Oregon OC Blames LeBron James for CFB Player Movement, Desire for 'Superteam'
When LeBron James signed with the Miami Heat in 2010, teaming up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, he galvanized the idea of building a "superteam" alongside some of the most talented players in the NBA.
The idea of doing so has become standard in the NBA, and it has stretched into college football, at least according to Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham.
"This generation of kids, they saw LeBron take his talents to Miami," Dillingham said, according to Sports Illustrated's John Walters. "They wanna be on a superteam."
James likely could have not predicted the impact his move to Miami would have on the NBA and athletics as a whole. Many believed the trio of him, Bosh and Wade would be one of the NBA's best, but after the group reached four Finals, winning two, the idea of stars jumping franchises to combine forces began to solidify.
The best teams in college football are No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Ohio State. Those three programs have been powerhouses for decades, and they frequently benefit from landing the nation's top recruits.
While Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State also benefit from landing the top available transfers in the country, many of their most talented players didn't join the program via the transfer portal.
For example, Bryce Young has spent his entire collegiate career with Alabama, and the same can be said for Stetson Bennett at Georgia and C.J. Stroud at Ohio State.
Oregon benefited heavily from the transfer portal this past offseason, landing quarterback Bo Nix from Auburn and running back Bucky Irving from Minnesota.
Nix, a senior, has had a solid start to the 2022 campaign, completing 72 percent of his passes for 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns against three interceptions. He has also rushed for 120 yards and three scores.
Irving, a sophomore, has rushed for 265 yards and one touchdown on 38 carries, in addition to catching seven passes for 58 yards and one score.
So, whatever Dillingham's feelings, his offense has benefited from players wanting to transfer in pursuit of building a winning team.
