These days, if teams want to make a quick splash, instead of looking at their recruited talent, they turn to the transfer portal. Some programs can go from horrible to bowl eligible, and others can even achieve momentary elite status. Of course, the very top-tier teams can lean on their depth they have brought in over the years. But sometimes when there is massive turnover, it is not always a sure thing that those next up on the depth chart can step into those roles. That could be the difference between making the College Football Playoff or settling for a New Year’s Six bowl. Today, we’ll look at some programs who just missed the cut and break down what they need from the transfer portal. 

Alabama: Game-Breaking Receiving Options

This season was a far cry from the receiving options of the past for the Crimson Tide. Their top receiver by yards was Ja’Corey Brooks, who put up a respectable 623 yards and seven touchdowns on 37 receptions. I say respectable to put it nicely, as last year Alabama had two receivers exceed 1,000 receiving, and three players caught at least eight touchdowns. The Tide’s top receiver by receptions this year was running back Jahmyr Gibbs with 42 catches, which is something that is great for Gibbs’ stats but not good for a team trying to truly scare a defense through the air. To win in college football, teams need legitimate receiving threats. Even last year on a Georgia team that was not known for a high-flying passing attack, Brock Bowers went off for 882 yards on 56 receptions with 13 touchdowns. If the Crimson Tide want to get back to the College Football Playoff, they should get at least two proven receiving threats through the portal, whether it be a top dog receiver or a game-changing tight end. 

Tennessee: A Lockdown Cornerback 

Tennessee was carried all season by an explosive offense. As for the defense, the Vols did just enough, even forcing a turnover here and there to help out. But in their losses to Georgia and especially to South Carolina where the Gamecocks blasted the Volunteers 63-38, it showed that the defense needs plenty of help if this team wants to take the next step. Even in victories, players like Anthony Richardson and Kedon Slovis had good passing days. To be frank, Tennessee just needs to add so much more talent on the defensive end, but one place that could help out a whole lot would be finding a cornerback who can shut down one side of the field or a top team’s target. That alone can make an offense’s day miserable and can make the job of everyone else on defense that much easier. Instead of trying to fix an entire defense through the portal, all it would take is hitting on one cornerback and this defense would be miles better. 

Clemson: An ATM at Wide Receiver 

Looking at Clemson’s receivers the past few seasons, there have been physical specimens who can dominate physically. However, the problem has been the receivers have not been able to separate and give quarterbacks easier throws. When Trevor Lawrence was tearing up teams, the receivers who helped keep the offense humming were players such as Hunter Renfrow and Amari Rodgers who would always be open. Having easy access throws that are not just check downs to running backs in the form of receivers who have a knack for finding holes in a defense or shaking defenders is such an underrated aspect to keep offenses flowing. But for the Tigers, it has been a glaring weakness. This should be a more accessible option in the portal, as everyone will be going for the very top-tier talent, but there are plenty more players who are not as physically imposing as a Justyn Ross or Tee Higgins but have the elite shiftiness of a Renfrow to simply be open 24/7. 

USC: A Top-Tier Safety 

When compared to Tennessee, it was more widely known that USC’s defense was a problem waiting to happen, as time and again it let weaker teams stay in games. Relying on turnovers worked until it didn’t, including the Pac-12 title game where it all came crashing down horribly. Much like the Volunteers, the Trojans should be looking everywhere for defensive help. However, what really stood out was the tackling, or more so the inability to consistently tackle. When looking at the safety position, not only do the best ones act as ballhawks, but they will get down and dirty and tackle, unlike most top cornerbacks who would rather avoid wrapping up. This is why a really good safety would do so much to help USC’s defense. Having someone on the back end to make quarterbacks think twice before letting a pass rip who can also come down and make tackles to prevent plays from breaking into the open would patch up so much for the Trojans. 

Penn State: Linebackers 

Leaning on the knowledge of resident Penn State fan Dave Patalano, this program known for a long time as “Linebacker U” needs to hit on this position to help better its playoff odds. As pointed out by Patalano, the Penn State linebackers had “been a lot better lately, but during the Ohio State and Michigan games, they had trouble tackling.” 

While Penn State had a good secondary and defensive line, all it takes is one position group to make the defense vulnerable against the elitist of the elite in the sport, which was evident against Ohio State and Michigan. Thankfully for the Nittany Lions, most of their top linebackers were underclassmen, but going out and finding a player or two with more snaps under their belts could help this current batch of linebackers mature quicker and not only return the program to a status worthy of its nickname but also put it in the playoff for the first time. 

Washington: Defense

Now this is a team that just needs bodies on the defensive end to help out its elite offense. While USC and Tennessee had at least a handful of players who were making plays on defense, Washington had maybe one or two who could really be relied on. For this team to take the next step after an incredible turnaround to go 10-2 after a disaster 2021 season, this 61st-ranked scoring defense will have to get up into at least the thirties to give the Huskies a shot at their second playoff berth. 

Oregon: Edge

Going into its matchup against Washington, Oregon was allowing teams to convert on 48% of their third downs, which was 126th out of 131 FBS teams. That was a preview of the Ducks’ eventual defeat where they could not pressure Michael Penix Jr., who had an outstanding game. One of the biggest contributors to this was their inability to put constant pressure on the quarterback in passing situations. Without having even one player to make an offense slide the protection to his side to open up opportunities for other rushers, teams did not have to devote extra players in the offensive formation or draw up quicker-hitting passing plays. The Ducks do not have to go find another Kayvon Thibodeaux necessarily, but finding one pass rusher who will make offensive coordinators think twice about leaving a tight end or running back in to block or getting a handful of good enough pass rushers to form a committee of players to send wave after wave will help ease the pressure on the back end of the Oregon defense.