Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Friedman, Jed May of UGASports.com, Jacey Zembal of TheWolfpackCentral.com and Richie Schnyderite of NittanyNation.com tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. The comparisons between former Georgia star defensive lineman Jordan Davis and Georgia commit Jamaal Jarrett are accurate.
Friedman's take: FICTION. Jarrett and Davis were both great prospects, but Davis was a better overall athlete at this stage of his development. He was also a bit lighter and in better shape than Jarrett was earlier this spring. This season Jarrett could show development in those areas and turn out to be a serious contributor like Davis, but we'll have to wait and see.
May's Take: FACT. On the surface, the comparison is easy. Both Davis and Jarrett are mammoth defensive tackles from North Carolina. But the similarities run deeper than that. For one, both would operate in the same space-eating role in the middle of Georgia’s defense. Bulldog defensive line coach Tray Scott also showed firm belief in each prospect before they emerged as top prospects. That belief helped Georgia land Davis, who eventually developed into a first-round draft pick. Jarrett is now embarking on his own quest to follow in Davis’ footsteps.
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2. Nathan Leacock won't commit to an in-state school on Friday.
Friedman's take: FACT. NC State leaned on its relationships with Leacock and even tried to emphasize the fact that Leacock's father was a track athlete there. It doesn't look like the Wolfpack are going to end up getting him and he likely won't be heading to North Carolina, either. Tennessee is the leader, and the Vols seem to be excited about how he could fit in their offense. He's a big receiver that can take the top off of defenses, and Tennessee has a need in that area.
Zembal's take: FACT. It doesn't look good for Leacock to end up at North Carolina State or North Carolina. NC State was Leacock's first college offer (June 6, 2021), following a camp performance. He was a semiregular at NCSU football games and recruiting events, but he never did lock in an official visit. His father competed in track and field at NC State, while his mother a track star at Jackson State. Over time, he's created his own persona and will be poised for a breakout senior year, with former Raleigh Millbrook star Wesley Grimes now at Wake Forest. Leacock was a vertical threat in complementing Grimes. For a hot minute, it looked like Leacock and Rolesville (N.C.) High wide receiver Noah Rogers were looking to stay home for college, but barring a recruiting flip it looks like both will be playing out of state.
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3. Penn State will sign a top-five class.
Friedman's take: FICTION. Penn State had a really good finish on the recruiting trail last week, adding commitments from Rivals250 linebacker Tony Rojas and Ta'Mere Robinson. Those commitments pushed Penn State up to No. 5 in the team recruiting rankings, but it's going to be hard for the Nittany Lions to stay there. There aren't many highly ranked uncommitted targets remaining on their board right now. The Nittany Lions are looking for a quarterback and possibly another running back, an offensive lineman and maybe two more defensive linemen. If they're able to fill those spots with three or four Rivals250 prospect, they might be able to stay at No. 5 for a while, but that seems unlikely at this point.
Schnyderite's take: FICTION. As much as I think it’s possible, it seems unlikely that the WeAre23 class will be a top-five class. However, I do think that this will be a top 10 class when it’s all said and done. Right now, the staff is doing very well with Rivals250 DE Jalen Thompson and high three-star OL Evan Link. Add in the fact that they are also right there for two other four-stars in RB Sam Singleton and DT Will Norman, and this has the potential to be a top-five class. However, I think it will be just out of reach.
