Should USC football have paid extra for a defensive tackle in the 2024 spring transfer portal window? That has been a point of intense debate and discussion. Everyone knows that USC really needed a defensive tackle, but everyone also knows that the Trojans and most other teams don’t have a limitless supply of dollars. Was it worth it to go after a good but not great defensive tackle in this portal cycle? John Talty of CBS Sports looked into the NIL marketplace and talked to people behind the scenes in the industry for some perspective on these issues.
One basic conclusion to make: The defensive line market was skewed this year.
“The truth is the market may have been too rich for LSU’s liking. The demand far ourstripped the supply for defensive tackles in this most recent transfer portal window, sending values through the roof and skewing the market.
“One Power Four collective operator said their school was able to get multiple defensive linemen for less than the bottom end of the above range. Conversely, multiple sources pointed to Oklahoma transfer Damonic Williams (TCU) and Oregon transfer Derrick Harmon (Michigan State) in the high six figures to low seven figures range. If you wanted a starting-caliber defensive tackle this spring, you had to pay up.”
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