Analyzing how the transfer portal affects position battles during spring practice

The collegiate level has never looked more like the pro leagues with aspects, like name, image, and likeness or the transfer portal, available to their players. Those certainly come into play around this time of year too when they realize where they stand on the two-deep before the season.

On3’s Andy Staples asked Steve Wiltfong about that dynamic of portal movement on Thursday morning. He wanted to know how coaches have to assess and weight position battles, specifically in the spring, with the option to enter the portal there for the player who might be looking at the losing end of it.

“I think, in this new era especially, kind of figuring out where everybody fits? If you’re a coach – I wonder about this, Steve, when you talk to these players,” Staples wondered. “Can coaches – we know what they do with quarterbacks but I’m talking about more the other positions. Can coaches afford to try to string some of these competitions along through the summer? Or do they have to kind of make a decision at this point or guys are going to the portal?”

In Wiltfong’s answer, he thinks it’s fair to believe that depth-chart position and trajectory has much to do with who enters the portal in the spring. That’s especially so if a coach might be wanting to find a way to eventually open another roster spot.

“Well, it’s a good question. I think that, if kids generally know exactly where they are at on the depth chart and if that’s third-string? They might be looking for greener pastures right away,” Wiltfong said. “If they know that they’re in the mix for potential playing time in the fall, maybe they stick it out, fight it out, and then stick around and go on the team.”

“I think there are times where coaches want the player to know, ‘Hey, man, you’re third-string. You should probably get in the portal,'” said Wiltfong.

However, that leaves teams to essentially just trade players between each other who may only see a handful of snaps. None of them are quite at the level to fully contribute on a given roster. Still, it’s a way for programs to work around the edges and add depth where they feel that they need it.

“I was talking to an SEC head coach the other day that was, like, ‘I think we’re going to lose our third-string such and such in the portal’. They want to keep him for depth purposes but they don’t think they’re going to. So it’s like we’ve got to find that guy from someone else’s team that’s getting in the portal,” Wiltfong explained. “It’s like a trade. We’re just trading our third-string defensive whatever for your third-string defensive whatever. He’s not happy here, your guy’s not happy there. We just need someone to come in and play 12 snaps, man, and provide depth. If we get hurt, maybe they play more.”

That’s why, ahead of the opening of the spring portal window, Wiltfong doesn’t necessarily expect many major names to enter. It’ll be more for the average, common player who’s looking for his best opportunity to see the field elsewhere.

“There’s going to be all kinds of, like, little portal wrinkles going on,” said Wiltfong. “There might be some high-profile difference makers that get in. Like, we saw the kid from Oregon State. But I don’t necessarily know if this portal is going to be, this portal season is going to be what it’s built up to be, Andy, like it was following this past season.”