Fact or Fiction: Alabama has a real shot to flip Domani Jackson
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney and national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman along with AJ Jacobson from DuckSportsAuthority.com and Andrew Bone from BamaInsider.com tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. After his visit, Alabama has a real shot to flip five-star cornerback Domani Jackson.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I was surprised how much ground Alabama has made up in Domani Jackson’s recruitment after his visit. The five-star is still super close with USC interim coach Donte Williams and if he’s retained by the new coaching staff then it could be tough to pull him away from the Trojans. It’s expected Williams stays on the USC coaching staff. But Alabama is now the most serious contender to flip the Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei standout and after his weekend visit, if he ends up with the Crimson Tide it would no longer be a major surprise.
Bone’s take: FACT. Alabama has heavily pursued Jackson for a very long time. He speaks with the Crimson Tide almost on a daily basis. He visited Tuscaloosa during the summer and returned for his much-anticipated official visit this past weekend. Jackson loves the structure and organization of Alabama’s program. He is also a big fan of the way Alabama develops its players, on and off the field. Nick Saban considers Jackson a top priority and the five-star defensive back felt the love during his return to Tuscaloosa. Alabama is a very serious threat to flip him away from USC. It flipped former Mater Dei quarterback Bryce Young, now a Heisman contender for the Tide, away from the Trojans in the 2020 class. Jackson will likely wait to see who is hired as the next head coach at USC before making a final decision, but Alabama has gained a lot of ground since his official visit.
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2. After not showing up at Texas A&M last weekend, it’s almost definite that Kelvin Banks will stick with his Oregon commitment.
Gorney’s take: FACT. If Kelvin Banks went to College Station this past weekend, I would say all bets are off. Texas A&M had a phenomenal environment for that game, landed commitments from five-star Walter Nolen and four-star Chris Marshall and that setting could have gotten Banks thinking. But it did not happen. Banks told me he is considering a possible trip to Texas but the sense I’m getting is that he’s locked in with Oregon and that’s very good news for the Ducks because he’s arguably the best offensive tackle in the class.
Jacobson’s take: FACT. Banks is one of the best offensive line prospects in the nation for the class of 2022, so it is no surprise that after his July commitment to Oregon, numerous schools are not ready to raise the white flag. After all, Eugene, Ore., is a long way from Sam Houston Parkway. Several times now, Banks has had visits to other schools in the works and last weekend was scheduled to take a trip to Texas A&M. To the disappointment of Aggie coaches amid their big win over Auburn, he did not make it to College Station. Banks has been clear in his commitment to Oregon on social media even as rumors swirled due to his expected visit. His decision to skip the trip last weekend reinforces that. Teams will continue to pursue him, and nothing is certain in recruiting. But all signs right now point to Banks almost certainly signing with Oregon.
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3. Ole Miss will end up flipping either Devin Brown or Walker Howard.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Ole Miss is looking for a quarterback. Devin Brown and Walker Howard are dealing with coaching changes at their respective schools and the feeling is one has to flip to the Rebels. My bet right now would be Brown, who is also being heavily pursued by Ohio State, Texas and others. But Brown could be tempted to play for Lane Kiffin and the outstanding play-calling that Matt Corral has enjoyed there. Ohio State seems like a stretch with such a loaded QB room. Howard is more of a wild card and I still think he sticks with LSU unless he really dislikes the new hire. I doubt he will. So if Howard sticks with LSU, I’ll go with Brown because it’s probably unlikely the new USC staff retains offensive coordinator Graham Harrell.
Spiegelman’s take: FICTION. Ole Miss needs a quarterback in this 2022 class and as the Early Signing Period inches closer, a pair of elite quarterbacks committed elsewhere sit at the top of Lane Kiffin and Jeff Lebby's wish list. On one hand, there's Rivals100 signal-caller Brown, a USC commitment that has already visited Ole Miss as we wait for the Trojans to name their next coach and play-caller. That should go a long way in figuring out whether Brown will stick with the Trojans. Five-star Howard remains solid to LSU amid Ed Orgeron's firing and like Brown, is in wait-and-see mode until the Tigers find their new offensive coaches. Howard visited Notre Dame and was scheduled to see Oxford, but LSU remains in a good spot at the moment.