College football’s 3 biggest winners in the transfer portal so far
By Ethan Lee
As the early signing period gets underway, here are three college football programs that have struck big in landing plenty of talent through the transfer portal.
One of the most incredible (or infuriating, depending on who you ask) aspects about college football in its current form is the transfer portal. This mythical machine is a tool by which college football programs can be overhauled overnight. A team can significantly improve in one offseason if the transfer portal is used correctly.
Of course, the transfer portal has its downsides. Players within your program can leave seemingly at a moment’s notice. So you better keep recruiting them, even after they’ve signed with your team and are enrolled at your school.
Teams that utilize the transfer portal well can become contenders within their conference. Or, if they aren’t effective in this space, teams could end up sacrificing the ability to develop players long-term and end up with a roster that lacks a consistent culture.
It’s hard to tell how things are going to play out long term, but right now, there are some teams that are shining when it comes to attracting talent. Here are three programs that have had incredible success through the transfer portal up to this point.
3 biggest transfer portal winners in college football so far
No. 3: TCU Horned Frogs
When Sonny Dykes was the head coach of the SMU Mustangs, he helped boost his team’s ability to win by utilizing a solid mix of transfer talent at key positions. As a result, his offenses improved and he got a great opportunity to move across the DFW Metroplex to a more prominent job.
Now Dykes is looking to boost his current team’s ability to win in the Big 12 and continue to contend on a high level moving forward.
So far, TCU has only landed four players in their transfer portal pursuits, but they are four very notable players and all are moving to Fort Worth from prominent Southeastern Conference teams.
From the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Horned Frogs poached JoJo Earle, a talented wide receiver, and Tommy Brockermeyer, a stout offensive tackle. From the LSU Tigers, TCU took Jack Bech, a 3-star tight end. And finally, from the Florida Gators, TCU claimed Avery Helm, a 4-star cornerback.
Add in the fact that, so far, TCU has only lost one player to the portal and things are looking good for the folks in Fort Worth right now.