By Mark Pszonak
Some schools use the portal too much while others need to be more aggressive. Here are five that should’ve done a better job identifying their weaknesses during the offseason and used the portal to their advantage:
Michigan
I have mentioned this in other articles recently, but it should be a crime that Michigan didn’t add a transfer quarterback during last year’s winter window. They had to know that J.J. McCarthy was likely going to the NFL since everyone else knew and they had to know that the quarterbacks that would remain on the roster wouldn’t be good enough in 2024. But they, and specifically Jim Harbaugh, didn’t address the gaping hole and now Michigan is likely to have one of the worst post-National Championship seasons ever.
Clemson
This one is low hanging fruit. And I say this despite the Tigers currently being 6-1 and ranked #9. We are not that far removed from last season’s 9-4 finish (4-4 in the ACC) and the 34-3 throttling they received from Georgia in this season’s opener to disregard Clemson’s portal issues. The Tigers are a good team, but they could be even better if they plugged a few holes and added some depth through the transfer portal.
Iowa
Considering Iowa’s known offensive issues, especially in the passing game, the Hawkeyes should be doing more in the portal. They have added quarterbacks Cade McNamara (Michigan) and Brendan Sullivan (Northwestern) during the last two years, but that’s far from an aggressive approach. WR Jacob Gill (Northwestern) has been helpful this fall, but maybe adding a quarterback and wide receiver from offensively challenged Northwestern shouldn’t be a team’s go-to move in the portal.
Oklahoma State
While I believe that the Cowboys should be more active in the portal overall, they’re specifically on this list because of Alan Bowman, who ironically arrived as a transfer. Coming off a season that saw Bowman throw 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, Oklahoma State oddly believed that they didn’t need an upgrade. So, they stuck with Bowman, who currently has 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions, and the Cowboys are 3-4. Seasons can be won or lost in the offseason, and for Oklahoma State they lost theirs by their lack of action in the transfer portal.
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Auburn
Speaking of winning or losing a season in the offseason, I introduce you to Auburn. Very similar to Oklahoma State’s situation above, the Tigers decided to roll with Payton Thorne, who yes was a also transfer, for another season instead of hitting the portal. The result has the Tigers at 2-5 and likely missing a bowl while Thorne has passed for 1,414 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. This one is squarely on Hugh Freeze’s shoulders.
