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Transfer Cycle 2025-2026 - Eloi! Eloi, lama sabachthani!

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Seems like there might be a resetting of the market happening for kids that are depth/development pieces. Makes sense to me from a school perspective. I’m all for these kids getting paid but at this point it’s obvious their expectations have become unrealistic. Has to be reined back in some how. We’ve lost a lot but I don’t think we’ve lost a true difference maker or any one whose production can’t be replaced. This has only become concerning because our approach acquiring players appears to very wrong.

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4 minutes ago, SarksJuggs said:

Needs to be a rule that unless there’s a coaching change, true freshman are not eligible to transfer without sitting a year.

there's no one to make and enforce such a rule

7 minutes ago, TonyTexas said:

I believe Sark talked about this in the presser that they may carry less players on the roster. In a time where every player thinks they deserve money and playing time, it's not realistic to manage 85 kids let alone 105. I wonder how much of this is them trimming the fat and going to a 65-70 roster. From a financial stand point, it makes no sense to pay a 4-5 star 3rd stringer that is going to transfer after 1 year. I could see a shift at going atter 15 HS recruits and being selective with who they bring and pay and filling the rest of the 2 deep with portal guys that are ready to contribute and have had 1-2 years in a college football strength and conditioning program

Per CJ on OTF:

"On top of portal hunting, Sarkisian is also set to adjust members of staff behind the scenes. This currently is not in reference to on field coaches, but does not eliminate them from future moves."

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16 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

For what it's worth, the staff had already labeled Ffrench as an evaluation bust, and a bad investment. This is likely them happily cutting bait. No one should cry over this one.

Lockett is who I want to keep. He has flashed, and has the potential to be what they're looking to purchase in Coleman. Sark needs to open his receiver rotations more to players like him, IMO. They can't develop and getting snaps makes them less likely to defect to the portal.

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2 hours ago, LCHorn said:

I don't know why this keeps getting repeated without a healthy dose of skepticism.

It seems far more likely those two schools, in particular, had the ability to match whatever we put on the table and the players got the financial commitment they wanted at their top choice.

This whole "they took less money elsewhere" excuse repeated by OTF smells like something Liucci would say.

2 hours ago, Vito Andolini said:

@RGBIII has been privy to some of the negotiations and may or may not provide more insight

2 hours ago, LCHorn said:

Do you imagine our communications conclude with "you're going to take less money to stay with Michigan? Okay then."

Again, it might be they did, but having this occur across multiple prospects at different schools in a 48-72 hour period?

I've been in a sales for 20 years, and I lose or win deals from time to time that aren't about money, but it's the exception. I have a hard time believing there isn't some opacity with what's being offered by the other schools.

I am not infallible by any means, but when you hear the same numbers from the same people, unrelated, it seems pretty likely it's accurate. Texas has been the high water mark on some, lower on others, but has been competitive in all. With the Michigan OT we were at 1.6M, he signed for 900k with Michigan, and we actually were not the high bid an unexpected SEC school was at 2M. The Wisconsin LB is the first we have lost that didn't return to the incumbent school, I don't have numbers on that one yet. If you were making 100k, got offered 200k to move across the country to be in a completely new situation then your current job says "hey we can't match but we can give you a bump to 150k" are you taking it? Answer is different for everyone and not a great metaphor but you get my meaning

1 hour ago, bad_teammate said:

If I never have to read another poster talk about "well in sales..." again it'll be too goddam soon.

Speaking of, if anybody's company ships freight. Hit RGBIII up! We offer LTL, FTL, Reefer, Flatbed, hot shot and tradeshow services. Each new customer I get that uses promocode: TURBOFUCKEDPORTAL gets 10% off their first freight shipment!

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Absolutely no reason whatsoever to get excited about HS recruiting anymore. College football has changed forever - some see it as good, some don’t. I think it sucks personally. To me, I used to love the difference between pro and college sports. That’s been taken away. Oh well - money dictates everything. And now it’s ruined my favorite sport. But life goes on and change is inevitable.

The idea of having to re-recruit your roster every year is wild

11 minutes ago, lilMAC25 said:

Just heard from a Tech friend that they’re after Umeozulu

He was one I hoped we'd keep. I think he will end up getting drafted. (meaning the DE)

Edited by ClubWhatever

Should be noted that Bobby pushed back pretty hard against the idea that Sark was looking to build an ‘NFL’ roster in construction/size.

