Fact or Fiction: Gus Malzahn and Arkansas, Colorado recruiting
National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
1. Arkansas should go all in on Gus Malzahn
Farrell's take: FACT. While Malzahn has come out and said he loves Auburn, which is what he's expected to say and I don't doubt it, he should still be the first target for Arkansas and it should throw everything at him. There's a good chance that Auburn will be a four-loss team by the end of the regular season and could get hammered by Georgia and Alabama. And if that happens, you know Malzahn will be back on the hot seat.
He loves Arkansas as a former player there and they would certainly give him five or more years to turn things around without the constant pressure he faces at Auburn. I'm not saying he should leave Auburn for Arkansas, but the Razorbacks should make it as tempting as possible.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. I’m torn on this question - and it’s a good one - because Malzahn would probably do fine at Arkansas and make the program competitive again but I’m just not sure it’s right for him. I say that because he would have to stay not only in the same conference but in the same division and he’d be leaving a program that should have College Football Playoff potential every year for a complete rebuild. Malzahn has underperformed as Auburn’s coach and I’m just not sure going to Fayetteville to completely change things once again while staying in the same division is the best move for him.
2. Colorado's recruiting is on the rise
Farrell's take: FACT. Colorado, due to geographical issues, will never be a consistent Top 25 recruiting program, but under Mel Tucker they are making a little noise. And the commitment of Rivals100 running back Ashaad Clayton from Louisiana is a good sign.
Colorado is ranked 7th in the Pac-12 and has a solid class to build on. Clayton is the headliner but wide receiver Brenden Rice and quarterback Brendon Lewis are going to make the offense potent. And defensive end Devin Grant could be one of the true sleepers in the Pac-12.
And let's not ignore former five star transfer Antonio Alfano, who has the potential to be great if he can get his off-field issues straightened out. Tucker is doing a really solid job at a hard place to recruit.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I like the job Tucker is doing on the recruiting trail as he’s mixing in some talented West region guys with prospects from Texas and Louisiana and getting some JUCO players to fill out the class. He has an SEC aggressiveness to his recruiting style along with his coaching staff and wide receiver coach Darin Chiaverini is loved by a lot of top prospects in the West. It’s a tough place to recruit and a tough place to win, but Tucker is doing a good job on the trail.
3. UCLA will be fine with Chip Kelly
Farrell's take: FACT. Things are looking a lot better at UCLA lately aren't they? The Bruins have won three straight and are starting to look like a real Power Five program. Recruiting has been a bit puzzling, but they are on an upwards trend there as well with some nice recent commitments led by wide receiver Logan Loya. Kelly wants his kind of players for his style and this is a team that looks so much better than it did at the start of the season. Maybe they are a sleeper in the Pac-12 next year? Time will tell.
Gorney’s take: FACT. UCLA has a losing record this season. The Bruins went 3-9 in Chip Kelly’s first year. The last time UCLA had only three wins was 1989. The last time it had nine losses was in 1940. So it’s been a historically bad start for Kelly and as some second-year coaches are on the chopping block already (look at Florida State and Arkansas) it seems like there is some cautious optimism around Kelly.
Look, he’s a smart guy and a good football coach. Recruiting will get better with wins. And UCLA will be competitive and will get better as long as he’s the coach. The real question with Kelly is how long he sticks around because he was at Oregon for only four years, then he wore out his welcome in the NFL real fast and is now in his second year at UCLA. If he stays around long enough, UCLA will be just fine.