The landscape of college football has changed a lot since the transfer portal showed up in October 2018. The portal’s opened up new ways to build rosters, but if you look closely at the last seven national champions, high school recruiting still sits at the heart of real, lasting success.
From the 2019 LSU Tigers to the 2025 Indiana Hoosiers, the formula for building a championship team hasn’t really budged. Programs keep focusing on developing high school talent, then topping things off with just a few key transfers.
Let’s dig into how recent title teams have built their rosters—and what it might mean for the next wave of college football contenders.
The Role of High School Recruiting in Championship Teams
High school recruiting forms the backbone of championship squads. Take the 2019 LSU Tigers, the first champs in the transfer portal era—they leaned almost entirely on high school recruits.
Sure, Joe Burrow came in as a transfer quarterback from Ohio State and made a huge difference, but he was the exception. Most of the roster was homegrown, and that pattern’s held steady for champs since then.
2019 LSU Tigers
The 2019 LSU Tigers were a clear example of what high school recruiting can do. Players like Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Lloyd Cushenberry, Patrick Queen, and Jacob Phillips all came up through the program.
Joe Burrow transferred in and became the star, but the talent already there made his impact even bigger. It was that mix of homegrown recruits and a few smart transfers that put LSU over the top.
2020 Alabama Crimson Tide
The 2020 Alabama Crimson Tide followed a similar path. Mac Jones, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, and John Metchie powered an offense loaded with high school recruits.
On defense, homegrown stars like Patrick Surtain Jr., Landon Dickerson, Will Anderson, and Christian Barmore led the way. Alabama’s run really hammered home just how much high school recruiting matters.
Georgia’s Dominance: 2021 and 2022
Georgia’s back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022 just kept the trend going. Stetson Bennett led both teams, taking a winding road through JUCO before returning to Georgia.
The team’s core featured high school recruits like Zamir White, James Cook, Brock Bowers, Jermaine Burton, Ladd McConkey, A.D. Mitchell, Nakobe Dean, Nolan Smith, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Kelee Ringo.
Strategic Portal Additions
Georgia mostly built through high school recruiting, but a few transfers, like Derion Kendrick from Clemson, filled specific needs. That’s the thing: the best programs use the portal with purpose.
They don’t rely on it to patch every hole. It’s more about plugging gaps than chasing quick fixes.
2023 Michigan Wolverines: A Balanced Approach
The 2023 Michigan Wolverines took a pretty balanced route. Their core—JJ McCarthy, Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards, Roman Wilson, Colston Loveland, Will Johnson, Mason Graham, and Junior Colson—came up through high school recruiting.
But Michigan did add important transfers like tight end AJ Barner, pass rusher Josiah Stewart, offensive tackle Miles Hinton, and guard LaDarius Henderson to cover specific spots.
Core Development and Strategic Transfers
Michigan’s formula shows why it pays to develop a strong group of homegrown players, then bring in transfers only where it really matters. This mix helps keep the team competitive and growing for the long haul.
2024 Ohio State Buckeyes: Misunderstood Portal Team
The 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes got labeled as a “portal team,” but that misses the mark. Will Howard transferred in at quarterback, and guys like Quinshon Judkins and Josh Simmons arrived from Ole Miss and San Diego State.
Still, most of the roster—Emeka Egbuka, Jeremiah Smith, Jack Sawyer, Sonny Styles, JT Tuimoloau, and Donovan Jackson—came up through Ohio State’s own recruiting.
High School Talent as the Backbone
Ohio State’s title run really shows how high school recruiting still drives a successful program. Adding players like Caleb Downs and Quinshon Judkins wasn’t about desperation—it was about making a strong roster even better.
The portal’s there to complement high school recruiting, not to replace it. That’s an important distinction.
2025 Indiana Hoosiers: A Unique Case Study
The 2025 Indiana Hoosiers are a bit of an outlier when it comes to roster building. Head coach Curt Cignetti brought over a core group from James Madison, including Elijah Sarratt, Aiden Fisher, D’Angelo Ponds, and Michael Kamara.
He blended those transfers with homegrown Indiana players like Omar Cooper Jr., Amari Ferrell, and Charlie Becker, and the result was a team that really clicked.
Building Through Trust and Development
Fernando Mendoza, a first-year transfer from Cal, led the Hoosiers to a national title. But most of the roster had played for Cignetti for years, which made for a tight-knit, well-integrated group.
Honestly, this approach highlights just how much trust and long-term development matter when you’re chasing a championship.
Conclusion: The Winning Formula
When you look at recent national champions, there’s a pretty clear formula at play. High school recruiting sits at the heart of it, with smart transfer portal pickups sprinkled in.
The best programs focus on finding, developing, and keeping high school talent. Then, if there’s a gap, they use the portal to fill it—nothing more, nothing less.
Honestly, as college football keeps shifting, this approach seems like the way forward for teams hoping to build lasting, winning rosters. If you want to dig deeper into how these champions build their teams, check out the original article.
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