Rivals national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman is joined by national recruiting director Adam Gorney, national recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr. and OrangeBloods.com‘s Jason Suchomel to tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
1. Georgia will sign both five-star defensive tackles in the 2025 Rivals250.
Gorney: FACT. After speaking with Elijah Griffin a couple years ago and closely following his recruitment, I would be very surprised if he ended up anywhere but Georgia. It’s almost a guarantee he ends up in the Southeast and the Bulldogs have been a standout for a long time. The real question surrounds Justus Terry, who had been committed to Georgia and then flipped to USC after visiting there in late March. Instead of going full-tilt into trying to flip Terry back, Georgia coach Kirby Smart and his staff smartly took their time, let things settle and then slowly brought the Manchester, Ga., standout back into the fold with visits to Athens. This one feels very much like Mykel Williams, who got enamored with everything USC had to offer during a spring visit only to end up with the Bulldogs. We’ll see how it plays out but I’d guess both end up at UGA.
Spiegelman: FACT. Fact may be a stretch here. Griffin’s recruitment is as close to the vest as any recruit in this cycle. South Carolina, Miami, Oregon and even USC have in-roads with the five-star defensive lineman from South Georgia, but Kirby Smart and Tray Scott have gotten Griffin on campus more than any other program, and in this particular case, the home-state school has a strong edge with Scott as well as his family. Terry, a one-time Georgia pledge now committed to the Trojans, has already been back to Athens. This seems destined for another twist or turn, or two, but the early indication is that Georgia doesn’t plan to shift gears. That instills some confidence that Smart and Scott will get this done.
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2. Vernell Brown III will be the next five-star receiver in this cycle.
Garcia: FACT. Very few prospects have risen up the ranks like Vernell Brown has in the last year, but the two-way star continues to dominate in every setting. More likely a wide receiver than defensive back in college, Brown has showcased time and time again why he is among the most dynamic players in the class regardless of position. Throw in the high-floor polish at wide receiver, length to his frame and competitiveness to win in just about every setting – and Brown also projects as a safer recruit to bet on compared to others within striking distance.
The Under Armour All-American, who also won Wide Receiver MVP at the Rivals Camp Series in Miami in April, will factor into the return game at the next level as well.
Spiegelman: FICTION. Brown has been one of the true standouts of the offseason thus far, and that’s ahead of some of the pivotal June events on deck next month. He vaulted up 23 spots in the updated Rivals250, but there’s a handful of other four-star receivers right on the cusp of adding a fifth star, and that includes several more from his own state such as Jaime Ffrench and Dallas Wilson, who also have claims here.
One receiver that may be the closest is Ackerman (Miss.) Choctaw County four-star Caleb Cunningham. Like Brown, Cunningham dominated on both sides of the ball as a junior, and was equally as proficient playing hoops and in certain track and field events. Cunningham’s physical skills are off the charts – with the ability to high-point the football, to stretch the field vertically and also pile up yardage in space. He also has a massive catch radius and sticky hands – and a strong chance to be the next five-star receiver in this cycle.
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3. Texas is LSU’s biggest threat to recruiting elite talent inside the state of Louisiana.
Suchomel: FACT. It feels like over the past decade or so, Alabama and Nick Saban were usually the ones going head-to-head with LSU for elite talent in the state of Louisiana. With a coaching change in Tuscaloosa, it’s starting to feel more and more that LSU and Texas have been and will be battling it out for some top talent, both in Louisiana and in Texas.
Other SEC programs will certainly continue to recruit Louisiana heavily since it’s a state loaded with talent, but Steve Sarkisian has openly stated that the Longhorns would like to try to dip into the Pelican State for players due to some staff connections to the state from guys such as Terry Joseph and Brandon Harris. I expect that will only increase with Texas officially joining the SEC and it should shape up for some interesting recruiting battles in the coming years.
Spiegelman: FACT. LSU coaches have always had a massive upper hand recruiting in their backyard. The biggest obstacle was when former LSU and Alabama head coach Nick Saban entered the fray, which paved the way for some historic recruiting battles for the likes of Leonard Fournette, Landon Collins, Dylan Moses, Sage Ryan and more. The Alabama offer still carries a ton of weight, and national offers from Georgia, Ohio State and others often move the needle in Louisiana, too. However, since Steve Sarkisian‘s arrival in Austin, there is no doubt the Longhorns have become the biggest thorn in LSU’s side.
This Texas staff has evaluated prospects at a very high clip and recruited them even better. GM Brandon Harris has ties to Louisiana and DB coach Terry Joseph has consistently given them a foot in the door. Compound that by Sarkisian’s personal touch in recruiting from the head coaching position, a change of conference and one of the country’s best up-and-coming rosters, and the Longhorns are a program geared to continue to recruit Louisiana and nationally at an elite level.