Fact or Fiction: Alabama should be concerned about Justice Haynes
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney along with Jeremy Birmingham of DottingTheEyes.com, Russell Johnson from TideIllustrated.com and Jason Higdon from 1standTenFlorida.com tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. Alabama should be pretty concerned that No. 1 RB and Crimson Tide commit Justice Haynes will be at the Georgia game this weekend.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. I don’t think Alabama should be sweating bullets just yet. The No.1 running back in the 2023 class had every opportunity in the world to commit to Georgia, he’s a legacy, so much made sense for him to pick the Bulldogs and he still chose Alabama. My understanding is that Richard Young’s commitment to the Crimson Tide is well only reinforces Justice Haynes’ pledge instead of making him look elsewhere. I wouldn’t be stunned at all if Haynes were to flip to Georgia because of all the connections but I doubt seeing the Georgia/Oregon game is going to be the impetus to do it. It’s something to watch but to be pretty concerned? Not yet.
Johnson’s take: FACT. As long as Justice Haynes is unsigned, there will be reason for concern on the Alabama side in regards to UGA. The connections to the Georgia program around Haynes haven't gone anywhere, and won't anytime soon. The visit for the Georgia game this weekend at the Benz could honestly just be Haynes and his family wanting to check out one of the weekend's marquee games. When you factor that in along with the fact that he and UGA still regularly communicate, there is reason to believe there may still be some smoke for the Crimson Tide to get through before feeling comfortable with the four-star's commitment status.
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2. Cormani McClain and Dijon Johnson are both visiting Florida this weekend. Both will end up with the Gators.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. It definitely could happen. There’s no doubt in my mind that Florida leads for Dijon Johnson and that Cormani McClain could definitely end up in the class as the Gators and Alabama lead for him and then Miami is right there as well. The Crimson Tide probably hold the edge for McClain now, though, and if Utah comes in this weekend and really dominates this matchup then it might even hurt the Gators in the pursuit of the five-star. There’s a solid chance both Johnson and McClain end up playing in Gainesville. But with Alabama right there I’m not confident enough to say it will definitely happen.
Higdon’s take: FACT. Coach Billy Napier and the Gators are one of the hottest teams on the recruiting trail as they head into the season opener Saturday night. Napier, Patrick Toney and Corey Raymond have done a fantastic job recruiting McClain and Johnson. Both are coming back to The Swamp as the Gators host Utah. Both families will be in town this weekend to witness a home opener with more energy, excitement, and electricity than Gator fans have seen in years. The Gators have done a tremendous job focusing on select recruits within the borders of the Sunshine State while being very selective when looking outside the state. They will continue to be the top state recruiting program and land both McClain and Johnson. The only thing left is for Gator Nation to have a little bit of patience.
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3. Ohio State should love where it stands with 2024 five-star WRs Jeremiah Smith and JoJo Trader, as both are expected to visit this weekend.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. When it comes to Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State is the front-runner right now and there was talk that he was seriously considering a commitment but decided to hold off. The Buckeyes should feel great there. As for JoJo Trader, that’s a lot more unclear. The new five-star said this week that Miami holds the edge in his recruitment and I have no reason to question that. If the Hurricanes put together a strong season that that gap between them and other teams could widen. There are many reasons why Ohio State should like its positioning with Smith and Trader but when it comes to the latter, I wouldn’t say the Buckeyes should “love” where they stand just yet.
Birmingham’s take: FACT. There is certainly confidence in Columbus as it pertains to Ohio State’s standing for five star wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and JoJo Trader, though things are a little less optimistic when it comes to Trader. While both are expected at Ohio State this weekend it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Trader stayed back in Florida and Smith made the trip solo. Ohio State has prioritized both players for more than a year, but questions about whether or not Trader prefers the idea of playing defense have arisen. Bottom line? If JoJo Trader wants to play wide receiver, there’s a very good chance that both he and Jeremiah Smith headline Brian Hartline‘s next haul of pass catchers.