Fact or Fiction: Oregon should be a preseason top 10 team
National recruiting director Mike Farrell and national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
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CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
MORE FACT OR FICTION: Florida will land RB Zach Evans | Clemson will dominate 2021 recruiting
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1. The one-time transfer rule is a good one.
Farrell’s take: FACT. Now that the ACC has agreed with the Big Ten that players should be allowed to transfer schools one time without penalty, we all know the rest of the conferences will follow suit, especially if it helps calm down the name licensing push in any way. How are the two related? Some think the NCAA will cave on the transfer issue in order to dig in against name licensing.
Regardless, this is a great step toward allowing players to change their minds, especially since coaches have so much freedom to leave from job to job whenever they want. You think the transfer Portal is active now? Just wait.
Gorney’s take: FACT. It’s a step in the right direction, but I still don’t think it goes far enough to address fairness issues when it comes to student-athletes. If you’re a regular student at any university and you transfer, there is no sitting out, there is no penalty. Coaches are almost encouraged to take other jobs and then applauded when they get raises. Why athletes are penalized for doing what any other student does is completely unfair and outrageous. Position coaches leave, head coaches leave, professors leave, students leave - but if you’re an athlete you get penalized? Allowing a one-time transfer is a good step, but not nearly enough to address this problem.
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2. Oregon should be a preseason top 10 team.
Farrell’s take: FACT. The ESPN FPI Top 10 came out this week and Oregon wasn’t ranked in the top 10. The top 10 went as follows: 1) Clemson. 2) Ohio State. 3) Oklahoma. 4) Alabama. 5) Penn State. 6) Wisconsin. 7) Texas. 8) Texas A&M. 9) Notre Dame. 10) Georgia. There are some great teams here, but where are the Ducks? I know they lose Justin Herbert, but this is a team loaded with talent and with an amazing incoming recruiting class that should be ahead of Texas and Texas A&M at least, right?
Gorney’s take: FACT. Since 2010, Texas has had four losing seasons and only one 10-win season. So, this myth that the Longhorns are anywhere close to a top 10 team is ridiculous and completely leaning on the desire of days gone by, not what’s reality in college football today. Tom Herman’s welcome is wearing thin, he’s changed coordinators and now the Longhorns lose receivers Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay.
There are some questions about Oregon, especially at quarterback, but the roster is loaded with talent and definitely should be ranked ahead of Texas and maybe Notre Dame and Texas A&M.
3. Mel Tucker will have Michigan State recruiting at a Top 25 level.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. OK, I’ve been talking highly of Tucker as the Michigan State hire and his ability to recruit the Southeast, but when asked to put my money where my mouth is, I don’t think the Spartans will become a regular Top 25 recruiting program.
Why? The competition for the Top 25 is pretty fierce. The SEC will land 10 or 11 programs alone and we all know USC recruiting will be back to Top 25 level sooner or later. And with Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Nebraska and Wisconsin all competing for the Midwest players, along with Notre Dame, Tucker would have to pull some serious surprises out of the Southeast. 2016 was the last class that put Michigan State in the Top 25 and the Spartans seem to fall in the 30 to 40 range much more often. It’s a big ask to change that and become a Top 25 recruiting program in such a crowded recruiting area.
Gorney’s take: FACT. In only one season, Tucker got Colorado’s recruiting class to sixth in the Pac-12, which was the highest finish for the Buffaloes in Rivals history. Tucker and his staff went to Louisiana for a four-star running back who was being chased by SEC powers, he hit California hard, the JUCOs hard and he had success in Texas as well.
Don’t underestimate what Tucker can do in East Lansing. I think he’s going to do very well with in-state kids, he’s going to recruit the region hard and he’s going to be able to pick and choose some kids in the Southeast to bolster the roster. Tucker is bringing a completely different and upbeat attitude to the Michigan State job and it’s going to pay off big-time in recruiting.