It is the Spring College Football Transfer Portal that opens on Tuesday, April 16.
Many teams will lose players and gain players.
But no position will be more affected by the NCAA’s wild wild west show than quarterback – undeniably the most important position in football.
NIGHTMARE SCENARIO Historically, most teams typically have four scholarship signal callers, preferably in different scholastic classes.
Mack just arrived in Tuscaloosa, which is no slam dunk of 100% allegiance to stick around until fall (Kadyn Proctor anyone?).
If one or two of the Tide quarterbacks leave, Alabama can just go into the portal for a replacement.
The College Football Spring Transfer Portal opens for 15 days from Tuesday, April 16 and closes again on Tuesday, April 30.
Players can enter the TP, but do not have to decide on their destination within those two weeks.
Stormy weather is on its way. Is it visible to anyone? Tuesday, April 16 is the opening day for the Spring College Football Transfer Portal. Both player acquisitions and losses will occur for many teams. However, no position—quickly the most important position in football—will be more impacted by the NCAA’s wild, wild west show than quarterback.
A NIGHTMARE SCENERY.
Four scholarship signal callers, ideally from different academic classes, have historically been the norm for most teams. There is RS-Jr. in Alabama. Milroe Jalen, RS-Soph. Ty Simpson, RSR-Fr. Lonergan, Dylan, and RS-Fr. Austin Mack.
Not that Milroe is disappearing. As Mack recently moved to Tuscaloosa, it’s not a given that he’ll stay until fall (Kadyn Proctor anyone?). Big questions surround Simpson and Lonergan. One or the other could be lost by the Crimson Tide. In the event that the latter happens, Bama will be forced to rely on a redshirt freshman who hasn’t played a snap for the team after just one clumsy landing by the starter. If lightning struck twice, the walk-on Cade Carruth would lead the Crimson Tide. No one ever thought he would snap a football until the final seconds of the November cupcake game before his senior year’s Iron Bowl.
A . is patience. FELINE?
Imagine that you are Simpson and Lonergan. With two seasons remaining after 2024, Simpson will begin his third at the Capstone as a backup. After this season, Lonergan will have three more campaigns left. This is his second. These two young men could likely leave today and start at quarterback for many other FBS teams. Is it time to move on to a more environmentally friendly program but be a starter, or do they want to sit this one out for another year, saving their spots for the most exceptional bluebloods?
Several scenarios involving Milroe could occur this season: 1) He has an incredible year and cannot resist the NFL’s siren call; 2) He has a mediocre year and chooses to return for one more season to improve; and 3) He burns out and is replaced at quarterback this season. What action would you take if you were Simpson or Lonergan?
It’s also important to take into account Lonergan’s exceptional baseball prospect status. He may decide to give up on the sport entirely.
Apparently, BAMA can simply move someone in!
Alabama can simply search the portal for a replacement quarterback if one or both of the Tide quarterbacks depart. This is a reasonable statement for any other stance, am I right? One field general at a time, though, is all a football team can play. Anyone entering would have to be aware that in 2024, he will probably enter as a reserve. In the FBS, very few quarterbacks could replace Milroe at fall camp. What would motivate them to leave their current school and face an incumbent quarterback who received the sixth-most votes in the 2023 Heisman Trophy voting?
Thus, a backup would be sought after. A candidate like that would most likely be someone akin to a FCS or non-Power program starter. There’s an appeal to donning the crimson and white, winning, and taking home rings; would the Kent State starter want to come in and sit on the bench in T-town? However, how can one go from being a big fish in a small pond to a small fish in an ocean? Another scenario is that a starting quarterback of quality sits behind a younger player, who might prefer to learn from Kalen DeBoer at Alabama rather than behind a freshman like Dylan Raiola at Nebraska. Or perhaps Alabaster, Tennessee, native Conner Harrell of North Carolina wishes to return home?
Tick. Tick. Tick.
And so the anticipation starts.
On Tuesday, April 16, the College Football Spring Transfer Portal opens for 15 days and closes once more on Tuesday, April 30. Participants are not required to choose their destination within those two weeks in order to enter the TP. By May 1, graduate transfers need to be entered into the portal.
