Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney and national recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove along with Jason Suchomel from Orangebloods.com and Brandon Justice from TheMaizeandBlueReview.com tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. If Texas hires David Cutcliffe, the Longhorns would shoot to the top for Arch Manning.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I’m not sold yet that Texas is either leading or the co-leader for Arch Manning as Alabama and Georgia are 100 percent, absolutely right there as well and have had better production at the quarterback position and in the win-loss column recently. But the Longhorns are one of the front-runners in his recruitment and hiring David Cutcliffe – which would be an ingenious move for so many reasons – would help the Longhorns immensely. Manning is receiving input from those close to him and that includes uncles Eli and Peyton Manning, who both had phenomenal experiences with Cutcliffe. It could only help Texas’ chances to land the five-star quarterback.
Suchomel’s take: FACT. I'm on record as saying I think the Longhorns are co-leaders at worst for Manning, so I have to believe that adding Cutcliffe to the Texas support staff would be enough to push Texas out in front of everyone else. Cutcliffe obviously has a longstanding relationship with the family and has their trust, so that would be a big selling point for Texas. I do think there's still work to be done for the Longhorns to fully close out this race. Getting Manning back on campus this spring would be a big boost for UT's chances, and should Manning wait until the fall to make a decision, putting together a better product on the field would also be a big help.
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2. The in-state schools are slipping a little for Dante Moore after Josh Gattis' departure from Michigan and Bo Edmundson's commitment to Michigan State.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I still think Michigan is in a fantastic spot to land Dante Moore for so many reasons: He has liked the Wolverines for so long, he’s an in-state kid, he has great relationships in Ann Arbor and so much more. But I absolutely would not discount Miami as a very serious contender now because Moore really likes Gattis and things are trending dramatically up for the Hurricanes on the recruiting trail. Moore told me he will still consider Michigan State heavily even after the Bo Edmundson commitment but that it does affect things a little bit. Michigan is still the front-runner but there is more competition now from Miami and the others on his list.
Justice’s take: FICTION. Michigan is still in the driver's seat for Moore as his primary recruiter, Matt Weiss, is expected to be promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator. His relationship with Weiss and head coach Jim Harbaugh will outweigh the departure of Gattis. The new Miami OC's departure from Ann Arbor is significant in that he went to a school competing for Moore's services, however, Gattis' presence wasn't a deal-winner and his absence isn't a deal-breaker for the Wolverines in the race for Moore. In the case of the Spartans, though, they will still pursue Moore, but they've been on the outside looking in from the beginning of his recruitment. When Edmunson wanted to commit, saying no in favor of Moore would have been a dangerous decision. It's safe to say that Michigan State won't land Moore.
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3. It's going to be really tough to beat Ohio State for Luke Montgomery - and then his brother, Ryan, in a couple more recruiting classes.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Luke Montgomery has a handful of programs remaining but it would not shock me at all if Ohio State is way out in front for his commitment and another source said they would be “stunned” if the Buckeyes didn’t get him. That’s the first step. Ryan Montgomery has taken a bunch of visits with his brother and the Buckeyes are also very interested in the 2025 quarterback. Unless things go unexpectedly off-course with Luke Montgomery and Ohio State then I would fully expect his brother to join him in Columbus – and for Ohio State to get one of the best 2025 quarterbacks nationally.
Cosgrove’s take: FACT. Chances are Luke Montgomery ends up at Ohio State and that is the first part of the equation. In comes 2025 QB Ryan Montgomery, who will likely have his choice of schools in the end, and may be one of the top overall players in his class. While Ryan and Luke both agree that they need to choose their own path and do what is best for themselves individually, this is a tight-knit family and the ability to play with each other and close to home while competing for national titles could trump everything else in the end. The wildcard in the equation is the position Ryan plays and the fact that only one quarterback can be on the field at a time. Ryan will likely look for a place where he can compete for the starting job right away and you never know how many first-round draft picks Ohio State will have on its roster at any given time.
