The Transfer Portal continues to change the way college football programs recruit and manage their rosters.
Some programs have really jumped on the portal as part of their roster building strategy....and Edsall might have more opportunities if he made that more a priority. But he is on the record as saying he would rather go the high school and juco route. Not that there is anything wrong with that...a traditional approach that has been proven.
Some programs are jumping on transfers as a recruiting tool...the portal use varies from just filling a roster hole to using the portal as major part of recruiting. Depending on need.
Examples below:
....Ohio State has selectively used a few transfers to strategically fill roster holes....a very limited targeted strategy.... a needed RB from Oklahoma, Justin Fields at QB, and Jonah Jackson from Rutgers who started for the Buckeyes and was named All Big Ten.
....FSU, who needed far more than the Buckeyes, has gone in wholesale
Norvell at FSU hasn't played a game yet...but has jumped on the portal.
...FSU has added 9 D-I transfers since Norvell arrived: DB Jarrian Jones (Miss. St.), DB Meiko Dotson (FAU), DT Fabien Lovett (Miss. St.), DL Jarrett Jackson (Louisville), RB Jashaun Corbin (TexA&M), OL Devontay Love-Taylor (FIU), LB Cornel Jones (Purdue), DE Deonte Williams (Baylor) and TE Jordan Wilson (UCLA).
I guess we'll see how Norvell's strategy eventually plays out.
I think that we will see the transfer incorporated by more and more teams in roster management. Some to fill a roster hole...and some as a part of the recruitment of classes.