Fact or Fiction: Blake James, Jordan Addison, and Lincoln Riley
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image source="featured_image" img_size="large"][vc_column_text]In today’s Fact or Fiction, I look at three big recent topics in college football and decide whether the statement is indeed FACT or if it’s FICTION.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_column_text]
Fact or Fiction:
Blake James is a good fit at Boston College
Farrell’s take: FACT
James wasn’t a good fit at Miami as the school itself had a major football reputation but didn’t want to invest properly in resuming that legacy. At Boston College, there is less pressure; it’s a smaller private school where his fundraising abilities will be essential. He’s also not going to be a rising commodity like Martin Jarmond and Pat Kraft before him who will be hired away. Being replaced at Miami in a massive overhaul of athletics was embarrassing for him I’m sure, but he can now settle in at a program where 8 wins and a bowl game is excellent, and the ghosts of legendary teams are nowhere to be found.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_column_text]
Fact or Fiction:
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Jordan Addison is now in the best position for any WR in the country
Farrell’s take: FICTION
Addison improved his situation greatly going from Kedon Slovis at Pitt to Caleb Williams at USC and to a much more talented roster. But this is easy — no one is in a better situation than Jaxon Smith-Njigba at Ohio State. Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson are gone, CJ Stroud is back and the running game will keep teams off balance. To me it’s Smith-Njigba and then Addison in the best situations for the elite wide receivers with Xavier Worthy and Kayshon Boutte a ways behind.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_column_text]
Fact or Fiction:
Lincoln Riley is the hottest new coach on the recruiting trail
Farrell’s take: FICTION
If Marcus Freeman wasn’t killing it at Notre Dame this would be an easy FACT but let’s be honest — what Freeman is doing at a high academic school in the middle of nowhere is much more impressive in this NIL world than what Riley is doing in LA. USC recruiting is going very well and the reaction of 2024 5-star QB DJ Langway to me the other day after a visit saying “it was a game-changer” isn’t surprising to me. USC will dominate west coast recruiting and start to recruit nationally with the Alabamas and Georgias of the world. But I’ve never seen a start like this at Notre Dame — ever. The feeling of family and culture that Freeman is selling reminds me of how Dabo Swinney started his approach at Clemson. And we all saw where that led — two national titles. Notre Dame has a harder road but Freeman is leading the new coaches to me.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
