Fact or Fiction: Taulia Tagovailoa is a valuable transfer
National recruiting director Mike Farrell and national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
MORE FACT OR FICTION: Conferences should play, even without all teams
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
1. Miami has an instant impact transfer in Issiah Walker.
Farrell’s take: FACT. Miami recruited Isaiah Walker heavily out of high school for a reason. This kid can play and is physically ready to make an impact. Miami needs help on the OL and Walker is a valuable addition who should see early playing time.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Walker took a circuitous route to end up at Miami with an early commitment to South Carolina and then being an early enrollee at Florida before deciding to transfer. He could be a massive addition to Miami’s offensive line that needs help and he could play right tackle or guard and that means he can fill a lot of needs. It’s a big loss for Florida and a major gain for the Hurricanes.
2. Taulia Tagovailoa is a valuable transfer.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. I gave Taulia Tagovailoa a solid impact rating because I’m afraid to undervalue another Tagovailoa but he’s an average starter at a low-tier FBS level. Tagovailoa almost fell to a three-star out of high school at the end of the process because many of us weren’t overly impressed with his development but that live arm kept us intrigued. I think he ends up at FAU or someplace similar and has an average career.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Is Taulia as talented as his brother, Tua, and would he be a star quarterback at Alabama? Probably not. But Taulia Tagovailoa is still a skilled player with a good arm who could contribute at a lower level. There are some rumors that FAU, FIU and others are involved and he could be great in some of those systems. It has to be really hard to be Tua Tagovailoa’s younger brother after he had such success, but I also believe Taulia can have a really positive impact on a college program, even if it’s not the Crimson Tide.
3. Jacorey Brooks can be as good as Amari Cooper, Calvin Ridley and Jerry Jeudy.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. I like Jacorey Brooks a lot and he will likely end up as a five-star by the end of this rankings cycle but how many times can history repeat itself? I think he will have a solid career but won't turn into an elite stars like Amari Cooper, Calvin Ridley and Jerry Jeudy did. That’s a high bar for any Florida-based wide receiver to live up to at Alabama.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Brooks is not as sudden as Jeudy and maybe the other former Alabama star receivers, but he’s still a dynamic playmaker with great hands who can be really special in the Crimson Tide offense. A big bonus for Brooks is that he’s almost certainly to be surrounded by other outstanding receivers, so he cannot be double-teamed, much like this past season at Alabama with Henry Ruggs, Jeudy and DeVonta Smith all playing star roles. Brooks is already the second-best receiver in the 2021 class so our opinion of him is high. He should be a standout in Alabama’s offense in the coming years.