Fact or Fiction: Bryan Bresee, Justin Flowe, Elias Ricks
With recruiting picking back up and the college football season starting, Rivals is introducing a new feature called Fact or Fiction. National recruiting director Mike Farrell and national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney will tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals100 | Position | Team | State
MORE FARRELL: Three-Point Stance | Farrell 50 Countdown
STATEMENT: Bryan Bresee will be more productive in college than Rashan Gary.
Farrell’s take: FACT. Gary was our No. 1 overall player coming out of high school and, like Bresee, could play defensive end or defensive tackle at the next level. And, like Bresee, he had a great motor. However, Gary didn’t light the world on fire at Michigan and his career stats were less than impressive, based on the hype. Why will it be different for Bresee at Clemson? He’ll be surrounded by more defensive line talent and I think he’ll make an impact earlier. I think he’s a three-and-out kid like Gary and a first-rounder but he will get off to a quicker start in his career. Gary had 9.5 sacks in his career at Michigan. Bresee will do better than that.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I don’t think it was a mistake at all to have Gary as the No. 1 player in the 2016 class because many players behind him haven’t produced at his level and he was the No. 12 overall pick based on his athleticism and versatility in college and at the combine. But he did only have 9.5 sacks in 30 college games and dealt with some injuries so I think Bresee will be far more productive during his years at Clemson. I loved what I see from Bresee this summer at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas inside and outside and just hanging around the kid you can tell he’s determined to be great. Clemson will have elite players around him, he’ll be playing in the ACC against some weaker competition and I think Bresee will produce for the Tigers and be a top-10 pick.
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STATEMENT: Justin Flowe is the most imposing linebacker in Rivals.com history.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. He’s close but for us old timers who remember Vontaze Burfict he gets the nod for me. Flowe will certainly body slam people and is a huge hitter but Burfict was a downhill menace and had even more of a nasty streak to him if that’s possible. Both are five-stars but Burfict struck fear into the hearts of more.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Burfict played with a serious mean streak from his time at Corona (Calif.) Centennial to Arizona State and into the pros but he also earned a well-deserved reputation as a cheap shot artist. That is not Flowe’s game and that’s why I don’t like the comparison to Burfict that some people have made when it comes to the five-star linebacker. Flowe hits hard, he covers ground like a defensive back, he’s so versatile and dominant on the high school stage that players want no part of him. The five-star plays with bad intentions and wants to deliver bone-smashing hits but he does it cleanly and that’s why I like him so much.
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STATEMENT: Elias Ricks will end up in LSU’s recruiting class.
Farrell’s take: FACT. This could go either way and there are a lot of reasons to think Ricks could go elsewhere. LSU could have a disappointing season, Derek Stingley Jr. could be a star and take up one of the CB spots for the next few years and so on. But I think Ricks relationship with the LSU staff and the program's DBU reputation will keep him in the fold. Just a hunch right now, though.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I almost went fiction on this one because there are a lot of variables playing into Ricks’ recruitment but if LSU performs well this season and position coach Corey Raymond stays on the staff then I think Ricks stays with the Tigers. The DBU connection is huge to Ricks, who had six pick-sixes last season and another one in his first game at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy last weekend. Ohio State is probably the biggest competition and he will visit there along with USC, Alabama and possibly Georgia. There’s some talk about a Miami visit. The Buckeyes have the best chance of flipping him but I don’t think it happens.