Michigan just won a natty with key contributions from walk-ons like long snapper William Wagner. That culture absolutely still exists. The portal is a tool, but it doesn't erase the foundational value of player development. Jim Harbaugh built that title team on a core of homegrown talent who bought in for years. To say the soul is gone ignores the fact Michigan's roster last season had over 30 players who began as walk-ons. The best programs, like Michigan, master both retaining their culture and strategically using the portal to supplement it. The walk-on story still matters, it's just not the only story anymore.