Fact or Fiction: Alabama will finish with top-ranked 2021 class
National recruiting director Mike Farrell and national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
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MORE: Alabama has upper hand for now in recruiting rivalry vs. Georgia
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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1. Alabama will finish No. 1 ahead of Ohio State in 2021 rankings.
Farrell’s take: FACT. It’s not officially a two-team race for the 2021 recruiting title, but Alabama and Ohio State have been swapping places at the top over the last couple of weeks. Georgia, Clemson and other programs with fewer commitments could make a run, but it’s hard to bet against Alabama because they will likely have more wiggle room. We rate the top 20 prospects in each class to keep things fair, but when you can take 25 as opposed to 21 or so you have a better chance. Alabama will win it this year.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Believe it or not, watch out for Georgia again. The Bulldogs have won three-straight team recruiting titles and they might not be done yet. I’m more convinced than ever that they are now the team to beat for No. 1 overall prospect Korey Foreman.
Georgia’s run won’t end there. The Bulldogs are also the favorite for No. 2 recruit Amarius Mims, they have a legitimate shot at five-star defensive tackle Maason Smith, although LSU could also be very tough to beat, and a surprise here or there could be possible as well. If everything falls Georgia’s way, there’s a chance it could land four of the top six players in the country, which would just be incredible.
2. The Big Ten will play starting Thanksgiving weekend.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. There were rumors at the end of the week that the Big Ten was re-thinking its plan for a January start and was going to push the season up to Thanksgiving weekend. I don’t see that happening. First off, it makes zero sense to start at that time while the other conferences are in mid-season and the end of the season won’t sync up. And what’s the difference between Thanksgiving and January? The Big Ten made a rash decision to shut down the season early and now it makes no sense but to push things back until after the other conferences finish.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. There is some smoke about trying to start around Thanksgiving weekend, but I doubt it happens. Other plans include starting around New Year’s, in mid-January or post-Super Bowl, according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports. Who knows what’s going to happen because right now it’s all a guess.
The Big Ten has become an embarrassment over making such a rash decision to cancel the season so early. As other conferences move forward, the Big Ten looks reactionary and wrong. It’s absolutely hurting the schools in that conference, across football, recruiting and other sports.
Will the Big Ten start in late November? Who knows? Kevin Warren has already screwed this up once, I wouldn’t be surprised if he does so again.
3. Chase Smith is the most versatile player in Florida for the 2021 class.
Farrell’s take: FACT. I am a big Chase Smith fan and the new Miami commitment is up there with Raheim Sanders who committed to Arkansas. But Smith can do more and is better. He’ll start on defense and could play linebacker or safety there, but he has the frame to grow into a hybrid or rush end if needed. And he’s athletic enough to play tight end or even be a big receiver on offense. I love this get for Miami. As a legacy recruit (his dad Willie Smith was an elite tight end for Miami) he was a must-get and they landed him. Miami recruiting is on fire.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Smith is a good one and he’s definitely another major pickup for the Hurricanes, but I’m taking Xavian Sorey here. The four-star is rated one spot ahead of Smith and he’s phenomenal at linebacker, coming off the edge, making plays all over the defense almost like a big defensive back and then he flips to offense and is utilized all over the field there as well. What I like about Sorey is that he’s also a talented basketball player, shows great balance on the football field, he has tremendous speed and I love two-sport athletes. Smith is good, but I give the edge to Sorey.