'25 (in-season) - '26 CFB Portal Thread
- Thread starter Tom McAndrew
- Start date
I think the “moneyball” conversation needs to have conclusions that are held loosely until we start seeing how this staff handles their first full high school recruiting class with greater level of resources than they’ve ever had—that will remain the lifeblood of this program.
I get the early sense that they might appear to play moneyball at certain positions at times while at other positions they will be willing to spend more.
I keep going back to what Rocco Becht said when he committed: something has changed in Campbell since he arrived at PSU, and Becht said this in context of the greater levels of resources and backing he now has to truly do what he wants to do. So, let’s see how they run things over time.
I get the early sense that they might appear to play moneyball at certain positions at times while at other positions they will be willing to spend more.
I keep going back to what Rocco Becht said when he committed: something has changed in Campbell since he arrived at PSU, and Becht said this in context of the greater levels of resources and backing he now has to truly do what he wants to do. So, let’s see how they run things over time.
Recruiting will take 2nd fiddle, Indiana has proved it out, There is no need to throw tons of money at some 7on7 High schooler when that guy will probably portal out the next year if he doesn't like his situation.
Players entering their 3-4th year will be prizes to be had. ironically HighSchoolers thought they hit the jackpot when NIL has come into play thinking "they's gonna get paid" (yes some still will) but it wont be as many as they and their parents thought . I think this system will normalize to valuing experience is more important than HS star ratings ..... I would short recruiting services or their parent companies
Did you check the resume of the incoming players? Bc, Syracuse, ISU, wvu, Colorado, UCLA,. Anyone from a playoff team?
another dumb take
check out last years 25th ranked incoming portal class maybe 1-2 players from recognized teams and one with a significant impact
amazes me that you think you need to have 25 studs on a team you ever play team sports ?
and too add not a playoff team
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I agree with this to a degree, but also remember guys are so cautious due to targeting, they’re afraid to tackle. Also, tackling form has been changed and you can’t just fly in trying to kill the other guy. The game has changed and that has changed tackling and other fundamentals.
So any team that doesn’t make the playoffs has no talent available…got it. We didnt make the playoffs, so we shouldn’t keep any of our guys.
“Please respect all of my decisions”
Actually I'm waiting for him to hype up Lance Lonergan (does he even know who that is) as the best option to portal if it existed then since being on championship team automatically anoints you as a stud player.. no offense to Lance of course
Dude, most of the transfers coming from playoff teams are backups demanding oodles of money. Why? The starters on those teams are staying and the backups think they’re worth more than they are because of their high school recruiting ranking.
I’m glad you’re not in charge because you’d go out and spend $1 million+ on a guy that’s likely to be an unhappy backup again.
There is some merit to this for sure. But that doesn’t explain the failure to wrap when tacklers aren’t hitting someone in the head.
No unlike you I actually watched those games. Why doesn’t Your Highness explain to me why Indiana’s team is so fundamentally sound?
What games do you think you watched that I didn't. Football in the 60s?
They aren't. Indiana misses tackles, Indiana has procedural penalties, Indiana has drops....like everyone. They are well coached and they limit mistakes. Next you'll be telling me Penn State didn't miss any tackles in 82 or 86
OBVIOUSLY., paying
student-athletes () has been good for “college“ football (
So good for "student-athletes" and "college football" that the universities are internationally lying and representing to the court system that these player contracts are merely payments for their "endorsement and promotion" of the University and not "pay for play" employment contracts making them professional football players and allowing the universities to continue their charade that NCAA FBS Football is an amateur extracurricular sports league sponsored, and operated, by the universities and their Sports Conferences. Again, so good for "college" football, the university elites have made a mockery of telling the truth to the court system under oath - such fine examples for the students they are supposedly "educating".
Never said players didn’t miss tackles years ago. What I said was that the lack of tackling fundamentals is far worse today than in the past. By the way, what does procedural penalties and dropped passes have to do with tackling? Geez.
In my best Allan Iverson voice, "We talkin Charlotte!" Charlotte? We talkin Charlotte!"
This is ridiculous. You don't have an argument (per usual) so you change it. Now you're saying on tackling has changed...which is you understood the rule changes you'd comprehend why
I get it, but former 5 Star to Charlotte???? At least a few or our formers to Temple.
