By Sam Curtis and Matt Dudek, Teamworks Football; Former college football operations and personnel staffers with more than two decades of combined experience in roster building, recruiting, and player development.
The transfer portal is a high-stakes game, and with a single window now in place, it is a one-shot opportunity to reshape your roster. As programs continue to navigate the era of player compensation, the margin for error keeps getting smaller.
If we were GMs (which we are not), we would not wait for the portal window to open before getting ready. We would make sure our board is built early and constantly evolving, have scouting reports locked in, and ensure every player, both current roster and potential additions, has been evaluated for fit within our team identity.
But we are not here to talk about what we would do. We are here to talk about how we would do it, by using the best technology, data, and analytics in the game: Teamworks Scouting.
1. Analyze Thousands of Players to Identify the Right Fit in a Few Clicks
When the portal opens, it feels like the first day of free agency. Decisions come fast, and the programs that win are the ones ready to turn chaos into opportunity.
With Teamworks Scouting, staffs can evaluate thousands of players before the window ever opens. Filter by position, measurables, production, and verified Teamworks Intelligence data all within one platform. So when the rush begins, you are not scrambling to find your fits. You are executing a game plan that has already been built, tested, and aligned across your staff.
2. Make Player Tracking Data Your Advantage
The portal moves as fast as a two-minute drill. There is no time to second-guess. When every program has access to the same players, what separates you is the information that you have and how you apply it.
Teamworks Scouting provides player tracking data that coaches and personnel staff can actually use. From performance metrics to consistency grades, it brings context to the numbers so you can focus on what truly matters for your roster.
Player Traits powered by Teamworks Intelligence help your staff trust their evaluations. It is not about replacing instincts or the “eye test.” It is about giving them objective, verified, and trusted information so the right decision gets made when the pressure is the highest.
3. Confirm Everything with Film
Numbers matter, but the film still tells the truth. Stats show production, but the tape shows how it happens.
Every data point in Teamworks Scouting connects directly to all-22 film. You can watch, send, and export cutups, compare players side by side, and validate evaluations without jumping across systems. That means less fragmentation, fewer misses, fewer surprises, and a roster built on facts, not guesses.
This would be our final filter. Like any good coach, we would tell our staff to trust what they see on tape and let the film do the talking.
The Bottom Line
You aren’t waiting for the portal to open to prepare for it. You are building your process early, and need to lean into technology and data that you can trust which will help your program make decisions that reflect your culture and needs.
That is exactly what Teamworks Scouting helps you do: prepare smarter, move faster, and win the portal season.
Join us for Portal Prep on Thursday, October 30 at 2 PM ET to see how 20+ programs are already getting ready.
To reserve your spot, visit https://explore.teamworks.com/portal-prep-webinar.