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Summary by Claude:

This article offers a detailed insider perspective on the unprecedented spending in college football's 2025 winter transfer portal, now that revenue sharing has fundamentally changed the landscape.

The New Financial Reality:

  • College football has entered a new era where multiple programs are operating with rosters exceeding $40 million
  • More money was spent on player retention and acquisition in January 2025 than ever before in college football history
  • Revenue sharing has completely transformed the transfer portal economics
Top Spenders:

LSU - The Biggest Spender:

  • 10 out of 14 sources identified LSU as the #1 spender in the portal
  • In Lane Kiffin's first transfer cycle with the Tigers, they're believed to have the sport's highest payroll—over $40 million
  • LSU brought in 40 new players total, including major acquisitions like QB Sam Leavitt, OT Jordan Seaton, and EDGE Princewill Umanmielen
  • Ranked #2 in the On3 Team Transfer Portal Rankings
  • One SEC GM bluntly stated: "They got the most expensive roster in the sport"
Other Major Spenders:

  • Texas Tech: Continued their aggressive spending from previous years; one Big Ten GM said "Texas Tech just knows they can outspend you"
  • Texas, Miami: Also among the top spenders
  • Wisconsin: The surprise of the portal—consistently won bidding wars by promising recruits "Just give us a chance, we will be your highest number" on 4-5 different recruitments
  • Notre Dame, Ohio State, Indiana: Also mentioned as heavy spenders
Quarterback Market - The Elite Tier:

Three QBs commanded the highest prices:

  1. Brendan Sorsby (Texas Tech): Over $5 million
  2. Sam Leavitt (LSU): Around $6 million according to some sources; described as having his "price driven up big time" during recruitment. One SEC NIL operator noted he's "in a similar range to Sorsby"
  3. Darian Mensah (Miami): Among the top-paid despite unclear settlement details with Duke; sources adamant he'll be one of the sport's highest-paid players in 2026
Non-Quarterback Market:

Cam Coleman (WR, Texas):

  • Deal exceeded $2 million, making him one of the nation's top-paid wide receivers
  • Recruitment wasn't really competitive—sources say he was headed to Texas all along
  • One SEC GM revealed: "Cam Coleman had a blank check from us. Trust me, he wasn't going [to Texas] for less. He got paid a ton"
  • Multiple GMs felt he used other schools to drive up Texas's price
  • His decision was influenced by wanting "a more established quarterback situation"
Jordan Seaton (OT, LSU):

  • Chose LSU over Miami, Oregon, and Mississippi State
  • Projected 2027 first-round NFL draft pick
  • Deal estimates ranged widely from $3-6 million
  • One SEC NIL operator said his numbers "give me heartburn for what's coming next year," suggesting concern about future market inflation
Damon Wilson (EDGE, Miami from Missouri): Also mentioned as a top-paid non-QB

Best Portal Classes (By Strategy, Not Just Spending):

  • Texas, Indiana, Texas Tech, Penn State, Ohio State
  • Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Kentucky, South Carolina
  • Virginia Tech, Houston, Texas A&M
  • Indiana's pickup of Nick Marsh was specifically praised—"physical, can block, Big Ten all-conference player"
Best Retention Programs:

  • Miami: "Barely lost anything; they just reloaded"
  • Florida: Did "a great job retaining some key guys, Jadan Baugh and Jayden Woods"
  • Oregon, USC, Louisville, Michigan, Georgia, Ole Miss, Washington also mentioned
How the Portal Really Works - Behind the Scenes:

Pre-Portal Tampering is Standard:

  • Most top players know their destination before entering the portal
  • Agents actively shop players around before they officially enter
  • One Big 12 GM: "A good bit of them know where they're going"
The First Visit Rule:

  • Whoever gets the first official visit has approximately a 60% chance of landing the player
  • Players often take that first visit "to shut it down and get down to business"
  • One SEC GM noted: "I don't think we brought in a lot of guys who went on multiple visits"
Nothing's Certain Until Signed:

  • Despite all the pre-portal work, GMs emphasized that "once they actually go in the portal, you still have to get them to actually sign to feel good about it"
  • The recruitment can still change even after a player enters the portal
The Competitive Reality:

  • "You have to do it to win. You don't get a one-and-done visit guy with light work before the portal"
  • Programs must engage in pre-portal recruiting or risk losing top talent to competitors who do
This reveals a college football landscape where informal recruiting, agent negotiations, and massive financial commitments happen well before players officially enter the transfer portal—fundamentally changing how roster construction works.
 
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