The Portal Is Out of Control — and Auburn Is the Poster Child

I’m not mad at the kids. I want to make that clear. I’m mad at the system that enables this mess.

Go look at the Auburn transfer list — it’s a scroll, not a list. Starters, backups, walk-ons, blue chips, freshmen, veterans. All gone. For most of them, it wasn’t about a bad fit or being buried on the depth chart. It was just… easy. Too easy.

And this isn’t unique to Auburn — we’re just the latest case study in how badly the portal is broken.

You get a locker, a couple NIL tweets, a bad day in practice, and suddenly you’re “taking your talents elsewhere.” No sit-out. No accountability. No reason to think twice. You just hit “enter” and disappear.

If that sounds like “free agency,” that’s because it is. Only difference? In the NFL, there’s a salary cap and contracts. In college? It’s the Wild West with hashtags.

It didn’t used to be this way.

You wanted to leave? You sat a year. That pause forced you to think — really think — about whether the grass was greener or if you just didn’t want to fight for your spot. That one year taught a lot of kids how to stick it out, work through something, and come out better. Now? There’s no friction. Just exits.

And don’t start with the coach argument — “Coaches can leave, so players should too.” Coaches are professionals. Players are developing. This is supposed to be where they grow, not where they run at the first sign of adversity.

So here’s what I’d do:

You get one transfer during undergrad. You use it? Fine. But you sit a year. Period. No medical hardship loopholes. No coaching change excuses. You sit. You miss games. You lose that year of eligibility. Because if you’re really about “what’s best for me,” then prove it. Bet on yourself and take the hit.

Graduate transfers? That’s different. You got your degree? Go wherever you want. You earned that freedom. You stuck it out. You did the work. No penalty.

Bruce Pearl said it best — we’re teaching kids to flee, not fight. And I’m telling you right now: that’s not helping anybody. It’s not developing character. It’s not preparing them for life. It’s just teaching them to quit.

And look — I’m not just some old man yelling at clouds. I’m watching my team get gutted. I’m watching Cam Coleman walk out the door with guys he committed with. I’m watching the future get dumped like yesterday’s depth chart. You think that’s good for culture? For fan loyalty? For college football?

It’s not.

We have to draw a line somewhere. And that line should start with accountability. You can leave. You can make business decisions. But don’t expect them to be painless. Real growth requires a cost. Otherwise, it’s just movement — not progress.

Right now? We’re not developing players. We’re just cycling them through a revolving door, hoping they land somewhere long enough to matter.

We’ve made quitting the easiest option.

And college football is worse because of it.