Fact or Fiction: Five-star Luther Burden will sign with Oklahoma
Rivals National Recruiting Director Adam Gorney and recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt, along with Julie Boudwin from TigerDetails.com and Michael Langston from Warchant.com, tackle three topics in recruiting and determine whether or not they believe each statement.
*****
RECRUITING RUMOR MILL: Quinn Ewers, Arch Manning, more
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals100
RIVALS TRANSFER TRACKER: Stories/coverage | Message board
RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Info/coverage on 2021 camp series
*****
1. LSU can still land Julian Armella even after James Cregg was let go.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Losing James Cregg has to hurt a little bit with Julian Armella but the five-star did not cancel his visit to LSU and that’s a big sign that he’s still very interested in the Tigers. Armella has a great relationship with coach Ed Orgeron, he has former teammates on the LSU team right now and I’m sure quickly Armella will start developing a relationship with new position coach Brad Davis. This weekend will be an important step for Armella since he’ll visit LSU and while this could help Alabama, Florida State and maybe even Miami in recruiting him, the Tigers are still a major contender.
Boudwin’s take: FACT. Yes, LSU just parted ways with its OL coach James Cregg, however, Julian Armella has been recruited heavily by Ed Orgeron and they have a great relationship. Plus, two of Armella's former St. Thomas Aquinas high school teammates are on LSU's current roster in Marcus Dumervil and Marlon Martinez. Armella has previously stated that he communicates with them a lot and plans to spend time with them while on his official visit.
*****
2. Five-star WR Luther Burden is still going to end up in Oklahoma's class.
Gorney’s take: FACT. There are a lot of teams coming after the No. 1 receiver in the class but Oklahoma provides so much in offensive firepower and weaponry at his position that it’s going to be hard to flip from the Sooners. Luther Burden was at Missouri in the last few days and apparently the Tigers are doing a great job working to flip him but I still find it hard to believe he ends up there. Alabama would be a school to watch since it pumps out NFL-level players everywhere including receiver but Oklahoma got his early commitment, the QB situation there is outstanding for years to come and that offense is just so good it’s going to be tough to turn down.
Helmholdt’s take: FICTION. There is a chance Burden sticks with the Sooners throughout and signs in December, but if I had to put money on it I would bet he lands elsewhere. There is a metric ton of confidence coming from Missouri that it will be able to flip the five-star, and Burden has visited Columbia several times in recent months, including earlier this week. He is also going to see several SEC schools later this month as part of his team's 7-on-7 travels, and I expect he makes several official visits elsewhere in the fall. That is a lot Oklahoma has to overcome to keep Burden in the fold.
*****
3. Florida State has a real shot at flipping five-star DL Tyre West from Georgia.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Tyre West has been to Florida State numerous times already. He’s coming back for an official visit. Those are very good signs and while it’s a long shot that the Seminoles can flip him from Georgia it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility. The FSU coaching staff has been doing a phenomenal job loading up with 2022 commits and making it feel like the Seminoles are back on the right track to national prominence. Georgia is certainly no slouch and could be in the running to compete for a national title this year which should help in West’s recruitment. The five-star defensive lineman probably sticks with the Bulldogs but these repeated visits to FSU tells me he has some serious interest there.
Langston’s take: FICTION. There's no doubt it's big news that FSU was able to get the five-star defensive lineman on campus for an in-person visit and one for the spring game. However, West is committed to Georgia and that's a tough pull when you consider where that program is at right now. However, it is a very good sign that West says he's going to take several visits to FSU and that includes an official visit. But there's still work to do on those visits before I consider FSU a major threat for a flip at this stage. Certainly FSU is not too far with location and a school on the rise with excitement but premature to put this in the flip category.