Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney and national recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr. along with Jeremy Birmingham from DottingTheEyes.com and Jacey Zembal of TheWolfpackCentral.com tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. Despite now having a top three, five-star Na'eem Offord will stick with Ohio State.
Gorney’s take: FACT. The pull to staying in-state and play for Auburn is going to be compelling and Oregon is always a wild card who can pony up massive NIL money if needed so that is always in play but I still get the sense that Ohio State will end up landing him. Being bookend five-star cornerbacks with Devin Sanchez is compelling (although Auburn pledge Blake Woodby is going to be in that discussion as well) and he made such an early decision because he loved the Buckeyes so much. Sure, Na'eem Offord could flip and I wouldn’t be surprised. The Tigers and the Ducks are pouring a lot of attention his way. But I still feel Ohio State has the edge.
Birmingham’s take: FACT. Will Na’eem Offord sign with Ohio State is a question that could have a different answer every single week between now and signing day but as of now I think the answer is yes, Na’eem Offord will sign with Ohio State.
But it’s going to be a battle between now and Dec. 3 between the Buckeyes, the Oregon Ducks and the home-state Auburn Tigers because quite truthfully I don’t think we’re anywhere near the “best and final” type of NIL conversation that may very well shape the ultimate decision.
Offord truly likes Ohio State a lot, the Buckeyes have done a great job managing things with him and his family and have been gracious in allowing their prized southern verbal to handle the recruiting process how he sees fit and that goes a long way toward holding onto things over the next two months. That said, there has already been one in-season visit to Auburn and more are likely and there’s a huge visit to Oregon on Oct. 12 — the weekend the Buckeyes play the Ducks — that will have to be navigated. The navigation should be made easier by a likely Oct. 5 visit to Columbus where the two sides are likely to get some real clarity on where things stand.
2. Jordan Young should still be considered a heavy lean to NC State.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. I would not be surprised at all if Jordan Young ends up at NC State. The Wolfpack have made him a top priority, he’s shown nothing but serious interest throughout his recruitment and things continue to look very strong. But the Monroe, N.C., four-star safety postponed a commitment on Oct. 12 and now he’s going to be at Clemson this weekend even though it’s interesting that NC State comes to town. This very much feels like a two-team race but after he delayed his pledge I’m wondering if he’s having second thoughts and getting that momentum back sometimes is difficult. NC State could absolutely land him but heavy lean feels a little too far.
Zembal’s take: FACT. I might not use the phrase heavy lean, but the gist is this, a lot of times in recruiting it’s about following the actions. Young made a statement of sorts when he picked attending NC State's Alpha Wolf event on July 26, with Clemson having it the same day. Young then followed up by attending the NC State vs. Tennessee game in Charlotte, N.C., and the Louisiana Tech at NC State game in Raleigh. Young will get to see NC State play at Clemson on Saturday, and that could be the last time the Tigers get a crack at him. Something is holding him back from verbally committing, and now that he won't be doing it on his birthday Oct. 12, it's open season. The only variable left is what the final sales pitches look like, whether it's NC State, Clemson or a late-charger like Alabama.
3. If Billy Napier is fired and Lane Kiffin is the top target, he should take the Florida job.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I’m torn about this question because while Florida has been perceived as a bigger job than Ole Miss based on historical success, there are some things rolling in Oxford - NIL and transfer portal success - that have kind of been a major mess in Gainesville. NIL has been such a lowlight for the Gators and the Jaden Rashada lawsuit and other than a few names, who has Florida really gotten in the portal that has done much? That might be a Billy Napier issue but there are also other factors to consider.
Lane Kiffin could have this Ole Miss team in the playoff this year - or more - as I believe the Rebels are a real national title contender. There is something to be said about maxing out a program and then finding a new challenge. Also, really the only coaches (Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer) who have had major success at Florida are cocksure offensive minds. That fits Kiffin perfectly.
There are definite downsides and huge things in today’s game that need to be fixed especially from an NIL perspective but Kiffin could be the right guy for the job - more mature now but still fiery and one of the best play-callers in the game.
Garcia’s take: FACT. It's going to take an established name on both the on-field and recruiting fronts to resurrect Florida into the tier of program most feel like it deserves to be. Napier was an on-the-rise Group of Five coach who built an incredible resume as an assistant. Kiffin has a deeper resume as a head coach, especially when it comes to pressure points after time in the NFL, USC and of course Tennessee. In the meantime, he's embraced recruiting high level prep stars and the transfer portal simultaneously to turn Ole Miss into an SEC juggernaut on offense. This year, the defense has even come around and expectations in Oxford are even higher than the Eli Manning days in town. Throw in legitimate roots in the state of Florida and the type of confident personality to be willing to compete in the conference and beyond (with a guy like Mario Cristobal within state lines), and Kiffin should be the first push the Gator administration makes. Kiffin will be up for it.
