Rivals national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman is joined by national recruiting analyst John Garcia, Caleb Jones of AuburnSports.com and Jeremy Birmingham of DottingTheEyes.com to tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. Deuce Knight returns to Auburn this weekend. The Tigers remain the program to watch to flip the four-star Notre Dame QB commit.
Jones: FACT. Auburn has kept the foot on the gas in its pursuit of Deuce Knight, and while two visits without a flip isn’t ideal, I still feel confident that Auburn is the team to watch for him. He’s set to return for an official visit during the weekend of Auburn’s game against Oklahoma, along with three Auburn commits. One of which is Alvin Henderson, who’s become the Tigers’ leading recruiter among commits. If Auburn doesn’t pull something off that weekend or in the days following, that confidence could begin to slip. However, I still believe Auburn is the team to watch at this point in time.
Spiegelman: FACT. Deuce Knight remains committed to Notre Dame, but there's a sense that there's an expiration date on that. Knight has made multiple visits back to the Plains since Big Cat Weekend and is expected back the next two weekends for the SEC opener against Arkansas and again for an official visit on Sept. 28 when Oklahoma comes to town. Notre Dame checked a ton of boxes for the four-star QB except for distance from home in Mississippi. Auburn was an early player for Knight and has circled back with authority since getting him back to the Plains in July. It's a matter of when, not if, he changes his mind at this rate.
2. Five-star CB Na'eem Offord will ultimately ink with the Buckeyes in December.
Birmingham: FACT. Will Na’eem Offord sign with Ohio State is a question that could have a different answer every single week between now and signing day but as of today I think the answer is yes, Offord will sign with Ohio State.
But it’s going to be a battle between now and Dec. 3 among the Buckeyes, the Oregon Ducks and the home-state Auburn Tigers because quite truthfully I don’t think we’re anywhere near the “best and final” type of NIL conversation that may very well shape the ultimate decision.
Offord truly likes Ohio State a lot. The Buckeyes have done a great job managing things with him and his family and have been gracious in allowing their prized Southern verbal to handle the recruiting process how he sees fit and that goes a long way toward holding onto things over the next two months. That said, there has already been one in-season visit to Auburn and more are likely. There’s a huge visit to Oregon on October 12 — the weekend the Buckeyes play the Ducks — that will to be navigated. The navigation should be made easier by a likely Oct. 5 visit to Columbus where the two sides are likely to get some real clarity on where things stand.
Spiegelman: FACT. Five-star CB Na'eem Offord has not yet put a pin in his recruitment as Oregon and Auburn continue to take their best shots at trying to change the elite cornerback's mind. No program has gotten Offord on campus as much as the Tigers, and the second-ranked CB in the Rivals250 has visits set to get back to Auburn and Oregon. He is eyeing a third back to Ohio State and these visits could ultimately be the catalyst between now and December when Offord makes his final decision.
The Buckeyes landed an early commitment from Offord and have staved off multiple programs so far. Relationships are a factor. So is NIL and the opportunity to play early and play in big games. Oregon and certainly Auburn are not going down easy, but there is still a sense that Ohio State is in the best position long-term with Offord. There's a long road until then, though.
3. Inside the state of Alabama, there is more than one potential five-star prospect for 2027.
Garcia: FACT. Jackson (Ala.) High School running back Ezavier Crowell has some of the most complete set of traits for the modern asks of the position despite his youth. He has a balanced build, yet home run ability with great vision and instincts on tape to boot. Crowell could very well wind up as the top back in the class when all is said and done.
There are a handful of additional candidates to potentially eye, including Crimson Tide linebacker pledge Jabarrius Garror and NFL legacy QB recruit Gunners Rivers among those already making major moves on varsity for multiple years. The state is a top-five college football producer for a reason, so it means scores of additional candidates will continue to emerge this fall and beyond.
Spiegelman: FACT. Ezavier Crowell is the No.1 running back in the top 100 for the 2027 class and is No. 12 in the country. The Jackson (Ala.) High four-star RB is one of the most explosive runners in the cycle and an absolute force to build a running game around. Crowell is already in five-star range, and there's a slew of early candidates that are promising enough to also be on the radar. Included in that group is four-star quarterback Gunner Rivers, the son of former NFL star Philip Rivers, who is carving out his own path at Fairhope (Ala.) St. Michael High.
Four-star Prattville (Ala.) High defensive tackle Elijah Brown is a force in the middle of the defensive line. He's built well for a sophomore at 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds, and moves at a different clip. We're also high on Mobile (Ala.) Williamson linebacker Ellis McGaskin, a missile-launcher from the second level of the defense. McGaskin has speed, instincts and the ability to play on three downs whether it's in coverage, pressuring the QB or defending the run. The entire state of Alabama is very promising in 2027.
