Auburn‘s Golesh: SEC Recruiting No Different, Transfer Portal Needs “Guardrails”
The college football landscape is undergoing a seismic shift, and Auburn’s new head coach, Alex Golesh, believes the recruiting battles in the Southeastern Conference are surprisingly similar to those he faced at South Florida – largely due to the pervasive issue of transfer portal “tampering.”
Golesh, speaking recently, asserted that the core challenges of recruiting remain consistent regardless of conference affiliation when factoring in the increasingly common practice of under-the-table maneuvering within the transfer portal. “Tampering’s been going on for a really long time, this portal era amplified it in every imaginable way,” he said. He emphasized the urgent need for clearer regulations, stating, “There eventually needs to be guardrails on this thing.I think we all want to know the rules in wich you can operate in… the truth is, right now, there aren’t any, so you operate ethically with what you feel like is right.”
The ethical dilemma at the heart of the issue, Golesh pointed out, centers on contacting players already committed to other programs.”Is it right to call a kid that’s on somebody else’s roster to go get them? It’s not,” he stated. He expressed a belief in a sort of karmic balance within the sport, adding, “I think in a lot of ways, what goes around comes around. I’m a strong believer in the football gods finding you at some point. Generally, thay’ll find you at the end of a game or on fourth-and-1. You’ve got to do things the right way.”
Auburn has been active in the transfer portal itself, currently boasting the 13th-ranked transfer class nationally according to 247Sports, with 39 signees. Notably, 13 of these players previously played for Golesh at USF. The most significant addition is quarterback Byrum Brown, ranked as the ninth-best quarterback available, who arrives with impressive credentials – 3,158 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, 1,008 rushing yards, and 14 rushing scores.
However, the transfer portal isn’t a one-way street. Auburn has also seen several key players depart for other programs, including wide receivers Eric Singleton Jr. (Florida), Cam Coleman (Texas), and Perry Thompson (Minnesota), along with three quarterbacks.
The issue of transfer portal ethics extends beyond Auburn. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney recently publicly exposed conversations between Ole Miss coach Pete Golding and prospective transfer Luke Ferrelli, highlighting the extent of behind-the-scenes recruiting efforts.Similarly, Duke and former blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah reached a settlement after the university attempted to prevent him from entering the portal, ultimately leading to his commitment to Miami.The case of Demond Williams, who initially committed to Washington for the 2026 season before attempting to rescind his commitment, further illustrates the complexities of the current system.
The NCAA has acknowledged the need for reform, altering its transfer rules in October following widespread coaching changes. These alterations focused on transfer exceptions, shortening the decision window to 15 days after a coaching change and beginning five days after a new coach is hired. Despite these adjustments, the underlying issues of tampering and a lack of clear rules persist.
Former Auburn coach Hugh freeze believes a return to the previous eligibility rules – requiring players to sit out a year after transferring – would be the only way to truly eliminate tampering. Currently, there are no restrictions on family members, NIL representatives, or agents contacting coaching staffs on behalf of potential transfers, creating avenues for indirect communication and circumventing official channels.
Golesh acknowledged the pressures inherent in the current system. “The pressure to win is great and people feel it in different ways,” he said. “I’m not hear to judge anybody else’s decisions on how they operate, but you’d love to have some guardrails within the system. I think maybe as I establish myself within this conference, I’ll have more vocal opinions but I’m just the new guy on the block trying to build a programme here at Auburn and do it the right way.” The future of college football recruiting hinges on the NCAA’s ability to establish and enforce clear, equitable rules in the evolving transfer portal era.
