Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney along with Blayne Gilmer from UGASports.com, Ryan Young of TrojanSports.com and Corey Bender from GatorsTerritory.com tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. Georgia will be able to flip five-star Travis Hunter.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Georgia can get anybody, committed or uncommitted, an in-state prospect or from across the country. That’s how good coach Kirby Smart and his staff are at recruiting top players. Travis Hunter has said all the right things since his commitment to Florida State and even after the Seminoles have struggled to start the season. But he visited Georgia over the weekend and the coaching staff continues to make him a huge priority. The Bulldogs are not done trying to flip him.
Gilmer’s take: FICTION. One visit is a long way off from a flip. However, visiting for a noon kickoff literally just hours after fracturing your ankle, that would suggest that the interest in Georgia is strong enough to go the extra mile. Hunter has deep ties to Florida State, so Georgia has a large mountain to climb, but it did get a good foothold in that climb on Saturday.
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2. Florida will be able to hang on to the commitment of four-star DB Julian Humphrey.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Georgia is making a serious run at Julian Humphrey and his visit this past weekend could have only helped seeing the defense be so dominant against an improving Arkansas team. Texas A&M is going to get a shot as well and that’s the closest to home for the Houston (Texas) Clear Lake standout. Florida still has him committed and that’s great news for the Gators. Humphrey is saying the right things for Gators fans.
Bender’s take: FACT. UF fans have been through this before after many believed Humphrey was going to flip to Texas A&M over the summer. It's worth noting the Rivals100 cornerback visited Alabama and LSU as well, but the Gators weathered the storm there too. There is no doubt Humphrey is heavily considering the Bulldogs following an eye-opening official visit in Athens, but until I hear otherwise, I'm sticking with the Gators here. Humphrey had a blast while in town for the Alabama game and continues to recruit on behalf of the Gators.
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3. Mykel Williams is being pursued by Georgia, but USC will still keep his commitment and sign him.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. I can see both sides of this argument and that’s why it’s still too early to tell exactly what’s going to happen here. But the uncertainty at USC, which could drag on for a lot longer until a head coach is announced, makes me believe Mykel Williams will lean toward the sure thing and that means going to Georgia at some point. It also makes sense from a football standpoint since the Bulldogs are clearly national championship contenders with the best defense in the country. Williams was at Georgia this past weekend to see the Bulldogs dominate Arkansas up front. He’s going back in two weeks for an official visit. That says something. Williams loves USC and having Michael Trigg there is a big deal. But Georgia is more of a sure thing and the Bulldogs definitely want to flip him.
Young’s take: FACT. It is a bit tricky for USC. One of the biggest reasons Williams committed to the Trojans was for defensive line coach Vic So’oto. He felt So’oto stood out from all the other recruiting presentations in terms of his plan for him and how he would coach him. With the entire USC coaching staff in flux, it’s hard to say if So’oto will be retained. If any USC coach other than Donte Williams is most likely to be kept on, it’s So’oto, so there is a chance. It’s unknown, though, if losing So’oto would be a total deal breaker for Williams, as he also has his half-brother Michael Trigg at USC.
Williams and Trigg have become very close in recent years. I’m told that they talk daily and playing together is a major appeal. Donte Williams, who is likely to stay on regardless of who is hired, has been working on Mykel Williams as well. Once a new coach is hired, the five-star DE will get a priority push and be sold on the new future for the program. Ultimately he remains in the class, but I can’t say I’m 100 percent confident at this point because I also expect his close friend Christen Miller to try to sway him if he chooses to stay home and sign with Georgia. This will be a tense one for USC until signing day.
