Now that we’re a bit removed from the transfer portal window, I put together an overview of roster change among ACC schools this offseason to provide some perspective on NC State’s turnover. Relatively speaking, NC State has had a calm offseason: its 15 transfers out ranks 14th, so the Wolfpack well in terms of roster retention.
NC State signed 16 transfers and 26 high school players this cycle, for a total of 42 new players, ranking 10th in that respect. And in terms of overall churn (transfers in,
plus transfers out, plus high school signees), NC State ranks 13th. The amount of change in a short period of time still feels highly chaotic, but by this year’s standards, it really isn’t.
(Should note that the above does not include graduating players.)
At the top we’ve got Florida State, which will need to show dramatic improvement if Mike Norvell is going to keep his job beyond next season. Then there is the program operated by a fossil and a directionless general manager who, on top of everything else, is widely disliked on campus. I have no clue what UNC is trying to do here—is signing 39 high school players, hoping like 20 of them can stick at this level and sending the rest into the portal next year a coherent strategy?
Nobody has had more portal turnover than Cal, which went through a coaching change and might also be shifting its priority to the portal. That’s been the M.O. for Jeff Brohm throughout his tenure at Louisville, so it’s no surprise to see the Cardinals sign more portal players than anybody else.
James Franklin imported a significant chunk of the recruiting class he’d put together at Penn State, and added a dozen former Nittany Lions in the portal. Being able to mash the Easy button repeatedly in this manner is a nice bonus for Virginia Tech, which should improve quickly.
Boston College is poking itself with a stick to see if that does anything. (It will not.) Virginia and Wake Forest also went heavy with portal additions in this cycle, sticking with the approach that worked out for both of them last year. Wake’s been on a wild one, what with losing its best defensive lineman, its starting left tackle, and best receiver to the portal, and choosing to bring in Gio Lopez.
NC State had its share of unpleasant developments this offseason, but that’s hardly unique within the ACC or college football in general, and I feel better reminding myself of this. Change is everywhere all the time now, and rarely in small amounts.
