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.
1. Ryan Day is a top-five coach in college football.
Farrell’s take: FICTION
As I begin to look at my off-season coaching rankings, it’s an interesting debate. Obviously, Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, and Dabo Swinney are the big three but what about after that? Jim Harbaugh has beaten Day each of the last two years and has those two Big Ten titles to brag about, while Brian Kelly was amazing at Notre Dame and is off to a hot start at LSU. And what about Lincoln Riley and some others? For me, I’d have Day outside that top five, but barely. I’ll dig in some more when I release my list.
2. Jaden Rashada will play as a true freshman.
Farrell’s take: FACT
Drew Pyne is the guy coming over from Notre Dame, but Rashada, made famous for his NIL demands, will play. He’s a mobile enough kid to put in specific packages for, and new coach Kenny Dillingham is no dummy. He knows Rashada changes his mind like his t-shirts and needs to be kept engaged. I think he sees time in every game.
3. Notre Dame is at an NIL disadvantage.
Farrell’s take: FICTION
At the NFL Draft Scouting Combine, former Notre Dame star Isaiah Foskey said he probably wouldn’t have picked Notre Dame back in 2019 had NIL been a thing. The former California high school star chose ND over Alabama, Penn State, and others, and cited some players he knows at ND who have had bigger offers to go elsewhere since NIL became huge. But I disagree. Notre Dame is still largely considered the biggest brand in all of college football, and they don’t lack rich and powerful boosters. Yes, there is a “40-year decision” aspect to a Notre Dame commitment, and some might feel it’s unseemly to pony up big dollars for recruits to a, at least in their minds, Ivy League-level academic school. But trust me when I tell you this — if ND wants to go big into NIL with collectives, they can compete with anyone.
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