Fact or Fiction: Caleb Williams will choose Wisconsin
In today’s Fact or Fiction national columnist Mike Farrell looks at three big recent topics in college football and decides whether each statement is indeed FACT or if it’s FICTION.
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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK
PREVIEWS: Will there be a new No. 1 OT? | Should Alex Styles be top 10?
MONDAY: Five-star countdown | Meet the new five-stars
TUESDAY: Rivals250 released | Gorney's thoughts | Biggest movers | Five toughest questions we faced | Who should be the No. 1 WR?
WEDNESDAY: Offensive position rankings released | Five schools that should be pleased | QBs who are the best fit | RBs who are the best fit | WRs/TEs who are the best fit | OL who are the best fit
THURSDAY: Defensive position rankings released | Three-star with most potential
FRIDAY: State rankings released
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1. Caleb Williams will choose Wisconsin.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. Let me preface this by saying I think this could be cool. Caleb Williams and Braelon Allen in the backfield would remind me of Russell Wilson and Montee Ball a decade ago. And for those who think all Wisconsin knows how to do is run the football, remember Wilson’s one season in which he threw for 3,175 yards and 33 touchdowns while finishing ninth in the Heisman balloting.
The rumors began when Baltimore Ravens tight ends coach Bobby Engram began being mentioned as the next offensive coordinator at Wisconsin. Engram is apparently a longtime family friend of the Williams family and has a great relationship with Caleb. But I’d still be stunned. NIL is supposed to be playing a huge role in Williams' decision, and USC still provides the best opportunity there.
The last I heard it was LSU making the biggest push of late. It would be cool to see Williams at Wisconsin, but I don’t see it.
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2. USC is relying on the transfer portal too much.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. This is what Lincoln Riley needs to do as he revamps the roster. He will use the portal throughout his time at USC, but he won’t lean on it like he is this year.
And you can’t really turn away talents such as WR Mario Williams, RB Travis Dye or Caleb Williams, if he wants to come. The portal is important, but Riley knows this will be his one and only really small high school class at USC.
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3. The SEC should have pushed for a year off for in-conference transfers.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. Remember when this was a discussion last season when LB Henry To’oto’o was supposedly leaning to Ohio State because the SEC might force in-conference transfers to sit out a year? I’m so glad that didn’t happen and this year we are seeing more SEC-to-SEC transfers than ever before, led by players such as WR Jermaine Burton (UGA to Alabama) and CB Eli Ricks (LSU to Alabama).
Yes, of course this makes Alabama better, but let’s not overlook teams like Arkansas getting some key in-conference transfers that could make them hard to deal with next season.
Some SEC coaches I spoke to last year felt the conference would cannibalize itself without a deterrent, but that’s not the case. It’s making things more interesting than ever.