1. I don’t want to get on a soapbox, but …

They’re ground zero for new-age college football roster building, and all of the ugly, unintended consequences that go with it.

And a microcosm of “no good NCAA deed goes unpunished.”

The unprecedented 2022 Texas A&M recruiting class — the class that launched the NCAA’s master plan of name, image and likeness into the nasty and sometimes nefarious sea of high school recruiting — is a shell of its former elite self.

The 2022 class should be the core of a roster poised for a Playoff run, or — while sandwiched between elite classes — should have already played in college football’s championship tournament.

Instead, the 30-player class that 247Sports proclaimed the greatest in the history of its composite ranking has led to this:

— A 12-13 overall record, including 6-10 in the SEC.
— A 7-12 record vs. Power 5 opponents, and 3-7 vs. ranked teams.
— A fired coach (Jimbo Fisher) with $70 million-plus in walkaway money.

More importantly — and more tellingly to the state of the NCAA’s now 3-year-old grand plan of player empowerment — the class has been decimated by players leaving for the transfer portal. Of the 18 players signed in 2022 who were ranked in the top 100 of the 247Sports composite, 9 are no longer on the roster.

That’s 50 percent of the foundation of the 30-player class, a group so impressive it dwarfed the rankings of classes before and after it. A year earlier, Alabama signed 13 of the top 100 recruits in the No. 1 class, and a year after — in a class many believe rivaled the Aggies’ heralded haul — Alabama signed 11 of the top 100.

That, as much as anything, should explain the depth and breadth of the Aggies’ 2022 class. Now consider this: Of the 8 5-star recruits signed, 5 have transferred and are no longer on the roster: DT Walter Nolen (No. 2 overall recruit), WR Evan Stewart (No. 6), DE LT Overton (No. 17), WR Chris Marshall (No. 24) and DE Anthony Lucas (No. 32).

That’s 5 of the top 32 high school players of 2022.

But this isn’t unique to Texas A&M. The 2022 Aggies class is merely the rose in the middle of the thorns. In the past 3 national recruiting classes (2021-23) overall, 14 of the top 30 quarterbacks (the top 10 from each class) have transferred to another school.

There’s no more important position in the sport, and none in more constant upheaval. The NCAA’s player-friend plan has led to unthinkable instability all over rosters, where patience is thin and there’s always another NIL deal around the corner.

Or as LSU coach Brian Kelly told me last spring: “If you told NFL players they could have this kind of free movement and no salary cap, they’d laugh you out of the room.”

Before we go further, let’s make clear that the transfer portal and free player movement (1 free pass) had to happen. For far too long, universities (and coaching staffs) had the upper hand in the 3- to 5-year process of playing college football.

Universities kept (and still keep) all media rights revenue, and they had all control over player movement and roster management. Universities cashed multimillion-dollar checks at the end of every fiscal year, and coaches freely moved among schools and other professional levels (high school to college, college to the NFL, NFL to college) while signing ever-increasing contracts (and receiving ever-increasing buyouts).

Players received a scholarship and player development for their effort, with the NCAA knowing full well it was the only — the only — avenue to the NFL. An unthinkable restraint of earning and movement they lovingly called “the amateur model.”

So nearly 3 years ago, the NCAA — after losing case after case in the legal system, and after the Supreme Court of the United States essentially (and unanimously) said players were free labor — decided it was time to be more player-friendly.

Let them earn off their name, image and likeness. Let them transfer once without stipulations. Let them transfer if they lose their head coach for any reason (fired, takes another job, retires).

The NCAA threw open the gates without any plan whatsoever, a modern-day Great Land Rush of 1889. They wanted a world of Boomers, where the new frontier was enjoyed by all.

They got a world of Sooners, where everyone angles to stay one day ahead — one move, one trick, one violation — of the other.

And now they don’t know how to put the genie back in the bottle.

2. The return of the hammer

In the past 2 weeks, we’ve learned Florida State has been placed on 2 years’ probation for NIL recruiting violations, and Florida is being investigated for the same.

Those are just the 2 that have become public knowledge. There are many other schools, multiple industry sources told Saturday Down South, also being investigated by the NCAA and awaiting their fate.

It’s all part of the new hammer-wielding NCAA, which is trying to wrap its arms around the multiplying problems. But once again, everything is a nail — and they’re swinging wildly, desperately trying to gain control.

FSU lost a handful of scholarships, and its staff had limits placed on recruiting visits and the number of coaches who can be on the road evaluating. Not necessarily major sanctions, but an authoritative response nonetheless.

Remember, the NCAA isn’t a standalone cop with a distinct line between itself and those it manages. It’s a conglomeration of all member universities with a figurehead on top — a figurehead voted on by member institutions.

So it was all the universities who threw open the gates to the great NIL rush of 2021. It was all the universities who agreed to free player movement, and the idea of a more player-friendly NCAA — knowing it was a last-gasp effort to satiate the growing call of pay for play.

