Auburn Football Named a Transfer Portal Loser

One national publication thinks the Auburn Tigers failed the transfer portal process last offseason, specifically in terms of player production. When you look at the portal, on balance, it will never be an exact science.

While talent can be transferred, scheme and chemistry are two factors that hinder the process. Not every player will be a sound addition, and things will happen. Player evaluation is never perfect. However, that truth does not stop people from marking an offseason as a failure.

A Decent Premise Falling Apart

In a recent column, The Athletic College Football Staff decided to grade the Power 4 conferences, assigning either a "winner" or "loser" tag to their portal exploits. Surprisingly, Auburn ended up with the latter, stating:

"The Tigers’ portal class was ranked eighth by 247Sports, but the results show otherwise. Quarterback Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma) ranks last in the SEC in passing efficiency, and the offense has taken a step back in several areas, including rushing yards per attempt (4.39) and explosive plays per game (6.13, per TruMedia).”

"The Tigers brought in two new tackles, Xavier Chaplin (Virginia Tech) and Mason Murphy (USC), but rank last in the SEC in sacks allowed per game (3.75) and 96th in pressure rate allowed per dropback (33.8 percent), per TruMedia. Of the nine transfers on defense, only linebacker Xavier Atkins is a full-time starter."

Statistics without context or depth are akin to frosting without a cake. Granted, Arnold, Chaplin, and Murphy have not performed to expectation. There is no two ways about that. Arnold, signed to a lucrative deal, needed to play better.

He holds the ball too long, refuses to pull the trigger, and takes sacks. Chaplin looked lost against several teams, missed blocks, and failed to anchor against better rushers. Murphy allowed a sack that ended the Texas A&M. All of these are facts, not in dispute.

However, in reverse order, look at the three players. For Murphy, why did Auburn call for a pass on fourth-and-one? Similarly, why did they call for one just a play earlier? With a yard to go, run the ball. A five-man line weighing over 1,500 pounds should be able to generate enough to move the ball three feet. Some touted Chaplin as a first-round pick next season. 

That went up in flames faster than a Roman candle. His reaction time and punch appear slow, with footwork to match. Arnold flashed the same flaws that he showed at Oklahoma, which is a sign of a lack of progression. 

The article devoted just eight words to Xavier Atkins. The LSU transfer leads the SEC in solo tackles (45) and tackles for loss (13). In fact, he has almost three times as many solo tackles with 45 as he does assisted ones (16). No Tiger on defense plays at Atkins' level.

He excels against the run or the pass, reading his keys as a run stopper, blitzer, or in coverage. When award season rolls around, bet on hearing his mentions in multiple places.