Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Friedman, Jason Higdon of 1standTenFlorida.com, Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney and Brad Franklin of CavsCorner.com tackle three topics and determine if they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. Florida fans can expect to get at least two commitments this weekend.
Friedman's take: FACT. There has been a lot of buzz swirling around about Xavier Filsaime and Jordan Pride leading into this weekend. The buzz proved to be correct about Filsaime, who committed to Florida last night. Both are in Gainesville for the spring game and Gators fans have reason to feel optimistic. There is a sense that the Gators have momentum with Pride, who decommitted from Florida State on Wednesday. With such a long and talented visitor list - coupled with the groundwork the Florida coaching staff has already laid in recruiting these prospects - a surprise or two is bound to pop up.
Higdon's take: FACT. Florida is in great position with Pride, a four-star defensive back. He will visit for the Orange & Blue Game, and the Gators coaching staff is impressed with his abilities. Filsaime, who committed Thursday night, was another player I felt good about the possibility of him announcing for Florida during this visit. The Gators are expecting around 200 players today, and there could be a surprise but I would go with “Fact” for two or more verbal commitments.
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2. Defensive end Jordan Ross is the most underrated player in the Southeast.
Friedman's take: FICTION. A talented player such as Jordan Ross is a bit underrated, but there are some others who qualify as even more underrated and deserve to be mentioned. Cameron Coleman is an easy choice for most underrated. The receiver out of Alabama has had a fantastic offseason so far, but Jeremiah Beaman and defensive back Jon Mitchell could qualify for the distinction. Some have pointed to quarterback Luke Kromenhoek as one of the most underrated players in the Southeast as well. Coleman is the lowest rated of this group, but all of these players will get serious consideration for a move up in the next rankings update.
Gorney's take: FICTION. Coleman is the most underrated prospect in the Southeast. Currently rated a three-star prospect, Coleman was dominant at the OT7 in Phoenix, among other events this offseason. He's long, athletic, rangy and has great hands. The only reason he's not rated higher already is because Michigan signee Karmello English was the top target at Phenix City (Ala.) Central last season. But Coleman is now WR1, and he's proving this offseason that he's not only one of the top receivers in the Southeast but he could be one of the top ones in the entire 2024 class.
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3. With Zahir Rainer committing to Minnesota this week, Virginia fans should be concerned about in-state recruiting efforts.
Friedman's take: FACT. For a long time it had seemed like Rainer would choose a school other than Virginia when it came time for his commitment. That came to fruition this week when the son of former Virginia standout Wali Rainer announced his commitment to Minnesota. Missing out on Rainer‘s commitment could have more of an impact off the field than it does on it. Rainer goes to a school with plenty of talent that the Cavaliers would love to recruit in the future, and the family is connected to a number of talented prospects throughout the state. Whether Virginia lost Rainer or just didn't prioritize him, this could come back to bite them in the end.
Franklin's take: FICTION. The reality of Rainer’s recruitment is that, while Virginia eventually came through with an offer, most expected he was unlikely to follow in his father’s footsteps. While the Wahoos certainly do need to improve their in-state recruiting production and certainly have made the Commonwealth a clear focus in the past two cycles, Rainer’s recruitment seems to have had a lot more to do with other aspects of the process than location. It’s never good for a school to lose out on a talented in-state legacy recruit with an offer, that much is true. But in this case, the writing seemed to be on the wall for some time that he probably wasn’t going to end up in Charlottesville.
