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Rivals nationwide recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr., fellow nationwide recruiting analysts Cole Patterson and Sean Williams and longtime website writer Kelly Quinlan sort out three matters and decide whether or not they consider every assertion is FACT or FICTION.
MORE FACT OR FICTION: Missouri will land in-state five-stars Williams Nwaneri and Ryan Wingo
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1. It is time for Alabama followers to fret about Auburn on the recruiting path.
Williams: FACT. Within the final month, Auburn was in a position to flip four-star broad receiver Perry Thompson from Alabama. The Tigers additionally swooped in and flipped the No. 2 outdoors linebacker Demarcus Riddick from Georgia, a prospect Alabama was additionally closely courting. Since Hugh Freeze has been at Auburn he is been flipping so many high-profile prospects from different conventional blueblood applications that IHOP cooks are impressed. Freeze hasn’t coached his first sport at Auburn but, however he is already successful one-on-one recruiting battles with Alabama. That may add loads of fireplace within the Iron Bowl showdowns with Nick Saban.
Garcia: FICTION. I am virtually – virtually – there. Many alternative applications have challenged recruiting king Nick Saban during the last twenty years – most notably Georgia – however at completely different factors the concern meter in Tuscaloosa was extra pointed towards Florida, Florida State and even Texas A&M earlier than Auburn. However that feels so completely different within the class of 2024. Auburn has already flipped a pair of Alabama commitments, and simply as impressively it received out for Riddick over each Saban and Kirby Sensible. These splashes, particularly on protection regardless of the offensive-minded Freeze main the Tigers program, shouldn’t be neglected transferring ahead. My hesitation right here is the novelty of the brand new workers working properly on the Plains, particularly within the offseason, the place we’ve got seen many applications come and go earlier than it counts on Saturdays.
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2. Mississippi prospects proceed to land outdoors of state strains, and that is a development we should always anticipate to proceed.
Patterson: FACT. With so many components in play now, from NIL alternatives to convention realignment, it’s not tough to think about an increasing number of high gamers from Mississippi leaving the state in future. Within the 2024 cycle, Jamonta Waller and Kahnen Daniels are headed to Florida. The highest-ranked participant within the state, Kamarion Franklin, seems to be headed out of the state, as properly. That’s to not say that everyone will depart, however it’s not far-fetched to see extra high expertise wanting elsewhere.
Garcia: FACT. It is by no means straightforward to pluck elite expertise from the state of Mississippi, however with the mix of a training change in Starkville and Ole Miss‘ reliance on the switch portal – coupled with NIL motion and newer staffs like Florida and Auburn with true ties to the state – this development will not quickly decelerate. On high of that, it is all however confirmed that nationwide title contenders must recruit nationally to stay close to the mountaintop, pushing the Egg Bowl applications additional into the SEC footprint whereas the normal powers proceed to discover new territory throughout the nonetheless underrecruited state in some respects. The extra new applications – like Oklahoma and Arkansas – make waves into the state the extra fluidity we’ll proceed to see there.
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3. South Florida holds the No. 1 recruiting rating amongst Group of 5 applications. It would maintain on to that spot.
Quinlan: FACT. South Florida sits simply inside the highest 50 with 17 commits and it nonetheless has a variety of room so as to add gamers within the 2024 class. Prime targets like Keishawn Marshburn, Chenellson Exume and Dinellson Exume may all find yourself in Tampa. First-year head coach Alex Golesh and his workers have hit the bottom working with their recruiting and so they may find yourself flipping a couple of Energy 5 commits earlier than issues are throughout. Earlier than successful a single sport the Bulls have already got one of many higher courses dedicated, going again virtually a decade. In the event that they win 5 video games or extra this upcoming season they may actually shut sturdy and find yourself within the high 40 and that may give them the Group of 5 crown for this cycle.
Garcia: FICTION. Sure, gone are the runs we have seen from Cincinnati and UCF via the Group of 5 recruiting ranks, because of their promotions to the Large 12, however we’re within the infancy of this primary wave of convention realignment. Exterior of the Energy 5, it appears like so many applications might be in place to go on a deep run, particularly if the on-field product rises in shocking vogue like with Cincinnati’s School Soccer Playoff run or Louisiana’s push beneath Billy Napier. Packages like Memphis, Appalachian State, Boise State, Tulane or UTSA may get sizzling on the sector and see their recruiting instantly rise. That mentioned, USF is doing an awesome job in-state and with early evaluations, prioritizing potential Energy 5 expertise earlier than others within the state have. Its run is way from over.
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