Fact or Fiction: Florida, Boston College, Bryce Young
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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1. Florida will be better moving forward under Kyle Trask.
Farrell’s take: FACT. No one wants to see any player get hurt and I feel for Feleipe Franks after his horrible injury. But the play-calling under Kyle Trask will be a bit better and he will take what he gets more than Franks, who relied on his big arm too much. Florida needs to solve many issues, especially along the offensive line, but the offense will be more consistent with Trask in charge.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. How quickly we forget how good Franks was during long stretches last season. I know he struggled against Miami and it didn’t look great against Kentucky, but I trust Dan Mullen would have gotten him in rhythm at some point and kept the Gators in SEC East competition. If Trask was better, he would have replaced Franks heading into this season, but Mullen thought he had the best chance to win with Franks and so do I.
2. Boston College should be embarrassed.
Farrell’s take: FACT. This is taking nothing away from Kansas, which played a very good game, especially offensively and are clearly headed in the right direction under Les Miles, but for Boston College to get whooped at home by a program that hasn’t won a road game against a Power Five team in over a decade is just embarrassing. Where was the defense and physical play they are known for? With Rutgers up next BC had a chance to start the season 4-0 and get into the AP Top 25 and now all of that is shot.
Gorney’s take: FACT. It was great to hear Les Miles in his post-game press conference say a win like this is why he came back to coaching and it was cool to see his wife holding the game ball on the plane back to Lawrence, but come on, Boston College should be ashamed of itself. Kansas rushed for 329 yards and three touchdowns averaging 7.3 yards per carry. The Eagles were held scoreless in the second half when things were getting really serious. Miles is starting to do some good things with this Kansas team, but the program hasn’t had a winning record in a decade.
3. Bryce Young is the next Kyler Murray.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. After his impressive performance against St. Frances and his amazing resume, you have to think USC commit Bryce Young is the next Kyler Murray, right? I think he’s a very good quarterback, but I don’t think we’re going to see a Heisman winner and No 1 overall pick the size of Murray and Young again for a long time. Maybe this is the direction football is headed, but a guy like Murray comes along every decade and Young is even smaller. Young will be very good, but the bar set by Murray is way too high.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. I only say this isn’t true because I don’t think the comparison to Murray is the best one. I dislike comparisons a lot but if one has to be made I’d say Young is more like Russell Wilson with a little Baker Mayfield sprinkled in.
He’s not freakishly athletic like Murray, but he’s so quick-twitch in games and such a fast processor of information that he rarely makes the wrong decision. He torched Baltimore St. Frances’ defense on Saturday night with four rushing touchdowns, he made an incredible throw taking a shot to the midsection and he carved them up and frustrated them all night.
Young is incredibly smooth and doesn’t make many errors. Is he the next Kyler Murray? I don’t know. But he’s really, really good.