Coaching confidential: College football’s top player, most underrated coach and much more

10/25/2021

College football reporter
Joined ESPN.com in 2007
Graduate of the University of Tennessee

Just like we thought when the season began.

As the leaves start to change color, Clemson is out of the College Football Playoff picture. Nick Saban and Alabama lost to an unranked team for the first time in 101 games (a 41-38 defeat to Texas A&M), and a Group of 5 team (Cincinnati) just might get into the playoff, something that once seemed highly unlikely in a four-team format.

And, oh yeah, the Heisman Trophy favorite when the season began (Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler) is now coming off the bench for the Sooners.

The unpredictability of college football never fails to disappoint.

We reached out to coaches across the country, both head coaches and assistants, to pick their brains about these topics and more in our latest Coaches Confidential.

Spencer Rattler, the transfer portal and the future of the QB position

Most coaches we talked with said the shuffling of quarterbacks between different rosters over the next few years will make NFL free agency look tame.

“Within two years, maybe a year, I would say close to 50% of every quarterback that signs with a school will finish his career at another school,” one head coach said. “You’re not going to be able to keep two quality quarterbacks no matter how hard you try. And as soon as the younger guy beats out the incumbent, the other guy is gone. That’s just where we are right now.

“Free agency is here to stay in college football, certainly at that position.”

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