Three Predictions: West Virginia’s TikTok ban, Power Four starters, linemen
Rivals rankings director/transfer portal analyst Adam Friedman has three predictions on the impact of West Virginia’s TikTok policy, the number of Power Four starters that will transfer this spring and the expected demand for linemen in the portal.
1. BANNING TIKTOK WILL HURT WEST VIRGINIA’S PORTAL EFFORTS THIS SPRING.
New Mountaineer head coach Rich Rodriguez and his dramatic new policy of banning players dancing in TikTok videos is surprising in the current college football environment. The pool of available talent this spring won’t be nearly as deep as it was in the winter transfer window so the competition for quality prospects will be all the more intense.
West Virginia is trying to upgrade its roster across the board. If there are limits placed on a player’s ability to maximize their value then it will be inherently more difficult for West Virginia to sign the players it wants. If everything the Mountaineers are offering is equal to what another program is offering, this type of restriction won’t work in West Virginia’s favor.
West Virginia probably isn’t the only program with this type of rule but Rodriguez unveiling it in the way he did feels a lot like he was cutting off his nose to spite his face.
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2. VERY FEW POWER FOUR STARTERS WILL ENTER THE PORTAL THIS SPRING.
The spring transfer portal window certainly won’t be dull. There will be plenty of headliners but not as many as you’d expect. The winter transfer window was absolutely loaded with immediate starters. The spring edition will be somewhat thin with projected starters from the Power Four level.
The revenue sharing money teams are now offering combined with the NIL money players are getting from collectives have made it easier for programs to retain their starters. The players battling for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart or to at least get in the rotation are the most likely to enter the portal. They will have plenty of suitors but most of them will still have to compete for a starting job wherever they end up.
3. THE MARKET FOR QUALITY LINEMEN WILL BE MASSIVE.
As usual, the markets for players at premium positions will be massive once the transfer portal opens in mid-April. The demand for elite receivers will be the highest of any position, but demand for offensive linemen and defensive tackles could be just as high. There may only be a few starting caliber linemen in the portal this spring and the ones who do decide to transfer will see outsized offers compared with what we were seeing in the winter.
Contenders in every Power Four conference are dealing with injuries in the trenches or have found an unexpected hole or two on either the offensive or defensive line. As they work through potential solutions, expect these teams to look to the portal to add depth as they try to solidify these key position groups.