Oh and looking at their record, he should play there! Lost to Temple 49-14 and were 0-8 in Conference...yeesh
Respectfully, I do not think what Cignetti is doing is going to fundamentally change Campbell's process. This year, and possibly extending to next year, will be the aberration for Campbell's hyper usage of the portal, not the norm. Matt Campbell is the type of coach who invests in relationships and relishes in the process of building a program from the ground up. It is why he took a really long time to finally leave a very difficult place to win at. It is why he is taking more of his old program's players—players he recruited—than any other coach. Expect the norm to prioritize high school recruiting with the supplement of productive portal players each year. What I think will be similar to Cignetti is how Campbell's staff will prefer production over potential in the players they target in their evaluation process—both in high school and in the portal.
Here is how Campbell addressed the issue in his introductory PSU press conference:
this didnt age well
Why Penn State’s former 5-star recruit is staying patient in the transfer portal era
Former five-star recruit and Wyomissing standout J'ven Williams is trusting the process at Penn State.
www.pennlive.com
Perfect!!! Would love watching Beau putting a beat down on BGJ's VT squad.
Ok you can go that route wont be successful with that strategy point being thats how every school has tried to do it from day one pre portal
post portal the playing board and rules have changed
1) this fanbase gonna wait around 6 years for MC to develop his next classes to stud seniors and see what shakes out? PSU own AD said he wants to win now, you don't do that developing players for 4 years MC has 6-7 years to get it done else we move on.
2)He's taking his old programs players because he has to, not only because of lack of roster but also the new place is unfamiliar he needs familiarity to keep the hounds at bay
As much as we want to see him retain and develop players his players will be no more different and portal out like any other school, especially if they are still snot dribbling high schoolers looking for paydays because of either of their entitled upbringing or their parents wishes
Systems either change or die and Coaches and Fans views will have to as well.
Your explanation of how MC operates will be successful if there is actual skin in the game for players as in contracts come to fruition and are enforced. Else any player can say F'off I want better. to invoke Moneyball
I don't see much difference between Temple and Charlotte. Both are in the AAC. Remember Tim Albin had a ton of success at Ohio and is rebuilding Charlotte.
He can go to Charlotte for a year, dominate hopefully then have his pick of schools. It's a calculated risk
I think you may be advocating for a specific approach on how to use the portal while I'm just describing what Campbell is likely to do based on his own words and previous practice. Pat Kraft also said this year that "recruiting will always be a pillar here." We will see what works over time.
Again--both in the same conference. Both finished under 500. Temple was better last year but that means nothing going into 2026
Not directing this at you, just adding on to your post. I feel issue is not “expectations” but rather some will have “unrealistic expectations”. Even if say team goes 8-4 next season and 9-3 next, there will be a level of impatience from some. I’m sure some will already be calling for change because they are {insert here}.
You really need to look in the mirror and get over the fact that you are frequently wrong but never in doubly. I consistently said that tackling fundamentals are worse today than years ago not that players years ago never missed tackles. YOU are the one who consistently changes the argument when you lose such as when you make the idiotic claim that procedural penalties and dropped passes somehow are relevant to tackling fundamentals. My God.
Not sure it is up to Coach Campbell - you act as if this is a static, and not dynamic, environment. College football no longer exists - it has been professionalized. The Free Agent market continues to morph and has clearly become the most important element of success in today's Professional Minor-League Football with Universities names on the jersies (just take a look at the starting lineups of the Playoff Finals [i.e., the Pro Minor-League Super Bowl - I guess we could call it the Minor Bowl] - the vast majority of their starting lineups were signed in the Free Agent market).
Coach Campbell unfortunately needs to adjust to the environment to succeed - the opposite is not happening (i.e., moving the clock back to yesteryear where recruiting true amateur highschoolers to true collegiate football teams is not happening).
Let's assume that 1,000 kids were involuntary portals, that leaves 3,000 looking for a new home and more playing time and/or more money. It seems like many of them have"agents".
Who are these agents? Lawyers? Parents? Hustlers?
There must be 100s of them.
In reply to the dumb take that PSU players leaving were not that good based on their record. Does Blair10s logic apply to incoming players too? His take, not mine.