Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney and national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman along with Blayne Gilmer from UGASports.com and BulldogBlitz.com’s Russell Johnson tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. This weekend’s visit to Georgia will lock up five-star WR Luther Burden to the Bulldogs.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I do believe Luther Burden is still torn between Georgia and Missouri because playing closer to home, being the marquee player in the offense and his respect for Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz are all playing factors. He was at Missouri last weekend for another visit which was important. But Burden is going to see what a game-day environment is like in Athens, he’s going to see an offense that is more focused on getting the ball to its receivers and I think by the time he leaves Georgia this weekend, it’s going to be impossible to say “no” to the Bulldogs.
Gilmer’s take: FACT. Georgia is one of, if not the best program, at on-campus recruiting. Getting Burden in Athens for an official visit on a weekend in which they are hosting the College Gameday game of the week is big. Also, Kentucky’s defense will sell out to take away Georgia’s running game this weekend and the passing game will get an opportunity to shine. Georgia and Missouri are Burden’s top two schools. The programs are going in opposite directions in terms of momentum in 2021 and Georgia is in need of a true No. 1 receiver in the program to replace George Pickens. All things point toward this weekend putting the finishing touches on Burden becoming a Dawg heading into his October 20 commitment date.
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2. The Ed Orgeron rumors that he will be replaced at LSU will slow recruiting to a halt.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Ed Orgeron’s job status is definitely in question and it could slow some decisions down but LSU sells itself to in-state prospects, every No. 1 prospect in the state has picked the Tigers for a decade and while Orgeron is loved by recruits, whoever gets the job next if there is a coaching change will be able to recruit elite players from Louisiana with a fresh approach which is sometimes even more enticing to top prospects. Jacoby Mathews is a wild card especially with Texas A&M coming hard and a visit to Texas this weekend and Florida is making a run at Quency Wiggins but there is a real shot that LSU could end up with all of the top 10 prospects in the state. Orgeron or not, LSU will be able to recruit local players.
Spiegelman’s take: FACT. Right now, there is a cloud hovering over Baton Rouge with no shortage of uncertainty surrounding it. LSU has dropped back-to-back games against Auburn and Kentucky and now faces a gauntlet featuring Florida, Ole Miss and Alabama before closing out the year against Arkansas and Texas A&M. Orgeron's job status is up in the air, which will slow down the Tigers on the recruiting trail. Whoever is named the interim coach will have a difficult but manageable task to keep the foundation of LSU's 2022 class on-board and it'll be up to the next coach to pick up the slack. Louisiana is absolutely loaded with talent in this 2022 cycle, which is certainly a luxury for whoever takes over next.
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3. Jaheim Oatis is expected back at Mississippi State this weekend. The Bulldogs can flip him from Alabama.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Jaheim Oatis continues to show a lot of interest in Mississippi State which makes me thing the Bulldogs do have a real shot to flip him but I’ve been told numerous times by numerous people close to him that Alabama does not have anything to worry about. That could be a smokescreen - and Mississippi State has developed defensive linemen in the past - but saying no to Alabama is just very difficult. He could arguably be developed better in Tuscaloosa than anywhere else. This weekend will be interesting and Oatis flipping is not out of the question but I don’t see it happening right now.
Johnson’s take: FACT. Oatis has been a priority for Mississippi State since the beginning of his process several years ago. Throughout the staff changes in Starkville over that timeframe, one thing has remained constant- his status as a top target in Starkville. Alabama was able to land his commitment earlier on in the cycle, but history shows that the Crimson Tide more often than not find themselves fighting to the end when recruiting against the Mississippi schools.
