Link: 2026 Transfer Portal

I remember people saying the same during the DuBose, Shula years. Not so much during the Saban run.
Nick did his own scouting. He was after the top players in high school, which we are still doing. But the portal is quite different. Way too many players to keep tabs on so these services just populate the profiles with what they know...outdated information. Lot of good, overlooked players out there that can make a difference in your program.
 
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I've been turning over in my head how to try to handle both the portal and recruiting and how to balance that. At one point I thought it would be important to stash some in-state 3 star type kids as developmental projects on the roster, but I'm not sure that's necessary.

The state of Alabama will have four non-power conference FBS teams. UAB, Troy, South Alabama and Jacksonville State. That's way too many, but it could be used to Alabama's advantage. If Alabama can develop good relationships with those staffs, things can go from an antagonistic, tampering type situation to more of a minor league structure.

In the minor leagues, despite a team losing one of their best players, elevation to the big leagues is celebrated. This is because the minor league team is a part of the process. If Alabama could start cooperating and sharing information with programs such as those, they could actually start steering raw talent in need of development/playing time towards those teams. Likewise, once they get ready to hit the portal, they could be steered to Alabama. It could go the other way, for instance Roq went to Western Kentucky, if Alabama took guys like that and instead of pushing them out and said there's a chance for you to play right away here, it changes the dynamic a bit.

Of course rules have to be followed and what not, but cooperation with other staffs would make the entire process so much less messy and it's a strategy I've employed in competitive video games with guilds. I would have allied guilds, I'd have places I sent people that were not quite up to par, and other places I would add people from that were, all maintaining good relationships. The truth is I was the one benefiting the most, but people appreciated it far more when I included them in the process. While it's not the same, I did employ it to reach the top in a game with something like 100,000 players so it's not entirely dissimilar.
This is exactly the model that major D1's had with JUCO programs for decades. Joe Smith who is academically unqualified (remember when that was a thing, now kids are leaving HS after their Junior year) wants to go to UA. UA sends kid to Jones CC and the deal is as long as you get him qualified and back signed with us, we will send you Tommy Thornton and Johnny Mansell next year. You scratch our back, we will scratch yours...
 
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This is exactly the model that major D1's had with JUCO programs for decades. Joe Smith who is academically unqualified (remember when that was a thing, now kids are leaving HS after their Junior year) wants to go to UA. UA sends kid to Jones CC and the deal is as long as you get him qualified and back signed with us, we will send you Tommy Thornton and Johnny Mansell next year. You scratch our back, we will scratch yours...
So again, is APR still a thing...?🤔
 
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They have the Raising Cane's guy, Todd Graves, as a major booster. He's now a billionaire. They are one of the high dollar teams for sure.
The funny thing about Graves is he is a UGA alumni. He got his start in the business at Guthrie's Athens, GA location. He did a business plan that outlined to the tee what he's doing currently doing at Cane's and the professor in the business class he was in at UGA gave him an F. How's that for KARMA?
 
The funny thing about Graves is he is a UGA alumni. He got his start in the business at Guthrie's Athens, GA location. He did a business plan that outlined to the tee what he's doing currently doing at Cane's and the professor in the business class he was in at UGA gave him an F. How's that for KARMA?
Sounds like the Fred Smith story
The professor was probably thinking; "brilliant , just what the world needs, another chicken joint"
 
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The funny thing about Graves is he is a UGA alumni. He got his start in the business at Guthrie's Athens, GA location. He did a business plan that outlined to the tee what he's doing currently doing at Cane's and the professor in the business class he was in at UGA gave him an F. How's that for KARMA?
Yeah, we live down here now and he's all over the place in media. He was born in NOLA and raised in Baton Rouge. His story is very interesting but he's all in on LSU. They also have several lawyer sharks who make a lot of money who are all in as well.
 
Here is the current 2026 College Football Team Transfer Portal Rankings, per on3:


Is there another/better source for the rankings?
Based on that, it looks like we have no idea what we are doing with the portal. A lot going out, but not much coming in. I hope that means we're confident in what we have in place, because that report is really an ugly look in "modern" college football.
 

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