I was looking at the portal rankings and 2025's top 10 players in the portal look really meh, IMO. Rivals is where I ill start, as the rankings are diffferent between them and 24/7's portal rankings.
Looking back at 2024, Caleb Downs, Cam Ward, Walter Nolen, Evan Stewart, Quinshon Judkins, Riley Leonard, and yes, Will Howard all joined top contenders to be the biggest difference-makers on the big stage.
So far this season's portal seems to be a mess of second-tier to second-tier transfers- A top 6 portal DE (Nwari) transferring from Missou to...Nebraska?
A WR transferring fron GaTech to Auburn?
Rearranging deck chairs from one sinking program to another.
As for 24/7, the top of the transfer board is full of WRs and IOL.
Duece Robinson, ranked 7th in the portal for 24/7, transferred fom one struggling program (USC) to another (FSU), I guess in putting in his credentials to the All "So What?" Transfer Portal First Team...
Then there's the absolutely nonsensical signings- Keeshawn Silver eschewed a chance to star at a program that was 3rd in the nation in rush D, and will lose it's two DTs to the first round of the draft, in order to join USC's 47th-ranked rush D, where the starting DT sat the season out in 2024.
Max Clare passed on being the next Colton Loveland or Gunnar Helm to fill the role of Gee Scott?
Two backup QBs joining Wisconsin to replace a similar QB.
Who knows? Post playoff, I 'll bet that more big names will appear in the portal, but right now, I have a hard time looking at any of these signings being huge influences on next season's playoff competiton.
Ole Miss and LSU, so far at the top of the portal this season, were also in the portal last season doing the same thing, and Texas Tech? Portal players may flock there, but that's as intruguing a destination, IMO as Minnesota, Nebraska or Wisconsin- Team we all know are not just a handful of portal players away from contention.
Looking back at 2024, Caleb Downs, Cam Ward, Walter Nolen, Evan Stewart, Quinshon Judkins, Riley Leonard, and yes, Will Howard all joined top contenders to be the biggest difference-makers on the big stage.
So far this season's portal seems to be a mess of second-tier to second-tier transfers- A top 6 portal DE (Nwari) transferring from Missou to...Nebraska?
A WR transferring fron GaTech to Auburn?
Rearranging deck chairs from one sinking program to another.
As for 24/7, the top of the transfer board is full of WRs and IOL.
Duece Robinson, ranked 7th in the portal for 24/7, transferred fom one struggling program (USC) to another (FSU), I guess in putting in his credentials to the All "So What?" Transfer Portal First Team...
Then there's the absolutely nonsensical signings- Keeshawn Silver eschewed a chance to star at a program that was 3rd in the nation in rush D, and will lose it's two DTs to the first round of the draft, in order to join USC's 47th-ranked rush D, where the starting DT sat the season out in 2024.
Max Clare passed on being the next Colton Loveland or Gunnar Helm to fill the role of Gee Scott?
Two backup QBs joining Wisconsin to replace a similar QB.
Who knows? Post playoff, I 'll bet that more big names will appear in the portal, but right now, I have a hard time looking at any of these signings being huge influences on next season's playoff competiton.
Ole Miss and LSU, so far at the top of the portal this season, were also in the portal last season doing the same thing, and Texas Tech? Portal players may flock there, but that's as intruguing a destination, IMO as Minnesota, Nebraska or Wisconsin- Team we all know are not just a handful of portal players away from contention.
