With hindsight, it was all a giant mistake.
Every hour, every dollar, every ounce of energy that Arizona devoted to keeping its core out of the transfer portal last winter, in the aftermath of the coaching change, was for naught.
It was unknowable at the time, of course. Nobody is to blame. There is no fault to toss around. But Arizona should have let them all leave: Noah Fifita, Tetairoa McMillan, Jacob Manu — all the Jedd Fisch recruits who stuck around for the first year of the Brent Brennan era. The Wildcats should have parted ways 11 months ago.
The 2024 season was a flop with them and surely would have been a flop without them. But it would have been a flop with a rebuilt roster and zero expectations and a different standard for success for Brennan and his staff.
Had the Wildcats gone 4-8 or 3-9 after a thorough gutting of the roster, Brennan's reputation and momentum and job security would not have been placed under the microscope used last summer, when Arizona was a preseason Top 25 team and one of the favorites in the Big 12.
In that scenario, Brennan's second season (the fall of 2025) would have been seen as the next step in a complete rebuild, in much the same manner that Fisch's second year in Tucson was viewed as a difficult but necessary stepping stone. (The Wildcats went 5-7 that season.)
Instead, Fifita and McMillan and Manu stuck around, the Wildcats imploded, Brennan lost his goodwill from the fan base, and the pressure for next season soared.
While the pressure goes up, the talent goes out.
Arizona has lost an astounding 31 players to the transfer portal thus far, including Manu and first-rate cornerback Tacario Davis, according to the 247Sports database. (In the Big 12, only UCF, with 22 listed departures, approaches Arizona's exodus.)
Arizona linebacker Jacob Manu (5) celebrates after his tackle for a loss against New Mexico running back Eli Sanders during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Tucson.
There is time to find adequate replacements: Players have until Dec. 28 to enter the portal but can select a school beyond that date. But the Wildcats have a massive task ahead.
Other losers from the first week of the transfer season:
USC. Everything has gone wrong for the Trojans since they returned home from beating LSU in Las Vegas in the season opener.
They blew leads, lost games and staggered through the anticipated debut season in the Big Ten — all while the pressure and dissatisfaction mounted with third-year coach Lincoln Riley.
Southern California quarterback Miller Moss looks to throw against Washington during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Seattle.
Why would the initial weeks of the portal season be any different?
The Trojans have lost quarterback Miller Moss (Louisville), receiver Kyron Hudson (Penn State), offensive tackle Mason Murphy (Auburn) and a slew of other talented players.
We expect USC to add talent in the coming weeks, but will it offset the departures? We're skeptical.
Washington State. As expected, quarterback John Mateer entered the portal on Monday, stripping the Cougars of their cornerstone.
WSU's collective simply doesn't have the wherewithal to match the multi-million dollar NIL offers Mateer will receive on the open market.
Add his departure to the loss of impressive young tailback Wayshawn Parker and WSU's culture of developing hidden gems will be put to the test again this offseason.
Cal. As was the case with WSU, the Bears were unable to keep their quarterback, Fernando Mendoza — the one player they couldn't afford to lose but, alas, not the only player they have lost.
Also in the portal: receiver Nyziah Hunter, who had 40 receptions and five touchdowns this season.
The Bears have quietly lured more talent from the portal than might be expected in recent years and will have to replicate that feat this winter.
But nothing they do will fully offset the loss of Mendoza.
