and not playing??? How messed up is that? That was definintely the reason for one of those fumbles that lead to an easy 7 for IU.

I'll tell you, this last night IU's QB threw several of those back shoulder passes that reminded me of AJM in the NC game against LSU in 2011 in NOLA. I'm not saying he's not a good QB, but he's been unconscious the last couple of games.

I think Indiana is just the confluence of several things that worked to their advantage. Whether it's CC evaluations, his inability to get 4-5 stars and having to settle with 2-3 stars that aren't ego-driven, to bringing 13 players over from JMU who know him and his ways.

It's almost like the universe lined up for them to go on this winning streak. And what's so strange is none of this may have happened without 1/8 inch of a toe being inbounds when they barely beat Penn State.

Sometimes, it is just your year!

 

[Bama Shoals]

Good grief!

Get a grip!

Judging an adult based on immature kids getting money thrown at them is totally unfair!

That’s his job snd he’s paid over s million a year! That’s the problem right there: low expectations for these jokers. Other programs have it already figured out but not this one. And we’re seeing the results on the field and in recruiting.

 

[BamaMoon]

Not a good look if Smothers indeed goes elsewhere.

Still not a wonderful look if he really does flip. But no individual win or loss should be looked at in a vacuum

Not a good/wonderful look???

It's all about the money and nothing to do with Bama. I can't remember more negativity from this board going all the way back to the Shula years!