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 FACT OR FICTION: OL Jake Taylor is leaning toward Notre Dame
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1. Alabama LB transfer Ben Davis will find a Power Five home.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. I could be way off here as Ben Davis has told me he’s heard from almost everyone you can think of, but the 2016 five-star seems to be a big risk for a scholarship with one year left after so long being overlooked again and again at Alabama. The best move is a Group of Five move for him and I think that’s what he does. Arkansas State and Butch Jones perhaps?
Gorney’s take: FACT. One of the biggest head-scratchers in Rivals history is how did Davis not pan out at Alabama? He was such a dominant force in high school, was one of the best-looking linebackers in recent memory and I understand competition is fierce in Tuscaloosa but Davis seemed to have it all. His career did not work out with the Crimson Tide, however he still has a lot of physical and athletic ability and there are plenty of Power Five teams that need linebackers that look like him. He has the talent to play anywhere, that potential just finally needs to be unlocked.
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2. Dan Mullen is looking for an NFL opportunity.
Farrell’s take: FACT. Dan Mullen was recently asked about rumors that he had spoken to some NFL teams about head coaching openings and while he denied it, this quote says it all to me. “I’ll address it this way: I think a lot of people are trying to figure out what the future of college football is going to hold and what that's going to look like going forward," he said. "I love being here at the University of Florida. I think we have a great program. We have a great fan base, great history, the opportunity to be a championship program every single year.” Could he have said any more that he’s open to leaving? His comments regarding the concern of the future of college football are telling and he could have easily said no without any context. But this, to me, means he’s not long for college football.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I also read Mullen’s comments with a lot of curiosity and I’ve come to this conclusion: If Mullen thinks college football is turning into a free agency model with the transfer portal and players coming and going all the time, why not take a look at the pros? Some coaches have an offseason cottage industry of having their agent float their name to the media about potential interest elsewhere only to rework their deals as desperate athletic directors try to keep them in place. They get raises for basically being savvy and playing the coaching carousel game to a tee. If recruiting not only becomes trying to convince high school and junior college players to come to your school but now you also have to basically keep your entire roster happy at all times or they’re leaving, some coaches are going to get really sick of that really quickly.
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3. QB Ty Simpson is a lock for Clemson.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. I thought Ty Simpson was a done deal for Clemson but Alabama really loves Simpson and it is pushing as hard as possible so this seems to be a Nick Saban vs. Dabo Swinney battle. I couldn’t tell you where he will end up right now so he is certainly not a lock for the Tigers in my eyes.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. This one is still too close to call as both Alabama and Clemson are guardedly optimistic and while I’m still slightly leaning toward the Tigers neither side is a lock right now. Simpson was supposed to commit on Feb. 19 but he pushed it back a week because of inclement weather at his school. That leads me to believe his mind is made up and now he’s just waiting to announce, not that he’s torn between the two anymore. Either way, neither Alabama nor Clemson is a lock right now.
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