Coaches Scoop

  Photo Courtesy of USC Athletics By Nate McCray The Transfer Portal has become college football’s most disruptive and indispensable mechanism for roster construction, forcing Division I programs, whether Power Five, Group of Five, or FCS, to operate with professional-level precision. Successful programs no longer “dabble” in the portal; they run full-scale personnel departments with infrastructure mirroring NFL free-agency models. At the core of this evolution is the Transfer Portal Targets Board, a living, data-driven command center that organizes talent acquisition in real time. Built for speed, accuracy, and compliance, it allows staff to manage hundreds of available players while maintaining discipline around NIL budgets, evaluation rubrics, and risk assessments. For programs at all levels, the portal is no longer simply a place to find immediate contributors, it is a competitive battleground where preparation, process, and alignment dictate success. A modern Targets Board b...

  Photo Courtesy of Clemson University Athletics By Nate McCray — Player Personnel Strategist & Football Operations Architect If I were the Director of Player Personnel for the Clemson Tigers, my first priority would be redefining what roster sustainability truly looks like in today’s game. We’re living in an era where championship teams aren’t built solely on tradition, they’re built on adaptability, structure, and execution. My 36-month plan wouldn’t be a guessing game. It would be a strategic roster overhaul rooted in analytics, cultural fit, and forward-looking evaluation models, all tailored to keep Clemson elite in the NIL and Transfer Portal age without compromising the program’s championship DNA.   Here’s what I would implement to engineer long-term success in Tiger Town. “Every roster reset starts with an honest audit.”   My first move would be a top-down roster evaluation: Who is contributing? Who is close to graduating or transferring? Who ...