If players can earn off NIL and have free movement, they believed, the idea of shared revenue could at least be stalled. The NCAA saw what the Missouri team did in 2015, when players, en masse, declared they weren’t playing a home game against BYU until their voices were heard in response to racial unrest.

What if players from a handful of major blueblood programs decided, en masse, to walk out prior to a season opener — unless there was revenue sharing.

So the NCAA threw open the gates without a clue about the unintended consequences, because it could deal with the carnage of that bridge after it burned.

Only they couldn’t. And for the next 2 or so years, university presidents and conference commissioners crawled to Congress — a more dysfunctional group than the NCAA by a country mile — and begged for federal “guardrails” for the mess they themselves created.

If it weren’t so uproariously comical, it would be so utterly sad.

And now look: The bridge is smoldering, and the only way back is to forge a new way within the wild, wild west the NCAA created.

Welcome, everyone, to the new age of roster building.

3. Roster management, The Epilogue

Nick Saban was the greatest college football coach for any number of reasons, beginning with a trophy case full of national titles.

But what Saban said in his last interview with ESPN’s Rece Davis is the foundation of this mess moving forward: We can all complain about it, but it’s on coaches to “figure it out.”

Notice the words. Saban, like most elite coaches, doesn’t say anything without intent. He said, “Figure it out.”

Not fix it. Not change it. Not go back to the way it used to be.

But figure it out.

The days of organically building a roster through high school recruiting are long gone. The days of patience, and giving coaches multiple years to build “the right way,” are long gone.

Not when TCU advances to the national championship game in Year 1 under Sonny Dykes because of critical transfer portal additions.

Not when Lane Kiffin wins double-digit games at Ole Miss in 2 of the last 3 seasons, despite complete roster overhauls.

Not when Steve Sarkisian followed an 8-win season in 2022 by finally bringing Texas “back” in 2023 — after finding a happy medium between an organically grown roster and the portal.

Not when — and here’s the key — Clemson can’t reach what it once was by building organically. Nor can Ohio State or USC or Florida or Oklahoma or any number of bluebloods.

So what did Ohio State do this offseason? It signed Kansas State QB Will Howard from the portal. It got the best running back in the portal (Ole Miss’ Quinshon Judkins) and the best defensive back (Alabama S Caleb Downs) to supplement a roster built around top-5 recruiting classes.

The same top-5 recruiting classes that have also eventually bled into the portal over the past 3 years.

Ohio State added 5 players from the portal this winter — including Alabama 2-year starting C Seth McLaughlin — but lost 19.

This is college football for now and the foreseeable future.

Until, that is, revenue sharing arrives and the entire model changes again. A moment that’s not as far away as you’d think.

4. Making choices

Within the framework of the unrestrained player movement world is roster protection.

This brings us to the curious case of Judkins, who developed into one of the top 3 running backs in college football over the past 2 seasons at Ole Miss.

He rushed for 2,725 yards and scored 34 TDs (31 rushing), and he was the foundation of Kiffin’s offense. But success — no matter the school — doesn’t guarantee stability.

If Judkins — or any other player — believes he can make more money at another school, and have a better chance to win a national title (or both), many will take the risk of leaving and starting over.

This has left coaches with an additional title: general manager. Now they’re forced into the position of placing monetary value on players, and moving chess pieces to figure how to pay one instead of the other — or pay both.

Again, like Saban said, they’re paid a large amount of money to figure out these problems. Stop complaining and figure it out.

Billy Napier didn’t want to lose Trevor Etienne. Brent Venables didn’t want to lose Cayden Green. Clark Lea didn’t want to lose London Humphreys.

But here we are, in the new world of roster management, where nothing will ever be the same again. No matter what the majority of fans — and the NCAA — wants.

Stop complaining and enjoy it for what it is. And more than anything, be happy for young people finally getting their share.

5. The Weekly 5

The top 5 — good and bad — unintended consequences of Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC.

1. Goodbye, Pac-12 (it took a while, but Texas and OU to the SEC was the precursor).

2. Hello, Texas vs. Texas A&M. Every damn year.

3. Goodbye, Bedlam.

4. Hello, Texas State Fair (make the bucket list trip, experience it in all its glory).

5. Goodbye, 4-team Playoff — hello, to a brave new Playoff world.

6. Your tape is your resume

An NFL scout analyzes a draft-eligible SEC player. This week: Georgia OT Amarius Mims.

“A massive man, with terrific length. He has everything you want in the position. Quick feet, reach, strong sets, bull of an attitude. He hasn’t played much as a starter, and there’s some injury history, but you see what you get when you watch tape. When you’re 6-feet-7, 340 pounds and can move like he does, you overlook a bit that typically gets obsessed over.”

