How Much Will The Transfer Portal Help Auburn?

There are many questions to unravel about Auburn's Transfer Portal needs

Auburn gaining the commitment of Indiana Transfer Portal defensive tackle Philip Blidi represents a great start to filling Auburn’s 2024 roster needs.

Will the Tigers leave the spring Transfer Portal window further unscathed though?

Auburn is already without wide receiver Jay Fair, a recent Transfer Portal entree. Will there be more? Here are questions and comments that combine to define what Auburn needs from the Transfer Portal, as well as what’s most realistic for the next two seasons.

1) The Transfer Portal giveth and it taketh away.

It’s not a secret that Auburn needs experienced defensive line help; that’s no easy task for Hugh Freeze and his staff to accomplish. Most top-end transfers want to start and gain the bulk of the reps. The good news is defensive tackle is at the top of the board and Blidi helps quite a bit.

Adding another defensive tackle is still ideal for the Tigers. Auburn is likely to come up at least a little bit short because there are few defensive tackles who fit the needs of the Tigers as numerous college football teams are also seeking a top defensive tackle.

To be honest, Auburn could use more linebacker talent, at least as quality backups, as well. Hard to say if the Tigers take a swing at the linebacker position but it’s something to think about considering true freshmen are key backups right now. That’s far from ideal.

There’s also the obvious concern at wide receiver. While anyone who’s scouted Cam Coleman should assure you he’s the real deal, an 18-year-old being a team’s most talented – and possibly depended upon – wide receiver is generally not a good thing.

If Auburn does not sign former Penn State receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith, there will still likely be continued growing pains at the position. Then again, maybe someone else surprises us all and steps up from the current Auburn roster. It’s possible.

As for expectations, will the receiver corps be improved? Yes. Any place near what Auburn fans want? Not very likely.

2) Expect Auburn to lose someone else to the Transfer Portal

It’s all but inevitable. Gone are the days when the vast majority of players just want to play for ol’ “State U” (or insert school name) and many are instead seeking NIL deals and the most opportunity to gain reps to place on film for even a sliver of a chance at NFL riches. That brings up a key question.

Which Auburn player surprises everyone and enters the Transfer Portal? Will it be a true gut punch? Every program goes through this, even Kirby Smart and Georgia could be susceptible. 

The next week will be pivotal for Auburn because the roster is far too thin to sustain any further defections. To that point, it’s not an automatic lock that Auburn is a bowl team next year as is. Losing a key player could be the death knell of Auburn’s chances to be 6-6 or better next season (Auburn is far too young and there’s nothing Freeze and his staff can do about it).

3) Could Auburn be a true SEC contender if it hits the Transfer Portal jackpot?

That question depends on the way one defines it. Long-term? Sure. That also means landing a few players who possess multiple years of eligibility and at key positions like defensive tackle and wide receiver. 

As of today, that is simply unknown. Related, most indications are that Freeze and his staff understand Auburn is a long-term rebuild. They certainly want to win as much as possible now but also understand that winning is a subjective term. The 2025 season is the beginning of the true turnaround, most likely, and the Auburn staff knows that behind closed doors.

Come 2025, Auburn will have far more depth and talent returning. That also means the December Transfer Portal window is more valuable to the Tigers than the current one.

AU fans should rally behind the moves the Tigers make this spring but the true fruits of the labor that Freeze and his staff are putting in will not likely be seen until 2025 and beyond. For now, the Transfer Portal helps the Tigers to fill holes far more than it is building a top-end roster.

Patience Auburn fans, patience.