National recruiting director Mike Farrell and national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
MORE: Comparing top QBs in draft to current recruits
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
1. Jalen Hurts will be a late first-rounder on Thursday night.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. I don’t see it happening, but maybe it should right? We all know Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love will all go in round one, but will a team trade into round one late to take Jalen Hurts? A case could be made based on the Baltimore Ravens smart decision to trade up for Lamar Jackson but too many teams think they can land Hurts in round two, so I don’t see it happening.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Hurts probably won’t be a first-rounder but he’s gaining some steam heading into the draft and could definitely be a steal in the second round. He had a great showing at the NFL Scouting Combine, there’s no doubt he’s a winner and any criticism of his accuracy are overdone. I don’t think he’s on the Lamar Jackson-level of playmakers but he had a tremendous college career and could be a great pickup in Round 2. I just don’t think anybody is going to take the chance on him in the first round.
2. J.T. Daniels can impact the national title race next season.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. I like Daniels a lot and believe in his talent, but even if he gets an immediate waiver, he won’t end up at Clemson or Ohio State and those are the two best teams in the nation next year. Could he end up at Alabama or Oklahoma? There’s an outside chance but unlikely. More likely he plays at Tennessee, Michigan or someplace else where he can have an immediate impact but won’t make the playoff.
Gorney’s take: FACT. If Daniels transfers to LSU, he could have the Tigers right back in the national title hunt with Ja’Marr Chase, Terrace Marshall Jr., and a whole host of other outstanding receivers leading the way. The former five-star quarterback is a seriously talented football player and could be special following Burrow’s playbook to LSU.
It would also be interesting if he ends up at Michigan, probably his second choice coming out of high school. He would arguably be the best passing QB the Wolverines have had since probably Chad Henne. It’s been a while since Michigan would have had quarterback talent like Daniels running the offense.
3. Joe Burrow will play in the NFL like he did at LSU last season.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. The only reason I say this is because it’s pretty much impossible for Burrow to play that well again. He was nearly flawless last season at LSU and honestly he won’t have the talent advantage around him at Cincinnati like he did at LSU. Burrow will be a very good NFL quarterback, but he will not reach that elite level he reached last season ever again.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. That’s impossible to ask of Burrow, although he was other-wordly at LSU last season en route to the Heisman Trophy, a national championship and presumably the No. 1 overall selection on Thursday night. Cincinnati has some quality skill players as well, but Burrow threw for 5,671 yards with 60 touchdowns and six interceptions last year alone at LSU. That’s too much to ask for a rookie quarterback, even one the caliber of Burrow. Let’s all remember the Bengals won two games last season. If he can double that output this season, Cincinnati would still be one of the league’s worst teams, and so let’s temper expectations a little bit.