6 minutes ago, Hiphopopotamos said:

I’m old, have high blood pressure, and a bad back - I’m not built for portal watchin’

I had a 2026 goal of only watching/following/keeping track of things that bring me joy.

This..... this does not spark joy.

Just now, 6th Street said:

The idea of having to re-recruit your roster every year is wild

It’s not sustainable, flat out.

2 minutes ago, Hiphopopotamos said:

Does this end up like NFL free agency where the smart GMs wait out the first wave and find bargains in what is left over? But the NFL only has 32 teams and has a salary cap - how does that work with 136 teams?

Immediate impact guys will be gone.

But half these portal entrants will never play football again and another half won't get any NIL deal above whatever the baseline is. There will be value on the backend but still no assurance the guy will stick around to play.

Just now, Hiphopopotamos said:

Should be noted that Bobby pushed back pretty hard against the idea that Sark was looking to build an ‘NFL’ roster in construction/size.

Which is odd since Cj wrote an article about it and Gerry has been pushing that narrative as well. Not sure if anyone knows what Sark is doing over there at this point.

Edited by bgreen04

16 minutes ago, scramblyn said:

you can fish a hundred spots within 2 hours of austin. llano, colorado, guad rivers are all EXCELLENT fisheries. not to mention several lakes. hell we even have a cold water trout fishery - most southern in the US - in the guad just below Canyon Lake damn. if there's one thing cen tex has it's fishing.

Even without water, which just makes it all the more impressive.

47 minutes ago, boilerhorn said:

This is not uncommon in my industry. There are some great culture places - good people, good products, etc. Pay and RSU offerings are attractive and competitive. However, there are a few firms that pay a lot more and use their inflated stock to money whip.

Hard to convince a person on their mid-30s that culture will beat the massive comp. 3x RSU grant can ameliorate crappy culture - for a few years.

As noted, the difference between $1.5mm and $1.0mm is significant. If the guy took $100k of that and dropped it in VTI, historical returns would provide him around $1.7mm when he's 50. Or he could buy a sportscar.

Oh so you own a Texas Instruments BA II Plus, too?

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6 minutes ago, MuellerHorn said:

Did I say that, Sydney?

However, right now, it’s not looking too kind to the blue bloods who have spent a ton of money on roster accumulation, just to see a material amount of that depth split without any real ROI.

I’m also really appears like our staff has no fucking clue how to maximize Texas’ competitive advantages, because spending more money than others, but losing those players on which the money was spent prior to obtaining a real ROI, doesn’t tend to lead to a true competitive advantage.

No, you didn't which is why I asked for clarification.

Listen, I don't like how this is going either, but I don't really blame college football as much as I blame Sark and Harris. Everyone is still learning the game, and this portal season looks like a pretty big shift versus recent activity. Which makes sense, we're now 4-5 years into the thing, and the last 2 or so of those classes have decided they don't want to sit. This should be a shift in behavior for all teams, and Texas is definitely getting kicked in the nuts. The processes and systems of Texas and other schools will change accordingly, I'd wager.

I can't argue with the staff issues, but Texas is still better positioned than we were 8 years ago in a dead conference with little to no way to attract talent versus nefarious actors. But throwing a temper tantrum because our competitive advantage isn't working the way we wanted is like 'bama and clemson fans complaining now that they have to play in a free market, imo.

2 minutes ago, SarkAfterDark said:

Seems like there might be a resetting of the market happening for kids that are depth/development pieces. Makes sense to me from a school perspective. I’m all for these kids getting paid but at this point it’s obvious their expectations have become unrealistic. Has to be reined back in some how. We’ve lost a lot but I don’t think we’ve lost a true difference maker or any one whose production can’t be replaced. This has only become concerning because our approach acquiring players appears to very wrong.

We've let 4 starters go, and 2 guys (Barnes and Zina) that were definitely in line to be major contributors next year. Those guys don't fit your hypothesis.

