Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney is joined by national recruiting analyst Adam Friedman, Mark Passwaters of AggieYell.com and Jefferson Powell from DeathValleyInsider.com to tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
1. Five-star OL David Sanders visits Nebraska and Tennessee this weekend. He will end up at one of those two schools.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Prior to this weekend, I felt David Sanders Jr. was pretty close to locked up for Ohio State but a lot of times after months of calculations and research, emotions win out in recruiting. No program has done a better job than Nebraska down the stretch here as quarterback Dylan Raiola has made Sanders a priority and his visit there was as good as it gets. Tennessee also rolled out the red carpet and showed tons of love. That could certainly change things for the five-star offensive lineman but after the post-visit high wears off and Ohio State has a chance to close here, I still think the Buckeyes look best for Sanders.
Friedman’s take: FICTION. This is a really tough call because Ohio State is viewed as the favorite for Sanders but Nebraska and Tennessee getting the last visits could tip the scales in their favor. Each of these programs are heavyweights when it comes to NIL but Sanders isn’t going to take the highest offer just because it’s the highest offer. He wants to go to a program that has proven they can develop offensive linemen and turn them into high picks in the NFL Draft. The last time a Nebraska offensive tackle was selected in the top three rounds was 1997. Ohio State and Tennessee both had an offensive lineman selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
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2. Texas A&M is now the front-runner to land four-star safety Trey McNutt after being back in College Station along with a trip to Oregon this weekend.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Texas A&M has closed the gap with Oregon in what seems like a two-team race but would I say the Aggies are now the front-runner? I would not. Before any final decisions will be made early next month, Trey McNutt wanted to get to College Station. He had a phenomenal visit there, the community rallied around him and it made a major impression. But Oregon has been the leader for some time now in his recruitment and he was back out in Eugene for the Saturday Night Live camp. Texas A&M is right there for him and definitely could get a commitment but it’s not the front-runner. He might not have one right now.
Passwaters’ take: FACT. The Aggies have put in quite an effort to sway McNutt over the past month and certainly seem to have the momentum in his recruitment. McNutt’s decision to delay his commitment until next week sure seemed to favor the Aggies, as does the prospect of his family moving to the Houston area. Add in another visit this week and it’s not hard to see why the Aggies would feel good about this one.
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3. After his weekend visit to LSU, the Tigers should emerge as the favorite for five-star DL Jahkeem Stewart.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. It was a big win for LSU to get five-star defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart back to campus but the New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine standout has made it clear – over and over again – that he’s not only looking at staying home but wants the best development for his NFL dreams. That could certainly be at LSU and the track record of the Tigers keeping the No. 1 prospect in the state of Louisiana is compelling but I don’t think Stewart is ready to make his choice.
He’s loved USC and Oregon. Ohio State is really compelling. Texas is one to watch. But LSU is definitely right there now as well as he has a ton of respect for that staff and the history is on the Tigers’ side of getting the best players to stay home. But is LSU the favorite? Not yet.
Powell’s take: FICTION. Allow me to preface this by saying LSU should and will be in the mix for Stewart likely down to the wire until that LOI is signed. But Stewart hasn’t seemed overly affected by the Tigers’ in-state sway to date and has continued to maintain that his options are 100 percent open. He was surrounded by elite talent this weekend in Baton Rouge, and another strong visit does nothing but help the Tigers’ chances but with the way the New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine product has been conducting himself throughout the recruiting process I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see him exit the weekend with that same standing that all schools are equal as he doesn’t appear to be close to making a decision just yet.
But make no mistake, the Tigers getting him on campus for Bayou Splash is a big win and does help their chances, I’m just not sure it’s enough to propel them to the top of the list as the lone front-runner at this point in the process.
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