What we discovered during the SEC’s second transfer portal period when Alabama and Auburn added quarterbacks | Toppmeyer
The college football team’s thrift store is full for a spring blowout sale, but it is no longer taking new donations.
Teams may still sign players who are already registered on the transfer site, even if it closed to new registrations this week. Among the last players out were offensive lineman Deondre Buford of Kentucky and backup quarterback T.J. Finley of Auburn.
At this point, coaches are not likely to find All-America players. It is easier to find a transfer of such caliber during the winter sweepstakes. In contrast, this is your last opportunity to fill in any gaps in the depth chart.
These are the five observations I made during the second transfer window. As of December, the site will not be accepting new entries.
Auburn made improvements at quarterback, but how much?
Payton Thorne, a two-year starter at Michigan State, was traded for Finley by Auburn. That is an improvement. Thorne is one of Hugh Freeze’s top quarterback prospects, along with Robby Ashford.
However, Thorne’s presence serves as a reminder that winter is when the greatest transfer talent is usually obtained. Over the last two seasons, Thorne has racked up 21 interceptions, and Auburn is still burdened by one of the worst quarterback situations in the SEC.
Though he’s an inexperienced quarterback, Ashford’s quickness and elusiveness make him a fascinating Wildcat-style gadget. Thorne now has a chance to get hired.
Nick Saban can’t be happy with Alabama’s quarterback situation.
The Alabama quarterback competition remained unresolved in the spring. Actually, the rivalry intensified when Ty Simpson and Jalen Milroe failed to perform up to Nick Saban’s expectations.
Saban wants a quarterback who can play “winning football,” and it doesn’t seem like either Simpson or Milroe have shown enough consistency to convince Saban that they are capable of doing so.
Although Milroe had the advantage and surpassed Simpson on A-Day, Tyler Buchner of Notre Dame is on his way. Tommy Rees, the offensive coordinator, will rejoin him.
The kicker is that Buchner transferred since he was supposed to be Notre Dame’s backup when Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman was added as a starter by the Irish in the winter. That reveals something about Buchner, who had greater difficulty in Notre Dame’s spring game than either Milroe or Simpson. Similar to Milroe, Buchner had dual threat ability; nonetheless, he was vulnerable to Irish interceptions.
