When it comes to evaluating recruiting classes in 2023, traditional high school prospects represent only part of the equation.
The speed with which the transfer portal has transformed roster management in the Football Bowl Subdivision means any evaluation has to focus on the two types of newcomers: recruits and transfers.
The best classes strike a balance. The one exception is Clemson, which has been among the least active Power Five teams when it comes to the portal. But teams such as Alabama and Georgia continue to be aggressive on the transfer market as a way to patch up very specific concerns — with a new tight end here for the Crimson Tide and a new receiver there for the Bulldogs, for example.