Bob Asmussen | Portal world means different strokes for different folks

Jan. 9—The numbers are shocking. And yet, not so much.

The Louisville and Indiana football teams have 22 transfer commitments.

Makes some sense for Indiana, which is under new management after the firing of Tom Allen. New coach Curt Cignetti is trying the quick-fix approach, landing players mostly from the Group of Five.

Of course, Cignetti has also raided his old school James Madison, with 10 of the Dukes moving to Bloomington, Ind. Not for basketball.

Louisville's roster turnover is more of a puzzler. The Cardinals advanced to the ACC title game in Jeff Brohm's first season as coach.

You wouldn't think the need for change is as great in Louisville. But Brohm is always going to look to upgrade with the idea of returning to the ACC final in 2024.

To that end, Brohm added a pair of guys who give the Cardinals a fighting chance on offense. Toledo running back Peny Boone is moving to Louisville after a monster season with the Rockets. He ran for 1,400 yards with 15 touchdowns.

Louisville nabbed quarterback Tyler Shough, a two-time transfer who started his career at Oregon and later played at Texas Tech. Brohm will find a way to tap into all his potential.

Arizona State, which has a second-year coach Kenny Dillingham, also has 22 transfer commits. The Sun Devils are moving to the Big 12 and need an infusion of talent. Five years ago, Dillingham might have been looking at a multi-season rebuild.

Now, he can do it in a year ... if he picks the right guys.

Major gainsRecruiting class rankings have been a part of college football's offseason for decades.

Today, there is another list to consider: the portal rankings.

The three teams at the top shouldn't be a surprise. Mississippi is led by Lane Kiffin, who has often used the coaching portal to skip from job to job. Kiffin is "settled" in Oxford, Miss., and has been able to lure 12 talented transfers to the SEC. Most are on defense, including former Illinois cornerback Taz Nicholson.

Mississippi is coming off a highly successful season. The team will be in The News-Gazette's final Top 10 for the season. As long as Kiffin is in charge, Mississippi has a chance.

The two other schools at the top of the 247 Sports rankings are Colorado and Texas A&M.

Deion Sanders had the Buffs rolling at the start of the year before injuries and a nasty Pac-12 schedule caught up to them. Colorado is going back to a familiar league, rejoining the Big 12 after the Pac-12 was dismantled.

New Texas A&M coach Mike Elko has 19 transfers on the way ... so far.

A&M has some advantages when it comes to luring players, starting with a robust name, image and likeness program.

Go down the list of transfer portal class rankings and you find Illinois at No. 43.

Bret Bielema has five commitments so far in tight end Cole Rusk (Murray State) defensive lineman Anthony Johnson (Youngstown State) defensive lineman Enyce Sledge (Auburn) offensive lineman Kevin Wigenton (Michigan State) and offensive lineman JC Davis (New Mexico), while losing eight transfers.

Bielema uses the portal to fill gaps. Four of his five additions are on defense, where the team needs reinforcements. Impossible to replace Johnny Newton with one player from the portal. But two new guys get him closer.

Transfers have played quarterback for the Illini the last six seasons, with Luke Altmyer and John Paddock in 2023, Tommy Devito in 2022, Brandon Peters from 2019-21 and AJ Bush Jr in 2018.

Altmyer is a lock to return as starter and there likely won't be a portal addition at the position like last year, when Paddock came from Ball State. The most vital addition is Rusk, an FCS All-American at Murray State. He will step in for Tip Reiman, who was a popular target in the red zone and will try to hear his name called in the NFL draft in late April.

Rusk, a Rock Island native, started his college career at Eastern Michigan before transferring to Murray State.

Bielema might not be done with the portal. He keeps his scholarship numbers private and likely has room if the right player becomes available.

Unlike some programs, Bielema has not become reliant on the portal from year to year. It is the right way to go for his team.

The problem with the portal in many cases is the players usually have limited eligibility. Not the way to build a consistent winner.

The part of the equation Bielema understands better than his cohorts is the importance of player retention. The players seem to genuinely care about the coach and his staff. That's a good thing.

Especially when the transfer portal takes up so much of the college football discussion.

Bob Asmussen can be reached at 217-393-8248 or by email at asmussen@news-gazette.com.