The Transfer Portal can flip a roster and improve a program overnight. Still, it appears the old-fashioned way of doing things on the recruiting trail is the best recipe for championship success. The “quick fix” can certainly help but programs still need to recruit, sign and develop talent from the high school ranks. It’s a process that takes several years. Development is key. And with the portal spinning wildly every year, so is retention.
Georgia won its second straight national championship despite not signing any transfers in 2022. Its roster of undefeated stars was built primarily on the backbone of high school recruits that came to Georgia, packed on muscle, lost/added weight and developed on the field over the course of several seasons.
Not every program is built with the same template and it remains to be seen if the recipe remains the same for college football’s blue bloods. But for now, the fact remains that the blue-chip ratio for rosters remains the best determining factor for success.
So with that in mind and National Signing Day behind us, let’s explore the classes that best improved their rosters across the country during the 2023 cycle. We will not factor Transfer Portal signees into this piece, so please keep that in mind if you gnash your teeth at the lack of praise for Auburn, Colorado and Arizona State (and, by the way, those Transfer Portal hauls are magnificent). We’re simply focusing on the traditional signing classes comprised of high school and junior college players.
We identified the bedrock groups that will define programs over the next several seasons. Enjoy.
