The ever-growing landscape of NIL has made collegiate sports almost unrecognizable. Pay-to-play is the name of the game, especially in football. Some teams have even hired general managers to optimize recruiting from the transfer portal, and one of the newest to do it may be the Arkansas Razorbacks.
A new era for Arkansas football?
Last week, during the Chuck and Bo Show, head coach Sam Pittman told the hosts about Arkansas's plans to hire a GM.
"I think we're well on our way of trying to hire a general manager," said Pittman. "I believe we'll have somebody by late March — early April, which we need to, maybe even sooner, because the portal's gonna open back up again in April. But yes, absolutely, you need another set of eyes. Not one. You need several sets of eyes."
More than ever, there's a bevy of talent available between seasons. Teams can essentially rebuild overnight. They can go from obscurity to relevancy in an off-season. For example, how many people thought Arizona State, of all teams, would be in the College Football Playoffs this year?
The Sun Devils brought in at least seven players who either started in key positions (quarterback or offensive lineman) or ranked in the top three of at least one of the following statistics: rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, receiving yards, receiving TDs, tackles, sacks, and interceptions.
While ASU has a GM, who's name is Rachael Bacchus, has done well with the Sun Devil's NIL program, there's another program with a football GM that's recently popped up as a dominant force in the portal.
The Red Raider Revelation
Texas Tech was among the first to jump on the GM train, hiring James Blanchard in November of 2021. It took a few years to get things up and running, but it's starting to pay off for the Red Raiders.
"Tech was way ahead of the curve and has had a GM for years. It's totally changed how the program operates," said Mattew Conner, the site expert for Wreck 'Em Red Raiders.
Seemly out of nowhere, Tech exploded on the scene, gobbling up one elite transfer after another. The Red Raiders are ranked No. 3 in the transfer portal behind only LSU and Ole Miss, according to 247Sports. However, concerning 4-stars, Texas Tech has the most incoming transfers (11) in the country.
"It’s taken the pressure of identifying recruiting targets off of the coaching staff’s shoulders. Therefore, the process of identifying targets is more streamlined and efficient, allowing the program to get offers out earlier and start developing relationships more quickly. That’s key for a non-blue-blood program."
Being able to evaluate the talent in the transfer portal, as well as the incoming high school class is nearly impossible to do with a conventional college staff.
"Not only are you going around the country trying to find these guys, but you have to know what you need. You have to be very proactive as far as that goes." said Coach Pittman. "You'll have to understand your roster. You'll have to have a list.
"In other words, you can't have, 'ok, we'll take these five guys.' You've gotta have, 'I want him first, him second. What's his value? How much money do you have in revenue sharing left?' — All these things that have nothing to do with a deuce block or double-team block. Or, you know, somebody else that has much more perspective and awareness than what we would."
Walking the line
Unfortunately, evaluations aren't the only thing head coaches have had to navigate since NIL became legal. Anytime you add money to the equation, you add drama. With no real standard for gauging college athletes' 'market value', players will often overvalue themselves or, behind the scenes, their agents will artificially inflate their value by starting a bidding war between schools. Not to mention how the locker room drama between players can get out of hand once they find out what their teammates make.
"I can't be the bad guy all the time. You know, where the money and the finances are coming," said Pittman. "You know, basically the questions and all that. I'm answering them. I don't want to. I know that's my responsibility, but I need a buffer. I need somebody who can help me with those things. That's why everybody's going to that."
There needs to be a separation between the head coach and players concerning compensation. Otherwise, animosity can leak onto the practice field, into the locker room, and even into game days. That's a recipe for disaster, especially when trying to build a healthy culture from scratch year after year. One example of that failing culture is Ole Miss.
Lane Kiffin and the Rebels have dominated the transfer portal since Kiffin landed in Oxford. Their NIL budget is through the roof thanks to their collective, The Grove. However, Ole Miss seems to fall behind its expectation every year. Winning 10-plus games a season is a novel concept for Rebel fans, but how long until they want more? And if the trends continue, at some point, they'll have to ask themselves, "Is Lane Kiffin the man for the Job?"
While Texas Tech hasn't played a game together yet, Conner seems to think head coach Joey McGuire is the type of guy who can build a winning team with a short turnover period.
"As for chemistry, that’s on the head coach. A guy like Kiffin at Ole Miss doesn’t seem to be a great culture builder, so his teams never seem to come together,' said Conner. "Joey McGuire is one of the best people-persons that I’ve ever seen. So, I think he can make it work. Plus, the bar in the Big 12 isn’t as high as in the SEC, so that will help."
Sam Pittman, if removed from the money aspect, can be like McGuire, too. During his offensive line days, Pittman was beloved by his players. There's no reason to think he can't return to his old ways once all the obstacles are removed.
Negotiating and roster management
While it's imperative to separate the business from the relationships, another crucial element GMs bring to the table are negotiating skills. While Pittman may be a good coach, it's not a democracy of the field. Players don't negotiate; they follow the plan laid out by the coaching staff. So, in reality, Coach Pittman has never had much experience negotiating, nor has any coach before three years ago, at least to this degree.
"I want somebody that's done it. So, you may have to go to the, you know, NFL, NBA — whatever to find somebody like that. You want someone who's kind of done that before," Pittman said during the pre-spring practice press conference.
"That's something that I've never dealt with. Well, I have for three years, and I want someone to help."
That help includes roster management. Pittman wants someone to help organize their recruiting strategy. However, what Pittman isn't looking for is someone to take over recruiting altogether.
"[The GM will] have to understand your roster. You'll have to have a list," said Pittman. "In other words, you can't have, 'ok, we'll take these five guys.' You've gotta have, 'I want him first, him second. What's his value? How much money do you have in rev sharing left?' All these things that have nothing to do with a deuce block or double-team block. Or you know, somebody else that has much more perspective and awareness than what we would."
"We're certainly not here to say, 'Ok, tell me who to go out and get,' and that's what we're going to do, but 'Tell me you're opinion about who's 1, who's 2, who's 3,' and then it's another way to be righter than wronger."
It may take a few years to get to where Arkansas can compete on the same level as an Ole Miss or now a Texas Tech, but they've laid the blueprint. All Arkansas needs to do is follow it.