Three-Point Stance: Jordan Addison, Sam Howell, linemen on the rise

Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Friedman takes a look at the Jordan Addison situation, remembers former North Carolina and current Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell and a few linemen on the East Coast that could be on the rise.

*****

MORE THREE-POINT STANCE: Jameson Williams' rise, Indiana, underranked prospects | Red Raiders rolling, busy May, rankings debates

CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State

CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State

TRANSFER PORTAL: Stories/coverage | Message board

RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Info for 2022 series

*****

What a time to be alive, right? Watching the transfer portal and Name, Image and Likeness turn the college football world on its head is really fun if you're a spectator. Not so much if your team is one of the many losing its best player(s). But hey, welcome to the free market, aka the job market every adult in America gets to experience.

Personally, I love that players actually have the freedom to transfer at will and earn whatever the market is willing to pay them. It's what is right. I do feel for a team like Pittsburgh, which is losing its best player. Jordan Addison, the iconic Panther and Biletnikoff Award winner, announced Tuesday he is entering the transfer portal. Love it or hate it, this is the world we live in now. Still, if I'm a Pitt fan or Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi I'm out for blood, so to speak. I'd be digging for evidence of tampering like my life depended on it.

But even the most avid fans – if they take a step back for a moment and really assess the situation – can't possibly fault Addison and thousands of other athletes for taking advantage of the perfectly legal opportunities in front of them. Potential (and yet unproven) tampering allegations aside, Addison has the right to play wherever he wants and earn however much potential sponsors want to play him.

You want him to abide by a higher moral standard and stick with the school that has helped him so much? Why should Addison be held to a higher standard than his offensive coordinator and position coach from last season? Pitt's offensive coordinator last season, Mark Whipple, left for Nebraska in the offseason and signed a contract that will pay him $875,000 this season and $900,000 next season. Brennan Marion, Pitt's receivers coach last season, hasn't coached at the same school for more than one year since he was coaching at Howard during the 2017 and 2018 seasons, going from there to William & Mary to Hawaii to Pittsburgh and now to Texas after signing a lucrative contract with the Longhorns in December.

Justyn Ross, a former Clemson receiver, was on track to be a first-round pick after a freshman season during which he posted 1,000 receiving yards. He went undrafted this past weekend after having multiple neck and back surgeries over the last couple years. Ross signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent for an undisclosed amount, but these types of contracts are usually valued at or close to the league minimum.

Good for Whipple and Marion for capitalizing on their successes. Why should any of us feel differently about Addison trying to do the same thing and, at the same time, trying to avoid the financial kneecapping that Ross is having to endure?

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH PITTSBURGH FANS AT PANTHER-LAIR.COM

For whatever reason, former North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell was available in the fifth round, and (my) Washington Commanders jumped at the chance to bring him in.

For those that remember, Howell was a player I pushed for in the 2019 rankings cycle. He finished just outside the Rivals100 and he went on to have an outstanding career at North Carolina. He was a Heisman candidate after his impressive sophomore campaign, but Howell had a more difficult junior season due to some key offensive weapons leaving for the NFL and issues along the offensive line.

I met Howell during his freshman year at Monroe (N.C.) Sun Valley and grew close with him and his family during the recruiting process. He didn't impress on-the-hoof as a high school prospect but he threw the ball with plenty of power and seemed to have that "it" factor. By the time he finished his senior season, Howell had all the tools to play at a very high level. The drama surrounding his decommitment from Florida State and his decision to stay in-state at North Carolina weighed on him heavily.

Whatever deficiencies Howell may have, he'll have some time to get his feet under him in Washington and I – as a fan of his since 2016 and of his NFL team for as long as I can remember – look forward to watching his development.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH UNC FANS AT TARHEELILLUSTRATED.COM

We're about to enter the heart of camp season on the East Coast and there are a handful of underrated linemen I expect to make a splash at various events during the next month or two.

On defense, Jamaal Jarrett, Xzavier McLeod and Daevin Hobbs have each already made a strong case for a jump in the next rankings update. I'm also looking forward to performances from Dashawn Womack, Penn State commit Jameial Lyons and 2024 standout Dylan Stewart. Seeing each of them work extensively against other Power Five prospects will give everybody a good grasp of where they are in their development process.

On the other side of the ball, I'm watching for offensive linemen Tosin Babalade, Antonio Tripp and Logan Howland. Babalade and Howland have seen their recruitments explode over the last month or so, and I'm eager to see both test themselves. Tripp has come a long way since we first saw him during his freshman year. The Miami commit is listed as guard but could easily move to center at the next level. Tripp's performances in the coming months will give us outstanding insight into how high he could be ranked if he were to switch to center.