Fact or Fiction: A.J. Duffy's delay is bad news for Arizona State
National recruiting director Adam Gorney along with Jake Reuse from UGASports.com, Hod Rabino of DevilsDigest.com and Mike Singer from BlueAndGold.com tackle three topics in recruiting and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
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1. A.J. Duffy delaying his decision is bad news for Arizona State.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I still think Arizona State is the leader. But A.J. Duffy just visited ASU for its spring game over the weekend and was supposed to commit on Wednesday and has decided to hold off. That has to be a little worrisome for the Sun Devils especially since the idea is for the four-star quarterback to take trips to Michigan State and Florida State again before making his decision. I still think Duffy ends up picking Arizona State, but he’s legitimately torn among these three schools and that is bad news for the program especially since it just had him on campus again last weekend and didn’t land his pledge yet.
Rabino’s take: FICTION. Recruiting is often an exercise in patience, and Duffy's recruitment is a prime example of that. As I continue to keep tabs about his status, I still come away with a sentiment that ASU is in a great position to land him. So the delay in his decision really comes down to him wanting to be as comfortable as possible and there is no reason for the Sun Devils not to give him as much time as he needs to make up his mind.
I'm certainly not oblivious to the fact that Florida State and Michigan State are formidable opponents in these recruiting sweepstakes, but at the same time, ASU has been pursuing Duffy for the longest compared to those two schools and other suitors. His comfort level with the program hasn't taken a back seat to any other school in pursuit.
Whether ASU QB Jayden Daniels does declare for the NFL Draft following this upcoming season or stays in Tempe during Duffy's freshman year, I still believe that he should have a well-paved path to be a starter at Arizona State sooner rather than later.
All in all, I don't see any reason at this point to change my forecast of Duffy committing to Arizona State.
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2. Jordan Bryant-James' commitment hurts Georgia's chances with Branson Robinson.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. When I talked to Branson Robinson a few weeks ago, he said competition was not a problem and he knew all his top schools would be loaded at the running back position so he wasn’t worried about it. Alabama has Emmanuel Henderson committed and even though he could play another position, Robinson is not turned off by the Crimson Tide. A new offer from Clemson is definitely something to watch and could change Robinson’s recruitment significantly but I still think the Bulldogs have the edge in his recruitment (Nick Chubb comparisons don’t hurt) and it doesn’t matter that another running back is in the loop.
Reuse’s take: FICTION. Georgia was always going to take two backs in this cycle, after taking just a single player at the spot last year in Lovasea Carroll. He's now working on defense to address depth at the cornerback spot, so the future is wide open when it comes to the offensive backfield. Robinson deemed Georgia his leader a month back, and there's no doubt the Bulldogs are keeping the heat on in a major way. Right now, they still look like the team to beat, and Jordan Bryant-James shouldn't do anything to dissuade that.
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3. Notre Dame has a very real shot to land CJ Williams.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I don’t think Notre Dame is the front-runner for CJ Williams and USC is always going to play a major factor for the four-star receiver since the Trojans recruit Mater Dei players so well but, yes, Notre Dame has a real shot here. His first official visit is to South Bend and then Williams will visit Ohio State and Texas so there is still a long list of contenders for Williams – and more could be coming. Knowing the four-star receiver pretty well, Williams will love it at Notre Dame and that could very well change the trajectory of his recruitment. I do think USC and some others might have a slight edge at this point.
Singer’s take: FACT. Notre Dame has quietly been a top contender for the nation's No. 3 receiver, but the secret is out now, as the Fighting Irish staff set a tentative official visit date with Williams for June 4. Williams fits the mold of a Notre Dame kid, and receivers coach Del Alexander has worked hard in this recruitment, despite probably hearing noise that it would be a long shot. Notre Dame is a legitimate darkhorse to land Williams.