Fact or Fiction: Jadyn Davis, Kam Pringle, Penn State WR recruiting
Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Friedman, Josh Henschke of TheMaizeAndBlueReview.com, Caleb Alexander of GamecockScoop.com and Dylan Callaghan-Croley of NittanyNation.com tackle three topics and determine where they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. Michigan should be concerned about where it stands with Jadyn Davis.
Friedman's take: FACT. I've been expecting Jadyn Davis to end up at Michigan but that is up in the air until there is some clarity on Jim Harbaugh's future. All bets are off until there is a clearer picture about how much longer Harbaugh wants to be in Ann Arbor. The transfer portal lessens some of the finality to the high school recruiting process so it wouldn't be the end of the world for Davis if he signed with Michigan, Harbaugh bolts for the NFL soon after, and then Wolverines hire a coach Davis doesn't like. Of course, Davis would like to avoid that scenario. The NCAA investigation and potential sanctions/penalties is just another wrinkle in what is becoming more of a drawn-out recruitment than originally expected.
There's also the possibility that Clemson re-emerges as a major contender. The hiring of Garrett Riley as the Tigers' new offensive coordinator could give them the jolt to take back the lead position for Davis, a title they held at the beginning of the recruiting process.
Henschke's take: FICTION. With the expectation that Jim Harbaugh will sign a new deal and stay with Michigan, I think his return can quell some of the concerns that Davis and family could have regarding Harbaugh’s future at Michigan. A visit or phone call with the family once the dust settles should put the Wolverines right back to where we think they were before all of this: Davis’ top choice.
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2. South Carolina is the favorite to land Kam Pringle's commitment.
Friedman's take: FACT. Shane Beamer and his staff have done the leg work to earn Kam Pringle's commitment when he announces on Jan. 22. Florida is one team to keep an eye on but the pick will likely be the Gamecocks this week. However, it's not about how you start, it's how you finish and South Carolina should be on its toes to make sure the program fends off other teams as they try to pull Pringle away down the stretch.
Alexander’s take: FACT. If you had asked me during the summer, I would’ve probably said fiction because my early conversations with Pringle indicated that he was looking to leave the state and join a blueblood program such as Ohio State. South Carolina has done a really good job since then of getting him on campus a ton of times throughout the season and sort of changing the narrative for him. I still have some trepidation with him not joining the Gamecocks for the Junior Day just days prior to his announcement, but I’m going with the longest, strongest relationship and that’s the Gamecocks.
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3. Penn State will sign a Rivals250 receiver in the 2024 class.
Friedman's take: FACT. They have to, right? Penn State hasn't signed more than one Rivals250 receiver since the 2021 class, the program will have a new receivers coach for the upcoming season and the Nittany Lions have one of the most talented young starting quarterbacks in the nation this season in Drew Allar. As it stands right now, the cupboard is pretty bare in Penn State's receiver room. Kaden Saunders is the most promising young receiver on Penn State's roster and this 2023 recruiting class didn't do much to change that. The Nittany Lions are doing what they can in the portal to add receiver help, like the weekend addition of Kent State transfer Dante Cephas.
Penn State's receiver recruiting board will undergo some changes as it looks to replace former receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield but odds are good the Nittany Lions will be able to land at least one Rivals250 receiver.
Callaghan-Croley's take: FACT. This question got a lot more interesting on Sunday night when Penn State and wide receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield parted ways. That being said, I don’t believe Penn State makes such a move without having a pretty good idea of A) who its top two-three options are to replace him and B) knowing that hire will be a surefire upgrade over Stubblefield.
While Stubblefield saw his position group have success on the field during his short tenure in State College, the Nittany Lions struggled to recruit at the position both in the 2023 recruiting cycle and in the transfer portal this offseason. Under the personal belief that Penn State is going to go “big-name hunting” for its next wide receivers coach, I do think it’s a fact that Penn State will sign a Rivals250 wide receiver in the 2024 recruiting cycle.
If the Nittany Lions do hire a big-name wide receivers coach, I expect them to gain even more momentum on the recruiting trail to build upon the momentum of their 11-win season and Rose Bowl championship. Adding a wide receivers coach with more of a recruiting pedigree along with the momentum should make Penn State an intriguing option in the 2024 recruiting cycle for wide receivers.
The Nittany Lions are in the running for multiple 2024 wide receivers in the Rivals250 currently including Ryan Wingo, Chance Robinson and Keylen Adams, who was just on campus for the Nittany Lions' first Junior Day of the year.