Fact or Fiction: Alabama is the team to beat for Jahlil Hurley
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney along with national recruiting analysts Clint Cosgrove, Adam Friedman and Ryan Wright tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State | JUCO
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1. With Jahlil Hurley's commitment expected later this month, Alabama is the team to beat for the four-star cornerback.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Jahlil Hurley grew up an Alabama fan and while he keeps to himself a lot when it comes to his recruitment it’s pretty clear the Crimson Tide are the team to beat in his recruitment. The four-star loves coach Nick Saban, has a great relationship with Freddie Roach and now having Travaris Robinson could be the icing on the cake. Hurley is expected to commit later this month and I’d be very surprised if it wasn’t Alabama.
Wright’s take: FACT. Hurley’s commitment was delayed and a visit to Tuscaloosa canceled, spreading speculation that Alabama may have a contender in the mix, but by all accounts, he appears to be staying in-state for college. Saban and Roach have let Hurley know he is a priority not only during his visit but by also stopping by his Florence High School for a visit. The others in contention: Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Penn State and Texas A&M.
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2. Arch Manning has locked up the No. 1 spot in the 2023 class and will be tough to beat.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Arch Manning could easily end up as the No. 1 prospect in the 2023 class. His knowledge, grasp of the position, arm talent and lineage will all have to be considered as we work through the top of the Rivals250. But it’s no guarantee at all. This quarterback group alone is absolutely loaded with Manning, Malachi Nelson, Dante Moore and Nico Iamaleava leading the way there. Wide receiver Brandon Inniss is basically unstoppable and then the offensive and defensive lines are loaded. Manning could very well end up being No. 1 but there will be major pressure along the way.
Friedman’s take: FICTION. Manning is an outstanding talent and he will be as prepared as any prospect has been to play quarterback at the college level but there are plenty of excellent prospects in this class that could challenge him for the top spot in the Rivals250. Nelson, who began the cycle as the No. 1 prospect, Inniss, Kadyn Proctor, Francis Mauigoa, David Hicks and Jayden Wayne are all worthy of some consideration. Quarterbacks are valued above all other positions, but offensive tackles and defensive ends are the next most-valued positions. It's still a little early to say Manning has locked up the No. 1 spot.
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3. Miles McVay will end up somewhere in the Big Ten.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Michigan State is going to play a big role in Miles McVay’s recruitment, Illinois has done a good job recruiting him and there’s no doubt others throughout the conference are going to stay seriously involved. But if I had to pick today it would be Missouri that lands the four-star offensive lineman. It makes sense that he would want to play with East St. Louis, Ill., teammate Luther Burden, a five-star receiver who signed with the Tigers in the 2022 class. Missouri has also clearly made McVay a priority in 2023 and he seems very receptive to it.
Cosgrove’s take: FICTION. Do I think McVay could potentially end up in the Big Ten? Yes, It could happen. I just don’t believe the Big Ten is the most likely landing spot at this point. Although he has given rave reviews about Michigan State and has some great connections to Illinois as well, there are just too many forces pulling him in a different direction. McVay will end up having nearly every big offer in the country by the end of his recruiting process. When you combine the vast number of options he will have, with how connected he is to the Missouri program and how much he has loved visits to Alabama, it becomes likely that he ends up outside of the Big Ten from a mere probability standpoint. I would be less likely to take a statistical approach to this question had there been a Big Ten team which dwarfed all of the competition right now, but as of today that is simply not the case in McVay’s recruitment.