In today’s Fact or Fiction — transfer portal edition — I look at three big recent topics from the transfer portal and decide whether the statement is indeed FACT or if it’s FICTION.
1. Taulia Tagovailoa should have been denied sixth season.
Farrell’s take: FACT
No offense to Taulia or the a Tagovailoa family, as they are great representatives of college football, but enough is enough. We’ve seen seventh-year guys in college football and some guys from the 2016 recruiting class, and it’s enough. We all know the rules, you play more than four games and you lose a year and that’s the case in 2019 at Alabama for Taulia. He played five, sorry. Players for a full extra year of eligibility for the COVID season and with redshirt years, injury redshirt years, and grad transfers we see players on their third and fourth teams and in year six or seven of eligibility. It’s enough and it’s time to shut that down.
2. Robby Ashford is the solution for the Gamecocks.
Farrell’s take: FICTION
Spencer Rattler was average, but he was a solution at QB, at least. Ashford, coming in from Auburn, is not. LaNorris Sellers may or may not be the solution either for Shane Beamer in an important season, and I know Ashford is there for competition and to push the youngster, but this isn’t a big move. Ashford was overrated out of high school and never became a Power Five QB at Oregon or Auburn, and that won’t change.
3. Texas has the top WR class in the portal now.
Farrell’s take: FACT
Oregon State WR Silas Bolden joins recently committed WR Isaiah Bond, who comes from Alabama, and Houston WR transfer Matthew Golden to lead the pack in the portal. Oregon, Ole Miss, and others have solid commitments, but Texas clearly has the depth.
