Rivals national recruiting analyst Nick Harris, Cole Patterson of Orangebloods.com, Ben Golan of RedRaiderSports.com and national recruiting director Adam Gorney tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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MORE FACT OR FICTION: Alabama will finish with the top-ranked 2023 class
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1. Baylor keeping Austin Novosad is the biggest recruiting win in the Mid-South this summer.
Harris' take: FICTION. While it was a big deal for both Baylor and the future landscape of the Big 12 for Dripping Springs (Texas) four-star quarterback Austin Novosad to stay committed amid overtures from Notre Dame, Texas A&M and others, the Aggies landing Anthony Hill takes the summer crown for me. In what was a long-standing recruitment that began during Hill's freshman season, the Aggies weathered pressure from Texas, Ohio State, Alabama and just about every other major program in the country to keep him in the state of Texas and to make him the face of the second level of the defense.
Patterson's take: FACT. This is a close call between Novosad staying with his Baylor commitment and Anthony Hill choosing Texas A&M over Texas to end July. I give the slight edge to Novosad and Baylor due to how significant the QB position is and because of Dave Aranda being able to hold off Texas A&M, Ohio State, and Notre Dame from poaching his signal caller as his recruitment really heated up this summer. Keeping Novosad in the class is a major recruiting win for the Bears and is further evidence of the successful program that Aranda is building in Waco.
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2. Rickie Collins is the most impactful decommitment of the summer.
Harris' take: FACT. When Purdue secured an early commitment from Baton Rouge (La.) Woodlawn four-star quarterback Rickie Collins, it was viewed as a big win for the evaluating team in West Lafayette and for the offensive staff to have built that relationship the way they did. Despite Oregon and LSU getting involved in the spring, Collins remained steadfast in his commitment going into the summer, and as the summer went on it looked as though the Boilermakers maybe would have a shot at keeping him in the fold, but this week's decommitment ended those chances. If this had happened in April or May, Purdue would've been able to more effectively pivot but, with it being August, it puts the Boilermakers in a precarious position at quarterback.
Gorney's take: FICTION. Rickie Collins' decommitment from Purdue was definitely impactful and hurts Purdue's recruiting class but the Boilermakers' future could go through Brady Allen and Collins was from Baton Rouge, La., so holding off LSU would have always been tough if the Tigers stepped it up. They did get more involved and now Collins looks destined for LSU. While Chris Parson was not as highly-ranked as Collins, his decommitment from Florida State hurts because the Seminoles also missed out on Brock Glenn and they're still looking for a QB in this class. Parson looked locked in with FSU and his decommitment definitely hurts more.
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3. Jordan Sanford and Isaiah Crawford have the potential to be immediate starters at Texas Tech.
Harris' take: FACT. While Isaiah Crawford has a long way to go in his recovery from injury, I believe in his ability and technique enough to build his explosion back to be ready for spring ball in 2023. Thursday's commitment from Jordan Sanford was not only a big win for Texas Tech, but it gives the Red Raiders a versatile defensive back that can step onto campus in Lubbock and make an impact immediately, especially with a need in the secondary in 2023.
Golan's take: FICTION. Both Sanford and Crawford are immensely talented players but these days it’s not very often you see a true freshman start on defense. In Crawford’s case, he’s coming off a torn ACL and won’t play his senior season of high school. He should be ready by spring ball, which could allow him to see the field as a freshman, but I’m not sure it’s as a starter. Sanford has the better chance of the two due to how the roster is set up. Texas Tech has four super seniors expected to play big roles in the secondary. Their departure after the season combined with Sanford’s versatility to play anywhere in the secondary should give him a decent shot to be an immediate starter. In any case, both are huge lands for Joey McGuire as he and his staff look to turn around the Red Raider program.
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