3 minutes ago, UTkicker said:

Wardell Mack is on that list. I don't even think thats been announced anywhere,

1 minute ago, victory88 said:

I believe Sark talked about this in the presser that they may carry less players on the roster. In a time where every player thinks they deserve money and playing time, it's not realistic to manage 85 kids let alone 105. I wonder how much of this is them trimming the fat and going to a 65-70 roster. From a financial stand point, it makes no sense to pay a 4-5 star 3rd stringer that is going to transfer after 1 year. I could see a shift at going atter 15 HS recruits and being selective with who they bring and pay and filling the rest of the 2 deep with portal guys that are ready to contribute and have had 1-2 years in a college football strength and conditioning program

I’ve talked so much about how absurd CFB rosters are. A typical Texas 6A high school will have roughly 80 varsity and JV players combined to pull from unless it’s one of the larger powerhouses. In the NFL you get like 60 active & practice squad players. But a college team needs 120+ players to operate? Makes no sense.

Need to do this like college basketball. Fuck recruiting 5 stars and one and dones at this point

Only recruit 2 and 3 stars that will stay 3-4 years

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IT said Zina agreed to a deal a few weeks ago then the agent recently came back asking for 4x the amount and Texas told them to kick rocks.

2 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

No, you didn't which is why I asked for clarification.

Listen, I don't like how this is going either, but I don't really blame college football as much as I blame Sark and Harris. Everyone is still learning the game, and this portal season looks like a pretty big shift versus recent activity. Which makes sense, we're now 4-5 years into the thing, and the last 2 or so of those classes have decided they don't want to sit. This should be a shift in behavior for all teams, and Texas is definitely getting kicked in the nuts. The processes and systems of Texas and other schools will change accordingly, I'd wager.

I can't argue with the staff issues, but Texas is still better positioned than we were 8 years ago in a dead conference with little to no way to attract talent versus nefarious actors. But throwing a temper tantrum because our competitive advantage isn't working the way we wanted is like 'bama and clemson fans complaining now that they have to play in a free market, imo.

I read you. I incorrectly took your original question as rhetorical and sarcastic.

I just don’t believe we’ll come out on the other side of this positively in basically all position groups given how short this one portal window.

Honestly, I think I can understand any coach that bolts college for the NFL as a casual observer of this shit show, and Saban’s retirement is making an awful lot of sense

1 minute ago, GreenspointTexas said:

Need to do this like college basketball. Fuck recruiting 5 stars and one and dones at this point

Only recruit 2 and 3 stars that will stay 3-4 years

Great idea as long as Texas is planning to move to the Sun Belt Conference.

Money shit aside, if you’re an unproven player demanding a coaching staff pencil you in as a starter then you’re a gigantic fucking pussy. Go be fucking scared to compete at another school.

What an absolute total fucking pain in the ass for college coaching staffs everywhere. If I were a college coach right now, the NFL would look a helluva lot more appealing than dealing with this bullshit. Imagine having to negotiate a new salary with teenagers every single year. With no contracts. Eff Tee.

Just now, Steelers Roll Left said:

Honestly, I think I can understand any coach that bolts college for the NFL as a casual observer of this shit show, and Saban’s retirement is making an awful lot of sense

Which is why college head coaches need to employ multiple people with real contract experience and legitimate negotiation skills. Not one Brandon fucking Harris.

That, or we need Sally Brown back to smoother the roster with motherly love, fresh baked cookies, and lessons on proper condom use.

Edited by MuellerHorn

27 minutes ago, Codaxx said:

Ffrench is in the portal

I love a vicious delayed response.

2 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

IT said Zina agreed to a deal a few weeks ago then the agent recently came back asking for 4x the amount and Texas told them to kick rocks.

This is the same story we hear about almost every portal entry. If true, maybe we shouldn't "agree to a deal" without putting pen to paper. If something was signed at least you could hold some feet to the fire the way Washington is with their QB right now.

1 minute ago, MuellerHorn said:

Which is why college head coaches need to employ multiple people with real contract experience and legitimate negotiation skills. Not one Brandon fucking Harris.

What the fuck do you do when you agree and then their agent comes back and says "actually.....more"

4 minutes ago, Lonestar88 said:

We've let 4 starters go, and 2 guys (Barnes and Zina) that were definitely in line to be major contributors next year. Those guys don't fit your hypothesis.