7. Powered Up

This week’s Power Poll, and 1 big thing: most important transfer portal loss.

1. Georgia: Edge Marvin Jones Jr. it’s easy to say Georgia is loaded at the position, but Jones can be a difference-maker. Watch him flourish at FSU.

2. Texas: DE Kristopher Ross. Talented edge wasn’t ready to play early but could’ve made an impact in 2024.

3. Ole Miss: Judkins. No matter how you look at it — even with the addition of Logan Diggs from LSU — the Rebels are losing an elite player at an important position in the offense.

4. Missouri: G EJ Ndoma-Ogar. A backup interior lineman, but any loss of experienced linemen (he played in 10 games over the past 2 seasons) is an issue. A solid pickup for Arkansas State.

5. Alabama: Downs. An impact player from the first game of his freshman season, and the best player on the defense by the end of the season.

6. LSU: OT Lance Heard. A top backup who played in 12 games in 2023 as a freshman former 5-star recruit. Could’t beat out OTs Will Campbell and Emery Jones Jr. and didn’t want to move inside.

7. Oklahoma: QB Dillon Gabriel. Don’t believe the narrative that Gabriel would’ve lost his job to Jackson Arnold in 2024. It’s preposterous. Oregon gets an elite, prolific quarterback.

8. Tennessee: DE Tyler Baron. An active pass rusher with 13.5 career sacks and 4 years of experience in the SEC. Those players don’t show up in the portal often.

9. Texas A&M: Nolen. It took a season of adjustment in 2022, but Nolen became an elite run stuffer and disrupter in 2023. A critical add for Ole Miss.

10. Kentucky: Edge Keaten Wade. He and his brother (QB Destin Wade) transferred to Colorado, but Keaten — explosive off the edge — is the bigger loss to UK.

11. Auburn: LB Cam Riley. A productive, solid player over the past 4 seasons. The type of player who is critical for new coach buildouts.

12. Florida: Etienne. Don’t listen to the nonsense that Etienne “can’t block.” He was the most dynamic and dangerous offensive player on the team.

13. South Carolina: WR Juice Wells. Missed most of 2023 because of a foot injury but was an All-SEC selection in 2022. An elite receiver for Ole Miss — if completely healthy.

14. Arkansas: QB KJ Jefferson. The face of the program the past 3 seasons, and a significant loss on and off the field. A nice fit for Gus Malzahn’s offense at UCF.

15. Mississippi State: RB Jo’Quavious Marks. Follows 2022 backfield mate Dillon Johnson, who left Starkville and traveled West (to Washington). Marks could make a similar impact at USC.

16. Vanderbilt: WR London Humphreys. Elite receiver overshadowed by Vanderbilt’s struggles. Watch him blossom at Georgia in 2024.

8. Ask and you shall receive

Matt: Do you see another Missouri-type jump from any teams in the SEC next season? — Anthony Gilbert, Houston.

Anthony:

It’s still early, and we still need to see how the spring transfer portal shakes out. But Auburn — with the right addition at quarterback — could be a team that makes a significant move.

Too many people will focus on the loss at home to New Mexico State in November and the bowl game loss to Maryland — and they’re looking at the wrong thing. Those down games are typical of teams still learning to win games they should — and avoid the danger of playing down to competition.

Focus more on this: Auburn was 7 points from Georgia without a legit quarterback, and 7 from Ole Miss. And a 4th-and-31 from beating Alabama.

All without a pass game that could consistently move the sticks and stress a defense. When coach Hugh Freeze gets a quarterback — or develops a quarterback — the framework is there for significant jump.

Auburn’s lines of scrimmage are solid, and there’s talent on the outside if the Tigers can find a consistent and accurate thrower.

9. Numbers

30. At some point, the exodus from Alabama becomes a numbers game. New coach Kalen DeBoer isn’t done recruiting the portal, but Alabama has lost 30 players to the portal since the end of the season — and has added 5.

Elite starters, key backups, the quarterback of the future and young players (and 2024 recruits) who could develop into elite ones.

The starters: Downs, McLaughlin, OT Kadyn Proctor, TE Amari Niblack, WR Isaiah Bond.

Key backups: WR Ja’Corey Brooks, RB Roydell Williams, CB Trey Amos, LB Shawn Murphy, G Terrence Ferguson II, WR Malik Benson.

Recruits: QB Julian Sayin, CB Jameer Grimsley.

“It’s a fire sale over there,” an SEC coach told SDS. “They are losing good players. Not just guys that fill out the roster, I mean important players that win you games. It’s bad enough that you’re replacing a legend; now you do it with a hand tied behind your back.”

10. Quote to note

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel: “There’s a lot of things that we’re going to need to reset and grow from. The challenge is great. The standard is to win championships at Tennessee. Nobody shies away from that. We got to continue to grow to put ourselves in position to do that.”