The transfer portal has transformed college football's off-season into full-blown free agency and the door swings both ways. While we can debate the merits of the portal and its positive or negative effects on the sport, it's the reality of the moment and it's here to stay. Auburn has seen a steady stream of players leave the Plains the last few years mostly due to the coaching change from Malzahn to Harsin. A handful have gone on to have meaningful success at other major programs, but the majority have drifted into anonymity at lesser and lower-level schools. To be honest, there are no teams immune from this sort of attrition no matter how successful, but obviously toxic situations suffer the most. As many players as the Tigers lost, they actually brought in 18 (combined) from the portal in 2021 and 2022. Quite a few of those have been major contributors like WR Demetris Robertson, DT Marcus Harris, S Donovan Kaufman, DE Eku Leota, WR Koy More, CB DJ James and DT Jayson Jones just to name a few. These were all singular pieces that complemented the whole and predominantly provided quality depth at a position. Hugh Freeze has, as of now, signed 12 players through the portal for 2023 and I expect him to sign a couple more at least.
The transfer portal has become such an important part of recruiting, it has its own ranking. The Tigers’ portal class is ranked No. 4 in the country at the moment. It consists of four defensive lineman, three offensive linemen, two linebackers, one running back, one wide receiver, one tight end and a partridge in a pear tree. SEC football games are won and lost on the lines of scrimmage. Unfortunately, that was where the Tigers were hit the hardest, losing seven offensive lineman and seven defensive lineman to graduation and the NFL Draft. The portal is a wonderful tool to find a missing piece or two that can be plugged in immediately and have great success. In Auburn's case, it can also be very beneficial in jumpstarting a rebuilding project. Ideally, bringing in younger players that can be developed and have several years of production is far more beneficial than a one-year rental. However, necessity demands appropriate action and the Tigers had several major holes to fill.