They do fit my hypothesis. Barnes is unproven, sure he would probably get more snaps next year but no idea how good he’ll be. He didn’t exactly jump off the tape in the Citrus bowl. Zina’s is a bit more proven but has not to date provided production that can’t be replaced IMO. Same with Lefau and Moore. These kids ask are exceeding their production and these schools should be colluding to reset the market for those types at this point.

Just now, TejasPedro said:

Ffrench will be Fforgotten if we can land CColeman

We don't need to land anyone for me to forget a player who never did anything on the field. I can barely remember the ones who did stuff.

Just now, MuellerHorn said:

Which is why college head coaches need to employ multiple people with real contract experience and legitimate negotiation skills. Not one Brandon fucking Harris.

I was going to say something about college athletes being less sophisticated clients than what those types of people might be used to dealing with so maybe that's the wrong path, but I think I'm giving the McCombs types a lot more credit than they deserve.

1 minute ago, irishtexan said:

Imagine having to negotiate a new salary with teenagers every single year.

It seems it's every single week. Nothing is respected. No guardrails. Contracts meaningless.

Just now, lilMAC25 said:

We slept your QB’s Heisman campaign.

We physically kicked OU’s ass.

2 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

What an absolute total fucking pain in the ass for college coaching staffs everywhere. If I were a college coach right now, the NFL would look a helluva lot more appealing than dealing with this bullshit. Imagine having to negotiate a new salary with teenagers every single year. With no contracts. Eff Tee.

Money largely spent on potential, not production. The whole thing is insane.

3 minutes ago, Jimmy Two Times said:

Great idea as long as Texas is planning to move to the Sun Belt Conference.

Well, sure, but just know all the 2-3* that perform well are leaving for a P4 school.

Just now, Js1 said:

What the fuck do you do when you agree and then their agent comes back and says "actually.....more"

Yeah, you tell those guys, “good luck” because they’re not operating in good faith.

Or, you find a legitimate way to enforce these stupid ass contracts they signed and back out of.

Edited by MuellerHorn

Just now, MuellerHorn said:

Yeah, you tell those guys, “good luck” because they’re not operating in good faith.

I'm fine with that

But then the nattering nabobs blame Sark / Harris and the meltdown cycle continues.

I don't know how all this works, but I feel like a lot of kids are going to get life lessons in overplaying their hands. But I guess it makes sense when your initial "value" is based on potential. Then you want a raise simply based on that number as opposed to results. Just wild.

14 minutes ago, SarkAfterDark said:

Seems like there might be a resetting of the market happening for kids that are depth/development pieces. Makes sense to me from a school perspective. I’m all for these kids getting paid but at this point it’s obvious their expectations have become unrealistic. Has to be reined back in some how. We’ve lost a lot but I don’t think we’ve lost a true difference maker or any one whose production can’t be replaced. This has only become concerning because our approach acquiring players appears to very wrong.

We all knew that near the start of the season with the NIL-collective changes. Sark even put a few kids/agents on blast with their 'valuations.' Some programs will blow their load on one or two positions of critical need, like LSU with Leavitt, but if Texas can't escalate this NIL/transfer game, then the other programs can't afford to either. It might take another ugly cycle for expectations to ring into these kids, as ultimately they'll get the message about play time and complimentary rosters.

FFS, Manning's roommate receiver was lost because he was looking for an extra $200K above his ceiling, and Sark flatly told everyone he's not playing that game. So he moves on to a program with a QB that throws more picks than TDs. Good fucking luck.

1 minute ago, MuellerHorn said:

Yeah, you tell those guys, “good luck” because they’re not operating in good faith.

Give them the Willie Lyles treatment and send them to the car wash lot while colluding with other schools to permanently buttfuck that guy's career.

8 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

IT said Zina agreed to a deal a few weeks ago then the agent recently came back asking for 4x the amount and Texas told them to kick rocks.

Good. Fuck him.

4 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

Imagine having to negotiate a new salary with teenagers every single year. With no contracts.

Give an inch and they take a mile. We gave people an extra year because of COVID and now there’s 26 year olds playing college football.

Rushing the NIL program out with out any rules seems, in hindsight, like not a great move.

Who could've seen that coming?

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