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Published Mar 17, 2022
Three-Point Stance: Transfer RBs, player fits, NFL Draft sliders
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Mike Farrell  •  Rivals.com
Rivals National Columnist

Rivals national columnist Mike Farrell is here with the top transfer running back additions, five offensive players who are perfect scheme fits and a few elite prospects who could drop out of the NFL Draft's first round.

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1. THE TOP RUNNING BACK TRANSFER ADDITIONS 

I’ll continue my look at the top players from the transfer portal today with the running backs led by a darkhorse candidate for the Heisman Trophy.

1. Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama - Alabama continues to reload at running back with a guy who is going to be a perfect fit in their system. Gibbs is a phenomenal pass-catcher out of the backfield and is very tough between the tackles.

2. Travis Dye, USC - Dye put up great numbers last season at Oregon, accumulating nearly 1,700 total yards and scoring 18 touchdowns. He joins a Trojans offense that is sure to be explosive in Lincoln Riley's first season.

3. Zach Evans, Ole Miss - The former five-star transferred from TCU to Ole Miss and will be the feature back immediately. He's got all the talent in the world, and you know that Lane Kiffin will find a way to maximize him from day one.

4. Tiyon Evans, Louisville - The No. 2 back for Tennessee last season, he showed explosiveness when he got the chance to touch the ball. He's a great fit for the Cardinals.

5. Henry Parrish, Miami - Parrish heads back home to Miami from Ole Miss where he'll have a chance to be RB1 from the start. He's super shifty and could be used in a very similar manner to the way that Mario Cristobal used Travis Dye last season.

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2. FIVE OFFENSIVE PLAYERS THAT ARE PERFECT FITS

Here are five offensive players that fit their programs like a glove.

1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State - The Buckeyes have become the go-to school for wide receivers over the past decade, and they've got their next superstar in JSN. In an interview with Kirk Herbstreit last year, future first-rounders Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson both said Smith-Njigba is the best athlete in the room, and he showed that off in Ohio State's huge Rose Bowl victory, racking up over 300 yards.

2. Bijan Robinson, Texas - Texas has a long history of super productive backs and Robinson has already proven that he has the talent and durability to be the next guy in a lineage that dates back to Earl Campbell. A tough-nosed runner with breakaway speed, Robinson is arguably the best back in the nation and with Steve Sarkisian we will continue to see more of that Najee Harris role.

3. Kendall Milton, Georgia - The Dawgs have had a litany of versatile backs in the past, and Milton is another one. With James Cook and Zamir White off to the pros, it's his turn to show the nation that he's deserving to be in the conversation with Knowshon Moreno, Sony Michel, Nick Chubb, Todd Gurley and the rest.

4. Michael Mayer, Notre Dame - Before he got injured last season, Mayer was the most unguardable tight end in the country. The Irish have gotten huge production out of the tight end position for nearly 20 years, with Kyle Rudolph, Tyler Eifert and Cole Kmet all being focal points of their offense over the years.

5. Mario Williams, USC - Williams transferred to USC from Oklahoma to join up with former Sooners Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams, and he fits the mold of the prototypical Trojans receiver. An explosive yet fluid route runner, he'll fit right in with the receivers that we've seen since the turn of the century in South Central Los Angeles. People underestimate the way he and Caleb Williams will develop together.

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3. HIGH-PROFILE PLAYERS THAT COULD SLIDE IN THE NFL DRAFT

Finally, I mentioned some first-round steals on Tuesday but what about some big-name guys who could slide?

LB Nakobe Dean, Georgia — Dean didn’t test at all during the NFL Combine and didn’t run at his pro day this week so questions will linger. As a smallish linebacker he could fall from a potential top-15 pick to the end of round one or into round two if he can’t put together a 40 time. It shouldn’t matter but we all know it does.

DT DeMarvin Leal, Texas A&M — Talk about a player who was high on the boards of many and who has slipped. Leal was considered a potential top-10 pick by many before the season and now it’s clear he’s falling out of the first round after a solid but unspectacular season and an average combine.

CB Derek Stingley Jr., LSU — He was a lock for a top-five pick heading into the season but poor play and more injuries have led to the question — are we getting 2019 Stingley Jr. who was the best player as a freshman on the national title team or the Stingley of the last two seasons?

DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon — This slide hasn’t really been projected by many yet and it might not happen at all but every scout and personnel guy I speak to questions Thibodeaux's love of football. It’s interesting.

OL Kenyon Green, Texas A&M — He was a late first-rounder heading into the season, shot up to a possible top-15 pick and now is back again at the end of the first round. I think he could slip to the second round.

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