Rivals national recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr. is joined by national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman, Marcus Benjamin of CanesCounty.com and Jason Higdon of 1stAndTenFlorida.com to tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. Devin Sanchez has cemented himself as the top cornerback in the 2025 Rivals250.
Spiegelman: FACT. Devin Sanchez was the best defensive back on the field for the bulk of the OT7 Finals in Tampa over the weekend. The Ohio State verbal had three interceptions, including a pick-six, through two days of competition. His combination of length, athleticism and ball skills are superb. Sanchez is able to shadow bigger X receivers on the perimeter and effectively eliminate top pass catchers on an opposing defense at will.
As a junior at North Shore High School in Houston, he was absolutely phenomenal and that's been the theme of the offseason for Sanchez as well.
Garica: FACT. The 7-on-7 events offer a variety of situations to center evaluations around and for cornerbacks, there is no hiding regardless of style. Sanchez, somehow still, found minimal targets his way. He made the best of them with the trio of interceptions, effectively shutting down half of the field for eventual tournament champion South Florida Express.
The Texas native runs incredibly well, has great length and plays the football better than some coveted wide receiver recruits do. He also impressed in his ability to work a zone, whether passing off routes to interior cover players or communicating through traffic on other assignments. The polish to Sanchez's game matches his freaky frame and athleticism so it's going to be tough to unseat him by January.
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2. Miami is hosting in-state priority wide receivers Jaime Ffrench and Vernell Brown on Tuesday. The Hurricanes have more to gain with Ffrench than Brown at this stage.
Benjamin: FICTION. Both of these talents are elite, and that clearly showed when the two helped lead South Florida Express to another OT7 Championship over the weekend. But when it comes to more to gain, the choice for me is Vernell Brown III. His athleticism is off the charts, and his short-area quickness is arguably the best in the country. He's a talent who can explode with the football in open space, which is what Miami's offense is generally predicated on. Plus Brown is also open to play as a defensive back, which he's shown that he can also do at a high level.
French is also an outstanding talent, but other targets may be just as dangerous. Miami currently sits in great spots with both Dallas Wilson and Cortez Mills, so losing out on Jaime Ffrench may not hurt as much as missing out on Brown.
Garcia: FACT. Brown has four contenders jockeying for position for his pledge. Ffrench has five, technically one more, but the race feels more narrow than that.
Texas, LSU and Miami hold the most buzz with Ffrench and it feels like a pledge elsewhere would be considered a bit of an upset. It means Miami could effectively move up from the No. 3 spot – at worst – for Ffrench.
We ranked the contenders for Brown a month ago and had Miami No. 4 out of his four finalists.
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3. Vernell Brown III will not leave the state of Florida for his college football.
Higdon: FACT. Vernell Brown III will not leave Florida to play college football. I believe Florida is in the driver's seat for Brown, and if not, the Gators will keep an eye on Florida State.
This one is simple. If the Gators win and have a good season, Brown ends up in Gainesville. If not, he is up the road in Tallahassee. I also like the bond that continues to grow between Brown and Florida State verbal quarterback Tramell Jones.
Garcia: FACT. While Ohio State made a strong effort and pitch during its official visit with the Orlando-area star, the rest of the field is within the Sunshine State and the rest of the trips he is set to take ahead of a commitment won't be much far from home.
While I don't see Brown leaving the state, I see Florida State as the primary contender ahead of his in-state visits. The stability in Tallahassee and consistent offensive firepower under Mike Norvell may be too tough to pass up, though his family ties to Florida have the Gators right in the thick of it at this time, too. A pick outside of those rivals would project like a slight upset.
