Transfers vs. Tradition: Is Continuity the Key to a College Football Championship?

Arguably (not really, though), football is the ultimate team sport; players rely on each other — to the point of possibly getting knocked out — to do their job. If the team doesn’t operate as a cohesive unit, chaos ensues. If they do, college football championships await: Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka identifies a route for Jeremiah Smith, TreVeyon Henderson picks up the crucial block, which allows Will Howard a split second longer to throw a championship-winning pass to Smith (hat tip to the entire offensive line, obviously):

In college football, you can’t 2016-LeBron or (any year) Rodman your way to a championship. It takes teamwork to win. The question is whether player retention offers an edge, or if yearly roster patchwork can produce championships.

Transfer and NIL rules will put the importance of continuity to the test. Out of the final four teams in the 2024 College Football Playoffs (Texas, Ohio State, Penn State, and Notre Dame), several 2024 transfer players played a key role on their respective teams.

For example, the Fighting Irish relied heavily on transfers such as quarterback Riley Leonard, defensive end RJ Oben, kick returner Jayden Harrison, receiver Beaux Collins, and kicker Mitch Jeter, to knock Georgia out of the CFP Quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Ohio State likely wouldn’t have thoroughly embarrassed Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, and Notre Dame without key transfers Will Howard, Caleb Downs, and Quinshon Judkins.

This season, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar is on the short list of Heisman hopefuls. But, will it matter that he’s throwing to three wide receivers he’s never played a snap with before? Granted, those receivers are all seniors, but they just arrived in Happy Valley. They have to learn the system while building rapport with each other and their new quarterback.

Compare Allar to Texas quarterback Arch Manning: Texas returns a fully intact offense; they don’t have a single incoming transfer on the offensive side of the ball this year. Unquestionably, Manning holds an edge over Allar, having spent the past year building chemistry and timing with his receivers.

Of the 2024 final four CFP teams, only 11 players total will be starting via transfers next season (Texas (2), Ohio State (3), Penn State (4), and Notre Dame (2)), suggesting that top programs are still leaning on strong returning cores — not just the portal. The Clemson Tigers, who many have as a top contender in 2025, are also relying on returning players rather than transfers (although adding Missouri State's wide receiver Tristan Smith (6-foot-5, 205 pounds) can’t be ignored).

Of the top five or six teams, only Clemson (Cade Klubnik) and Penn State (Allar) are returning their starting quarterback. The field general may be the glue that holds all other pieces together on offense, and having a quarterback intimately familiar with the program can’t hurt.

All of this underscores a simple truth about the sport’s DNA. At the end of the day, transfer players can absolutely plug holes and elevate a roster, but they work best when integrated into an already strong, unified culture. Championship teams aren’t built solely on flashy newcomers; they’re built on trust, shared experience, and a foundation of players who understand the program’s identity. Even in this era of constant movement, the heart of college football still beats strongest when filled with tradition, teamwork, and brotherhood.

Isaiah Hopkins contributed to the research of this article.