Week 1 of college football sent a clear, loud message about the transfer portal
Sometimes the truth is subtle and complicated, and it takes a long time to discover it as it evolves. Other times, the truth hits you in the face, right between the eyes, with the force of a hurricane.
Week 1 of the 2023 college football season was not subtle in conveying central, foundational messages about the nature of the business and the necessary aspects of the modern coach’s job description.
Clemson was on top of the world in 2018. The Tigers had won their second national championship in three seasons. Deshaun Watson gave way to Trevor Lawrence and the championships just kept coming. Clemson made the national championship game in three of the past four seasons and returned one more time under Lawrence a year later in 2019. Dabo Swinney was able to win big — very big — with home-grown recruits.
However, what began to change at that time in college football was the transfer portal and the liberalized transfer rules in the sport. Then came COVID-19 and the extra year of COVID eligibility which led to players not only taking the extra year offered to them, but wanting to make use of it by trying out different schools, different coaches, and getting different voices and perspectives before going into the NFL draft.
College football has changed a lot in the five years since Clemson ruled the roost. Dabo Swinney has not embraced the transfer portal. He has made no secret of his hatred for it. Monday night, Clemson did not have the talent needed to defeat Duke and coach Mike Elko, who is developing something special with the Blue Devils. Clemson lost as a 12-point favorite and will be a heavy underdog to Florida State on September 23. The Tigers are in huge trouble. If they lose that game, their season is basically done. They will have two conference losses and will be out of the College Football Playoff.
There are lessons here. Let’s look at the transfer portal message sent in Week 1 of the college football season, along with other highlights of the first full-scale weekend of the 2023 campaign:
CLEMSON LOOKED WEAK AND IMPOTENT AGAINST DUKE'S DEFENSE
Clemson scored just seven points against Duke. Yes, the Tigers squandered several first-and-goal situations, but they couldn’t simply line up and overpower Duke, which has a very stout and physical defense. Moreover, the one Clemson touchdown was the result of a Duke muffed punt which gave the Tigers a drive start at the Duke 18.
Clemson receivers could not get open deep against Duke cornerbacks. Clemson simply did not possess or demonstrate high-end athleticism to separate from its opponent. This is what it looks like when a coach doesn’t go to the portal to get elite reinforcements.
For Clemson news and coverage, visit Clemson Wire.
CADE KLUBNIK
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, though not terrible against Duke, committed a key fumble inside the 10-yard line and was not the difference-making star Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence were for Dabo. When you look at other teams, such as Deion Sanders’ Colorado and Lincoln Riley’s USC, you see transfer quarterbacks (Shedeur Sanders and Caleb Williams) playing at an elite level. Dabo’s refusal to upgrade via the portal really shows up there.
PAC-12 HEISMAN QUARTERBACKS
All the main Heisman-contending quarterbacks in the Pac-12 are transfers: Michael Penix of Washington and Bo Nix of Oregon join Shedeur Sanders and Caleb Williams as elite talents presiding over explosive offenses. If the coaches at those schools didn’t use the portal, they would not have such elite offenses right now. Dabo is being left behind in college football due to his failure to use the portal.
D.J. UIAGALELEI
Yes, it is only San Jose State and not Washington or Oregon, but D.J. Uiagalelei looked good as Oregon State’s quarterback. Moreover, the Oregon State offensive line is so good that D.J. is likely to get very good pass protection in Jonathan Smith’s offense. Uiagalelei’s transfer to OSU looks like a great decision, all while Clemson suffers. The move also shows that Oregon State was willing to look outside the recruiting trail for a much-needed quarterback upgrade.
GARRETT RILEY
Garrett Riley led TCU to the national championship game last year, but Max Duggan was an elite college quarterback, the Heisman runner-up to Caleb Williams. Cade Klubnik is no Max Duggan. Dabo Swinney made what was, on paper, a great hire when he brought aboard Riley, but not using the transfer portal to give Riley an elite quarterback has come back to bite Dabo. Upgrading the coaching staff is simply not enough. Upgrading through the portal is necessary, not optional.
MIKE NORVELL AT FLORIDA STATE
Mike Norvell loaded up in the portal. The Jared Verse pickup from Albany has been a hugely transformative development for Florida State’s defense. Getting Keon Coleman from Michigan State has been a major source of improvement for the passing game. Norvell has grabbed stacks of difference-making players in the portal, the exact opposite of Dabo’s stubbornness.
You saw an enormous gulf between FSU and Clemson in terms of talent and quality in Week 1. These teams meet in two and a half weeks. FSU holds all the cards and will be expected to win handily.
LINCOLN RILEY
Lincoln Riley has made no secret of his need to use the transfer portal. Riley immediately transformed the USC roster in 2022, and he updated it in 2023. Where would USC be without a vigorous approach to the portal?
In the dumpster, most likely. Using the portal is a requirement, not an option, for the modern college football coach.
OTHER BIG LESSONS FROM WEEK 1
South Carolina beat Tennessee and Clemson late last season, creating hopes that the Gamecocks could be special this year. They ran into a tougher, better North Carolina team in the season opener. The difference: South Carolina’s offensive line was flattened by North Carolina’s defensive front. Line play emerged as the obvious and central point of differentiation between the two teams.
For North Carolina news and coverage, visit Tar Heels Wire.
GOOD TEAMS PUNISH MISTAKES
Good teams such as Florida State punish mistakes. LSU missed two fourth-down conversions in the first half against Florida State and failed to finish drives. A dropped pass in the third quarter blunted a promising drive. LSU failed to establish a significant scoreboard advantage. Florida State then pounced in the second half and delivered a knockout punch.
Duke then pounced on Clemson’s mistakes in its big second half against the Tigers on Monday. LSU and Clemson both realized that quality opponents won’t fail to capitalize on key miscues.
For LSU news and coverage, visit LSU Tigers Wire.
BIG 12 FRAILTY
It’s only one game, but Baylor, TCU, and Texas Tech were all favored by at least 14 points and lost. That’s a really, really bad opening week for the Big 12. Texas and Oklahoma are leaving for the SEC next year. Where’s the elite national program going to come from?
PAC-12 PERFECTION
The Pac-12 is 13-0. The big dogs are good, but Oregon State and Colorado also look really good. The conference was expected to be very strong in 2023, but it might actually have been undersold. This could be a tougher conference than most thought.
DYNAMIC DEION
Deion Sanders’ instant transformation of Colorado now makes those early-season CU games against Oregon and USC much more interesting and important. It will be fascinating to see how the Buffaloes hold up in those games, and if the balance of power in the Pac-12 changes as a result.
For Colorado news and coverage, visit Buffaloes Wire.
BIG TEN WAIT AND SEE
Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State all won comfortably in Week 1 against weak opponents, but none scored more than 38 points and did not look great offensively. It’s just one week, but these offenses have a lot of work to do.
For coverage of the Big Ten’s top teams, visit Wolverines Wire, Buckeyes Wire, and Nittany Lions Wire.
STANFORD AND CAL LOOK GOOD
Stanford and Cal won easily on the road. They might not be good teams this year, but they looked good in Week 1, and they might pose more of a challenge to USC (and other Pac-12 teams) than expected.
USC faces Stanford this coming Saturday night.
