Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney and national recruiting analysts Sam Spiegelman, Adam Friedman and Ryan Wright tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement.
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2024 WATCHLIST ANNOUNCED: Who's on it? | Five who could be five-stars | Gorney's thoughts
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1. Class of 2024 QB Jadyn Davis will stay in the Southeast with Georgia being the biggest contender in his recruitment.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. The Fort Mill (S.C.) Catawba Ridge star might stay in the Southeast. The in-state schools will make a serious run, Georgia has been very involved with him so far and many other SEC and ACC powers will try to get in the mix. But don’t count out Ohio State and Penn State just yet. Jadyn Davis has talked highly about those two programs in particular and both are coming after him heavily. He was supposed to attend the Penn State Whiteout game this past weekend but had to reschedule. He’s high on the Buckeyes and getting to Happy Valley soon is also a big priority.
Friedman’s take: FACT. Teams from all over the country are coming after Davis and for good reason. The quarterback out of South Carolina has strong connections to the state of Georgia and the Bulldogs have been showing interest in him since he was in middle school. Following the visits is always a good way to make sense of a recruitment and Davis has been to Athens a few times already. The Bulldogs will be at the forefront of his recruitment but that's not going to scare away Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and others. There is a long way to go for the 2024 class and many more elite signal callers will emerge that could change his recruitment but odds are good that Davis will stay in the Southeast.
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2. James Madison is clearly the best wide receiver in the 2024 class.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. This is going to be very interesting to watch moving forward because there is no question James Madison was awesome this summer at the Rivals events and clearly one of the best receivers in this class. And it could be a question of personal preference as well, if the big outside receiver should be No. 1 or the shifty, explosive dynamo in the slot should get the nod in the position rankings. There are a lot of smaller, faster receivers in this class that have caught my attention including KJ Bolden, Zycarl Lewis, Jonathan Paylor and others so I don’t think there has been a clear-cut No. 1 receiver emerge yet in this class. It’s a loaded position with a lot of different body frames that could become the top dog.
Spiegelman’s take: FACT. Madison dominated the Rivals Camp Series this offseason, including an MVP-level performance during the regional camp in South Florida and again in Atlanta for the Rivals Underclassmen Challenge. As a sophomore, Madison checks in at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds with a size advantage over most defensive backs. He's also an excellent route-runner that can challenge downfield with outstanding athleticism, body control and ball skills. Alabama and Georgia are two of the major national programs to recruit the Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St Thomas Aquinas wide receiver and will also put pressure on the Florida-based schools in pursuit of Madison.
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3. The Southeast has the top two running backs in the 2024 class in Jerrick Gibson and Stacy Gage.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I like Stacy Gage the most at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy because he’s big and powerful but also has that extra-special burst to make him the top running back in the class if rankings came out today. After Gage, there could definitely be a debate about running back order but most of the discussion centers around players from the Southeast region. Jerrick Gibson, an early Florida commit, is definitely up there but the other two I really like early on are Davion Gause and Anthony Carrie.
Wright’s take: FACT. Gage already has a collegiate frame using a dynamic mix of speed and power for 1,200-yard plus yards as a freshman with 22 touchdowns. Gage’s balance, field vision and acceleration makes him elite. Gibson is that all-around back that is a nightmare matchup for defenses. In the right scheme, Gibson has Ainias Smith kind of potential. As talented as Gibson is already, he still has great upside. Gage and Gibson alone help push the Southeast to the top of the running back heap in the 2024 class. Add Tovani Mizell, Gause, Carrie and Isaac Brown, and no region is coming close to this group.
