Just saw ESPN's piece on how the portal killed QB competitions and it hit me right in the gut. They used us as the example. Back in the 1992 season we had a true quarterback battle between Jay Barker and Brian Burgdorf that lasted all the way through the third game of the year. Coach Stallings let those kids earn it on the field not in the bank acccount. Now we are throwing NIL money at a transfer and handing him the job before he even steps foot in the weight room.
The whole system is backwards. Remember when a kid from Gadsden or Birmingham would commit to us as a junior and you knew he was going to be in the program for four or five years growing into the system? Now if a true freshman doesn't win the job in spring practice he is in the portal by May. No loyalty no patience no development. Just instant gratification and a paycheck.
I miss the days when the quarterback who ran the scout team the hardest got the first look when the starter went down. That is how we built the 1992 defense that shut down Miami in the Sugar Bowl. The portal has taken all of that away and replaced it with a free agent market that rewards quitting over grinding. This sport is getting harder to recognize every year.