Alabama Football and Georgia are outside college football's mainstream

Alabama and Georgia are taking a different approach to college football roster building by relying less on transfer additions. Both programs have opted to focus on traditional recruiting classes, with Alabama securing the No. 2 class nationally for 2026 and the No. 3 class in 2025, according to 247Sports Composite rankings. Georgia follows closely with the No. 2 class in 2025 and the No. 6 class in 2026.

This strategy contrasts with recent trends where many top programs rely heavily on transfer portals to bolster their rosters. Neither Alabama nor Georgia ranks in The Athletic's Top 25 for 2026 Transfer Portal classes, a list that includes eight of last season's College Football Playoff participants.

The decision by Alabama, under the direction of Kalen DeBoer, and Georgia's Kirby Smart is seen as a gamble, hoping that elite teams can still be built without significant roster changes through transfers. Past examples, such as Clemson's decline attributed to