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. Corey Raymond offsets the other coaching losses for LSU.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. While keeping the elite defensive backs coach is huge for LSU, the losses of Dave Aranda on defense and Joe Brady on offense are still very hard to overcome. There will be some big hires ahead for Ed Orgeron but this is expected when you win a national title. LSU will be just fine if they make the right moves and recruiting is still going strong.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Losing Brady and Aranda hurts. There is no doubt about it. But Raymond is such a hugely important part in LSU’s defensive backs recruiting - he was the main reason why five-star Elias Ricks is going there - that if Orgeron is smart about his hires, then the Tigers will be just fine. Brady’s offense can roll without him and Aranda’s defense can do the same since the blueprint is in place. Yes, it would be better if Brady and Aranda stayed on staff, but fresh, hungry faces aren’t bad either. Alabama has gone through it just fine and I suspect LSU will as well.
2. Georgia is building a staff to make a run at the national title.
Farrell’s take: FACT. Losing Sam Pittman hurts, but I’ve already said I like Matt Luke as a replacement and now adding Todd Monken as the offensive coordinator and Buster Faulkner as a quality control assistant is big news as well. The more experience you can bring to the table for Kirby Smart, the better. The defensive side of the ball was not the issue last season and you can bet the offense will improve with Monken and Faulkner as key additions. James Coley remaining on staff also helps and he will be more successful in his new role.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. The staff that Georgia has built is impressive, there’s no doubt about it, but the Bulldogs lack playmaking receivers and until that changes I don’t see them winning a national title. LSU won the championship and the Tigers had three receivers with 13 or more touchdowns (Justin Jefferson had 111 catches and Ja’Marr Chase had 20 TDs). Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire had more catches than anyone on Georgia’s roster.
No matter who coaches the Bulldogs, if the offense doesn’t open up more and get more explosive, there will be teams that outgun them. The coaching changes have been solid but players win games and they need to be unleashed.
3. Matt Lubick will change the Nebraska offense.
Farrell’s take: FACT. The style of offense won’t change that much but the offense will improve under Matt Lubick. Lubick worked well with Scott Frost at Oregon and their familiarity with each other is going to be important moving forward.
Adrian Martinez regressed last season but Lubick had great success with quarterbacks at Washington and Oregon and brings a lot to the table as far as experience. Frost will remain the playcaller and worked well with former OC Troy Walters at UCF, but a change was needed. I like the Lubick hire a lot.
Gorney’s take: FACT. There were obviously significant problems with Nebraska’s offense last season as Martinez, who had impossible comparisons in the preseason to Patrick Mahomes, to being one of the best quarterbacks in Nebraska history and a Heisman contender, had an awful season.
But there weren’t a ton of playmakers around him and the Huskers offense never kicked it into gear especially against good teams. Frost’s offenses at UCF looked dynamic and fun. That has not been the case in Lincoln. Lubick will bring a fresh approach, a new set of eyes and if Frost is open to switching some things up, then Lubick can make important changes. If Frost is resistant, then the offense probably won’t change much. I bet Frost feels some pressure now going into Year 3 and he will be open to Lubick’s ideas.
