Can someone explain why we are not talking more about what the portal window elimination means for a program like USC? The spring window is gone starting this year. All moves happen in the winter now. That changes everything about how you build a roster.
Think about the old rhythm. You go through spring ball, see where your holes are, then hit the portal in April to patch things. Now you have to project your needs a full calendar year in advance with zero mid-year correction ability. That puts a massive premium on high school evaluation and development.
For USC specifically, this is actally a sneaky advantage if the staff plays it right. We have always recruited at a top-10 level in the traditional sense. The portal was the equalizer for programs that could not develop. Now that you cannot fix mistakes in April, the teams with the best talent identification and player development pipelines pull ahead. Our coaching staff needs to prove they can develop the croots they bring in. Th...