Fact or Faction: Desmond Ricks could finish as the top CB in the 2023 class
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney and national recruiting analysts Adam Friedman and Ryan Wright along with Mark Passwaters of AggieYell.com tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
*****
MORE: Elite ATH Malachi Coleman commits to Nebraska
CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals100
TRANSFER PORTAL: Stories/coverage | Message board
*****
Texas A&M's poor performance this season will hurt recruiting for the Aggies.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. The Aggies finished with an historic recruiting class in 2022 and it’s not like they killed it on the field that season and now they’re back with a top-12 recruiting class with three more five-stars to add to the roster. Texas A&M looks like a complete and utter mess on offense with no identity and that could have some anecdotal issues when it comes to losing top targets but generally Texas A&M is still recruiting as well as any team in the country. That’s the issue that people cannot square: How can A&M be recruiting such elite players and still look like this on Saturday? The coaches need to look in the mirror.
Passwaters’ take: FACT. It’s already happening. The Aggies are doing just fine recruiting on the offensive and defensive lines, linebacker and the secondary. They have no commits at the skill positions, and that’s a pretty clear indication that players are noticing the offensive problems A&M is enduring. It’s also why you can bet on the Aggies making changes on that side of the ball as soon as the season ends.
*****
Desmond Ricks could end up as the No. 1 cornerback in the 2023 class after the all-star events.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Right now, Cormani McClain has the edge and it could be a significant one. But rankings are about projection so three or four years from now who will be the better prospect? Desmond Ricks is a complete dog, super competitive, matched up against McClain, who was playing receiver, at the OT7 event and Ricks stayed stride for stride with him. It could be tough to put Ricks ahead of McClain because the latter has been so dominant for so long but it’s certainly not out of the question.
Wright’s take: FICTION. Anything is possible when the final rankings are disseminated, but Cormani McClain has a larger body of work, and more time put into his craft, giving him the upper hand. McClain is a little bit bigger and will come down the line in run support. Both are fast with a burst that allows them to blanket receivers. Ricks is deserving to be in the conversation, his hips are as smooth and quick as seemingly possible, and he will only get better. Both players are on track to be all-conference and All-American caliber players, but the extra year on the field gives McClain the advantage.
*****
Nyckoles Harbor would have a bigger impact on the offensive side of the ball.
Gorney’s take: FACT. There’s a saying in football that you’re supposed to put your best athletes on defense but Nyckoles Harbor might be a different situation because of his unique size and speed on the offensive side of the ball. For something to consider, Usain Bolt set the world record in the 100-meters at 9.58 seconds and Harbor at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds ran it in 10.29. In the track world, that’s a big difference. But on a football field that’s incredible speed for someone so big. Off the edge he’s awesome but his long speed doesn’t really play that significant a factor. Get Harbor in space on deep balls or throw him something short and let him turn on the gas, there’s no stopping him. A future on either side of the field will be bright but he could be something so rare on offense.
Friedman’s take: FICTION. It's amazing to watch some of the things Harbor can do on the field. This past weekend he racked up 251 receiving yards on five catches and scored three times. That's a wild statline in any game regardless of the competition but prior to his most recent performance Harbor had only 161 receiving yards and two touchdowns on the season. He hasn't had as great an impact on the offense as he has on the defense. Every play the offensive line has to assign multiple players to slow him down. Harbor severely limits the opposing team's vertical passing game because he can get to the quarterback so quickly. His potential to completely alter the opposition's offense is greater than what he could do on the offensive side of the ball.