National recruiting director Mike Farrell and national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
FACT OR FICTION: Michigan is the biggest underachiever in football
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
1. Wisconsin does the best at developing underrated talent.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. Wisconsin does a great job and have put nine three-stars in the NFL Draft over the last 10 years, but keep an eye on Louisville, who continues to turn three-stars into NFL draft picks. Louisville has put 11 three-stars into the NFL Draft in the last decade, which is a very impressive number led by Jaire Alexander who became a first-rounder in 2018. TCU, Illinois, Boston College, Washington, Colorado, Mississippi State and Stanford are others that stand out but Louisville leads the way.
Gorney’s take: FACT. We can go up and down the list of players in the NFL that played at Wisconsin and almost none of them were sure-fire, high-four or five-star prospects. That means the coaching staff in Madison is developing guys almost every single year, helping them get drafted high and then many of them have long NFL careers. There are currently 36 former Badgers on NFL rosters. For so many to be under-ranked or overlooked, that’s an amazing job by the Wisconsin coaching staff.
2. Vols recruiting is gearing up.
Farrell’s take: FACT. Alabama defensive end Dylan Brooks committing to Tennessee is a great example of how Jeremy Pruitt and the Vols are starting to become a player for big names from out-of-state. Yes, Butch Jones recruited well during his time at Tennessee and didn’t show results, but there is a different feel around the Vols these days. Confidence is high in Pruitt to not only attract top prospects but develop them as well. In-state efforts are still key, but Tennessee is hitting states like Alabama, North Carolina, Florida and Georgia well and are rising in the team recruiting rankings.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Pruitt and his staff are doing an excellent job selling their vision - even if recruits cannot come to campus - and making top targets feel loved during such an odd time in recruiting. It is paying off and the Volunteers could continue to build on the success. Tennessee has the second-most commits in the SEC with only one behind Florida and a lot of the Vols’ commits are fringe four-star recruits. Building off an eight-win season will be crucial, but landing Kamar Wilcoxson and Brooks, who had been leaning toward Auburn, in recent days is a great step in the right direction.
3. USC hurt itself in the NFL Draft the most.
Farrell’s take: FACT. Two draft picks in 2020? That’s awful. This is not the way to turn around recruiting in 2021 even though things are going better for Clay Helton this time around. USC should be producing double-digit draft picks every year with its name and geographical recruiting advantage, and this lack of production speaks to poor recruiting and development. The Trojans need to step it up.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. USC definitely did not do itself any favors but I’m looking squarely at Florida State. The Seminoles only had one player drafted and it was former running back Cam Akers, who had a good career but we will always be left to wonder, what if? What if Florida State had even a decent offensive line for Akers, or the Seminoles used him in more innovative ways? What would Akers have become if he stayed committed to Alabama or ended up at Ole Miss or even Mississippi State? Akers was once called the best player ever in Mississippi - and this writer saw Walter Payton play. Florida State only had two players at the combine, too, and Stanford Samuels was not drafted. For a new coaching staff that is trying to chase Clemson in the ACC, this won’t help recruiting.
