Fact or Fiction: Portal Edition, Will Rogers, Will Howard, and is Trevor Etienne a Traitor?

Originally posted on Mike Farrell Sports
By Mike Farrell | Last updated 12/27/23

By: Mike Farrell

In today’s Fact or Fiction transfer portal edition I look at three big recent topics in college football and decide whether the statement is indeed FACT or if it’s FICTION.

Fact or Fiction

Will Rogers will put up Michael Penix Jr. kind of numbers

Farrell’s take: FICTION

Will Rogers put up some nice numbers under the late, great Mike Leach at Mississippi State so we know he can stuff a stat sheet. And we all saw what Michael Penix Jr. did under Kalen DeBoer at Washington. Now Rogers is set to be a Husky next season. But Rogers isn’t the same guy he was back then and he’s lost a lot of confidence. Penix Jr. found and new home and found himself but he was mainly recovering from an injury. Rogers is recovering from a rough season under a coach who was over his head and now he’s expected to follow in the footsteps of a Heisman contender. He will do well, but he won’t approach the seasons Penix Jr. had at Washington this season.

Fact or Fiction

Will Howard will head to Ohio State

Farrell’s take: FACT

Will Howard was suppose to be headed to USC but that seems to have fallen through so now it’s Miami and Ohio State and a few others and I’d be surprised if he didn’t land with the Buckeyes. The only question would be if he wants to be the immediate and only starter, which he should want, and if Ohio State will guarantee that. Howard could certainly start right away at Miami and probably at USC as well but Ryan Day told Kyle McCord that there would be an open QB competition and he left so it would be hard to guarantee the opposite to Howard. But I think that’s exactly what happens.

Fact or Fiction

Trevor Etienne is a traitor

Farrell’s take: FICTION

Gators fans are not happy that the Florida RB is headed to rival Georgia but most of their blame is directed to head coach Billy Napier. However, in this day and age anyone leaving for a bitter rival will be deemed a traitor and won’t receive a ton of well wishing. That being said, in the world of the transfer portal and NIL, more and more of this situations will occur and it’s all about business and not about feelings.

This article first appeared on Mike Farrell Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: