Portal Fact or Fiction: Trevor Etienne, Ole Miss and KJ Jefferson

By Mark Pszonak

In today’s Fact or Fiction – Portal Edition – I look at three more transfer topics and decide whether the statement is indeed FACT or FICTION .

1. Georgia RB Trevor Etienne will rush for 1,000+ yards

Mark’s take: FICTION

Trevor Etienne’s transfer from Florida to Georgia made plenty of noise during the offseason, but how will he perform on the field? A 1,000-yard rushing season is a fair measuring stick for any running back, but I don’t see him reaching that number. In two seasons with the Gators Etienne rushed for 1,472 yards while averaging 5.9 yards per carry. He also split carries with Montrell Johnson , which obviously lowered his output. But will he receive more carries at Georgia? The issue is that the Bulldogs also like to split their carries, as they did in 2023 with Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton . While both Edwards and Milton are now gone, the Bulldogs have a loaded backfield with Roderick Robinson, Branson Robinson , and true freshman Nate Frazier , who has emerged during the summer as a player who will play in 2024. Etienne will have a very productive season, but don’t expect any eye-opening statistics as the Bulldogs will once again share the wealth in the backfield.

2. Princely Umanmielen will prove to be a more impactful addition for Ole Miss than Walter Nolen

Mark’s take: FACT

Overall, this is a good “problem” for Ole Miss to have. While both transfers were important additions, Walter Nolen was considered by many to be one of the top overall transfers during this cycle. And yes I do think Nolen’s play on the interior of the line will be vital for Ole Miss, but it will be Princely Umanmielen who will change games. With the potential to be an elite pass rusher and playmaker, he is the type of player who can win a game (or two) with a single play, and the Rebels may very well need that as they hope to make another move up the SEC ladder.

3. KJ Jefferson will lead UCF to a winning conference record

Mark’s take: FACT

In its first season in the Big 12 it was a mixed bag of results for the Knights. The positive is that they played in a bowl, but even that resulted in a loss to Georgia Tech and a 6-7 final record. But the most disappointing part of the season was a 3-6 conference record. The Knights are hoping that after a successful transfer portal cycle, led by QB KJ Jefferson , better things are coming to Orlando. With nine conference games, can the Knights win at least five? With Jefferson at quarterback and a potentially dominant rushing attack, I think they will. It won't be simple, as while TCU, Colorado, Cincinnati, BYU and Arizona State are all very winnable, the final two games against West Virginia (road) and Utah (home) are likely the toughest of the season. Overall, the Knights look better prepared for life in the revamped Big 12 this season.