Fact or Fiction: Five-star WR Luther Burden won't end up at OU
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney and national recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt along with Paul Strelow from TigerIllustrated.com and Blair Sanderson from HawkeyeReport.com tackle three recruiting topics and determine whether or not they believe each statement.
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1. Five-star WR Luther Burden will not end up at Oklahoma.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. There is no doubt Missouri and Georgia are making the biggest run at the five-star receiver and we will know a lot more after he visits with the Bulldogs this weekend. But from what I’ve been told, while Oklahoma believes it has a dogfight on its hands, keeping Luther Burden in the class is still very likely. That’s what I believe, too. Turning down Oklahoma for Missouri would make sense location-wise but from a football perspective it would be a big risk. Georgia would be interesting because it needs playmakers but that would take some convincing. I might be in the minority here but my bet is that after flirting with other teams, Burden sticks with the Sooners.
Helmholdt’s take: FACT. Oklahoma got a huge commitment last fall from Burden, but it has been an absolute fight as of late for the Sooners to keep the five-star committed. He has several connections to Missouri and visited the Tigers a number of times in the last six months. Then, in June, he made visits with Alabama, Florida and Georgia. This is not a decommitment-waiting-to-happen because the Sooners are battling hard, but there is a ton of legit SEC competition. Of course, even if he does sign with Oklahoma, Luther may end up in the SEC anyway.
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2. After his weekend visit, Clemson will become a serious contender for Oscar Delp.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I still think Oscar Delp is torn between Georgia and South Carolina right now in his recruitment. Those two programs have made the most effort in his recruitment, the Bulldogs were by far the early leader and the Gamecocks have closed the door a lot - especially after Delp’s visit there in June and Shane Beamer’s comments at SEC Media Days that South Carolina will utilize its tight ends without mentioning Delp by name. But Delp’s visit to Clemson over the weekend went well and he has the personality that would fit in the Tigers’ culture. There is still some ground to make up but Clemson will battle for the four-star tight end.
Strelow’s take: FICTION. Depends on what one defines as serious; the fact Delp reversed course and made the trip to Clemson's cookout stands as evidence the Tigers have been a credible contender. Can't say, though, we feel the six-hour visit flipped Delp's recruitment on its head. Here's believing it did advance his relationships with Clemson coaches and commitments, which he's taken more opportunity to do with both UGA and South Carolina. We'd probably still give those two the higher odds with the advantages they each have in their corner.
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3. Iowa can keep Kadyn Proctor, one of the best offensive tackles in the 2023 class, home.
Gorney’s take: FACT. There are 47 former Iowa players on NFL rosters right now so the Hawkeyes produce pro talent and Kadyn Proctor is keenly aware of that. Eleven of them are offensive linemen and that could be a major selling point for Iowa as Proctor’s recruiting process continues. Proctor lives less than two hours from Iowa’s campus. He admits to having a great bond with the coaching staff since he knows them better from being there so often and it’s a program that absolutely knows how to develop elite offensive linemen. It’s hard to say no to Ohio State, Alabama, Notre Dame and others that are high on Proctor’s list but Iowa absolutely has a chance to keep him home.
Sanderson’s take: FACT. Can? Yes. Will? To be determined. But with distance on its side, Iowa has had Proctor on campus more than any other school including two visits this summer. He also wears No. 74 in high school after his favorite player Tristan Wirfs, an in-state offensive tackle that came to Iowa and left as a first-round draft pick. Of course, Proctor is a different type of a prospect, a one of one, a unicorn in my time covering the state, so he could develop into a first-rounder anywhere, but never count out the Hawkeyes for an in-state offensive lineman.