Three-Point Stance: Transfer rule, surprising states, NFL Draft
Rivals National Columnist Mike Farrell is here with a look at how the NCAA is destroying lives again, the five states that pack a surprising Power Five punch and five NFL Draft questions.
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PICK YOUR POISON: Sam Howell vs. Spencer Rattler
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COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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1. NCAA SHOULD PASS ONE-TIME TRANSFER RULE NOW
Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma is holding up the transfer of quarterback Chandler Morris to TCU. Why? Because he can. Riley said he doesn’t like intra-conference transfers to be immediately eligible so he’s not giving Morris a release. It’s likely not because of Morris’ scary talent, because he’s average at best, but more about his knowledge of the Sooners' program on offense and defense after being there for a year.
This is ridiculous. Head coaches and assistant coaches can go anywhere they want without warning or permission, but Morris can’t play right away because Riley doesn’t like it. And Riley, of all coaches, has benefitted more from transfer quarterbacks than anyone in recent years.
This isn’t about Riley, though. This is about the NCAA and the conferences themselves. The one-time transfer rule was supposed to be passed last spring. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit and the transfer calendar was all over the map with no spring ball and the cancellation of seasons. It was a mess, I get it. But the NCAA was supposed to pass the one-time transfer rule again in January. And nothing happened. It’s been kicked down the road. Why? I asked a few college sources with knowledge of the NCAA doings and they told me it’s sheer laziness. They feel this could be done tomorrow if the NCAA wanted.
The ACC decided not to wait and declared a one-time intra-conference transfer rule on its own a couple of weeks ago and the hope is that other conferences will follow suit and push the NCAA to do something.
In the meantime, there are talented players like Tennessee linebacker Henry To’oto’o who are just stuck in limbo. To'oto'o is in the transfer portal and was rumored to be headed to Alabama. However, I’ve heard Alabama can’t take him until the immediate transfer rule is put in place. Josh Heupel, understandably, won’t allow To’oto’o to spring practice for the Vols unless he leaves the portal and is committed to the program. So it’s a waiting game for all parties.
If the rule isn’t passed, To’oto’o could possibly go back to Tennessee. If it is passed, Alabama will have a better idea of its roster for the fall. As one source told me, the NCAA is putting a lot of these players in a really tough spot. Chandler Morris is among them.
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2. STATES THAT PACK A SURPRISING AMOUNT OF POWER FIVE PUNCH
No one would fault you for assuming that talent-rich states such as Texas, Florida and California would easily boast multiple, successful Power Five programs. Maybe you would even think that Georgia would be up there as well. You would be wrong.
Texas A&M is good but there is no great No. 2 team in the Lone Star State right now. The Gators are good and Miami is OK, but that's it. Every Power Five program in California is mediocre or underachieving. And Georgia? The Bulldogs are great, Georgia Tech is not.
So what states are the best? It’s surprising.
1. Oklahoma — Forget Texas, it’s Oklahoma that produces more winners with the Sooners constantly winning Big 12 titles and the Cowboys consistently posting good records. The consistency has been impressive for this 1-2 punch.
2. Iowa — The Hawkeyes are always a bowl team and finished with six-straight wins last year while Iowa State has really made this an interesting state to follow under Matt Campbell. The Cyclones are now regular Big 12 contenders.
3. Indiana — Purdue isn’t good but Notre Dame went to the playoff last year and Indiana had a very good season and gave Ohio State all it wanted. And with Michael Penix Jr. and Ty Fryfogle back and a solid defense the Hoosiers should be good this year as well.
4. Alabama — I don’t need to say anything about the Crimson Tide and Auburn has been up and down. Even with the uneven season in 2020, the Tigers are still better than most states' No. 2 team and ‘Bama might as well be an NFL squad.
5. Ohio — OK, I’m cheating here because Cincinnati is a Group of Five team, but would you take Ohio State and the Bearcats over Florida and Miami? Or over Texas A&M and Texas? You probably would.
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3. FIVE NFL DRAFT QUESTIONS
Pro Days are being held across the country and, with no NFL Combine this year, it seems as if the draft process is generating more questions than answers. Here are five question that just recently cropped up.
1. Is Caleb Farley out of the first round discussion? With back surgery on deck at the worst time, Farley won’t participate in Virginia Tech’s Pro Day later this week. This is terrible timing because Farley opted out of the 2020 season, meaning he hasn't been on the field since 2019. Now some think he will slip out of the first round, but I don’t see it happening. Someone will still value Farley in the first round. This surgery is minor and he will be ready for training camp. Don’t push him out yet.
2. Is Rondale Moore a first rounder? Moore’s 4.29 40 yard dash and 42.5 vertical are out of this world but he measured in at 5-foot-7 and I think that will keep him from being drafted in the first round. I had viewed him as a third-rounder because of questions about his durability, probably round two now.
3. Did Tyler Vaughns fall to the end of the draft? Vaughns ran a 4.69 40 yard dash at the USC Pro Day Wednesday and that won’t help his stock. He's a big-bodied receiver with a four-year college resume, so I still think he lands in the fourth or fifth round. A surprising time like in the mid-4.5 range could have moved him up but he will likely slip a bit.
4. Is Azeez Ojulari the top DE in the draft? I still like Gregory Rousseau better but Ojulari could be making a case. He ran a 4.6 at 6-foot-2 and 249 pounds and did an impressive 28 bench press reps at 225 pounds. He’s not super long and he’s a hybrid at the next level but he’s shown how powerful he is and his explosion is off the charts. Ojulari is not DE1 yet, but is a first-rounder.
5. Is Trevon Moehrig falling? No. He had a solid but not spectacular Pro Day and ran a 4.5 and said he can run better but who cares? Watch the tape. This is a top-10 talent in the draft.