I'm guessing that the majority of negative posts regarding transfers, 5th/6th year, recruiting, level of play, playing time, rankings, etc... are from people who never competed at the college level or beyond. Certainly not at a competitive level.

There are two aspects that are new (the transfer portal and the covid year). Everything else is pretty much the same as it has always been. Players (and non athlete students) have been transferring for a very long time (in all sports) this is not new. Many players (maybe most) will not get meaningful playing time at the college level (especially at competitive programs). There are many factors that contribute to how a player performs when competing a competitive/high level. Coaching, other players on the team, team philosophy/strategies/tactics/schemes, position, role etc... There is also at times a big difference between what the coaches see and what fans/parents see in terms of performance.