What the transfer portal costs now: Position-by-position price ranges amid a market surge

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What does that look like for the entire market? CBS Sports talked to dozens of sources from agents to general managers to collective leaders to put together value ranges for each position ahead of this window's official opening.

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Quarterback

High End: > $3.5 million
Average: $1.5 million to $2.5 million
Low End: $750,000 to $1 million

Just like in the NFL where the top quarterbacks account for around 20% of a team's cap, the best portal quarterbacks this cycle are expected to command a hefty chunk of the pie.

Top-ranked arms like Brendan Sorsby (from Cincinnati), Josh Hoover (from TCU) and Sam Leavitt (from Arizona State) are expected to reach -- and possibly pass -- the $3.5 million mark.

It's well-documented last cycle's double dip (teams spending freely before rev-share caps were put into place over the summer) allowed teams to go gangbusters in transfer portal spending, including at QB where Duke made the little-known Darian Mensah famous for a $4 million annual salary. General managers thought there would be a downturn in spending at the position this cycle because of rev-share caps, but that sentiment has changed in recent weeks.

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What 20% of a team's cap looks like depends on the school. Some Power Four programs will only be at the full revenue sharing max, around $14-18 million for each Power Four football programs. Other big spenders will be at $25 million-plus due to the outside name, image and likeness deals the program manages to generate.

As for whether it makes sense to pay a quarterback that much, it's a matter of debate for the general managers we spoke with.

"Even if you're at $25 million, are you really going to put 20 percent of your resources into one player?" a Big Ten GM said. "You better hope he's good. You better hope he's Fernando Mendoza or Diego Pavia – he has to be or that's a bad investment."

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Even high-upside backups who haven't started are making that sort of ask.

"I don't know in the portal if you're going to get a guy experienced and proven (for) less than $2 million," a SEC GM said.

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Running back

High End: > $1 million
Average: $400,000 to $700,000
Low End: $250,000

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Wide receiver

High End: $1 million to $2 million
Average: $500,000 to $800,000
Low End: $300,000 to $500,000

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Tight end

High End: $600,000 to $800,000
Average: $300,000 to $500,000
Low End: $200,000 to $300,000

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Offensive Tackle

High End: > $1 million
Average: $500,000 to $1 million
Low End: $300,000 to $500,000

Outside of quarterbacks, offensive tackle is the position that traditionally commanded the highest average premium. Even some non-proven tackles last cycle -- think 300 or fewer snaps coming from a high-end Power Four program -- commanded well into the seven-figure range last year.

That seems to have shifted, or at least plateaued, this cycle.

"That's the one position that oddly feels like it's the same market as last year," the SEC GM said

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Interior Offensive Line

High End: $600,000 to $800,000
Average: $300,000 to $500,000
Low End: $200,000 to $300,000

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EDGE

High End: $1 million to $1.7 million
Average: $600,000 to $1 million
Low End: $300,000 to $500,000

After quarterback and offensive tackle, edge-rusher is the premium position where you'll see considerable resources dedicated for many programs. If you have a game-wrecker at this position, it can open so much for you defensively and it's why so many programs want a great one.

With high demand comes hefty prices. If a player like South Carolina's Dylan Stewart, who recently re-upped with the Gamecocks, had instead hit the portal, he would have garnered in the $2 million range, according to a Big Ten personnel executive. If you want anyone even in the neighborhood of Stewart's caliber, you'll be spending seven figures this cycle. One general manager known for shopping in the expensive portal aisles said "the really good ones are between $1-$1.5 million."

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Defensive tackle

High End: $800,000 to > $1.5 million
Average: $500,000 to $700,000
Low End: $250,000 to $500,000

The scarcity of talented defensive tackles has made this a position of high value if you're going shopping out of the transfer portal. The gem of this year's class is Wake Forest's Mateen Igirogba (No. 5 in 247Sports' rankings) who could command in that range of $1.5 million or a little more. USC transfer Devin Thompkins, No. 11 in the rankings, is another expected to be in the seven-figure range.

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Linebacker

High end: > $700,000
Average: $250,000 to $500,000
Low end: $150,000 to $250,000

The general consensus is this is the cheapest starting position outside of the specialists. Multiple people we talked to believed you could get a good starter around $300,000. If you wanted an all-conference type, it'd be in the $600,000 range.

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Cornerback

High end: $800,000 to > $1 million
Average: $400,000 to $700,000
Low end: $150,000 to $350,000

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Safety

High end: $700,000 to $1 million
Average: $350,000 to $500,000
Low end: $200,000 to $350,000

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Specialists

General range: $50,000 to $200,000

Specialists make money, too! It's not often discussed in portal season, but there's a healthy market for specialists, especially the really good ones. Solid starters will be in the $50,000 to $100,000 range. But the best kickers and punters, especially in the Big Ten and SEC, can push between $100,000 and $200,000.

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