Fact or Fiction: Justin Herbert has a case for No. 1 overall
National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
FACT OR FICTION: No one is recruiting better than Clemson
1. Korey Foreman, the No. 1 player in the country for 2021, will stick with his commitment to Clemson.
Farrell’s take: FACT. Class of 2021 prospects are a long way away from signing and you know programs will be all over Korey Foreman despite his commitment to Clemson. Will he be tempted by some programs closer to home? Will USC hire a big name that keeps him home? I don’t think it matters. The Tigers rarely lose commitments when they land them and when they do, it’s usually a situation like Robert Nkemdiche who had a family connection at Ole Miss. Foreman will be part of the 2021 Clemson recruiting class.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I’ve never been given any indication that Foreman wants to play the recruiting game and just the opposite is true. The five-star defensive end has been quiet about his recruitment, doesn’t want to get caught up in the hype surrounding those types of things and probably is done taking any other big visits. LSU was also high on his list and if USC hires a big-name coach after this next season, then that’s at least something to watch, but I fully expect Foreman to stick with the Tigers.
2. Florida State landed its biggest commit in 2020 in Corey Wren.
Farrell’s take: FACT. Why? Because of the speed and versatility that Corey Wren brings to the table. This is a kid who runs a 10.4 100 meters and can play offense, defense and will have a huge impact on special teams. Speed kills and Florida State needs to add prospects like Wren who have a very low bust factor and can impact in many ways.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Wren is an important addition, but Florida State hasn’t fallen off as a national power in recent years because the Seminoles weren’t getting enough playmakers. Quarterback play has been poor and the offensive line has been abysmal plus there has been a general lack of discipline and accountability that needs to be addressed. Loading up along the offensive line and at quarterback was crucial to turn this around and that’s what the Seminoles have done.
3. Justin Herbert made a case for No. 1 overall at the Senior Bowl.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. Justin Herbert, the strong-armed signal caller from Oregon, was the MVP of the Senior Bowl and impressed many during the week and in the game. But we all know Joe Burrow to Cincinnati is a done deal at No 1. Perhaps a better question should have been has Herbert passed Tua Tagovailoa as the second quarterback taken? But I didn’t ask that because that has already been the case. Herbert will be a top five pick.
Gorney’s take: FACT. This is not a popular opinion because the masses love Burrow as the No. 1 pick and a debate over it might be pointless, but I would love to make an argument for Herbert and it goes like this: The Oregon quarterback has better college stats, he has a longer resume of his success as almost all of Burrow’s numbers came this season and NFL teams loved Herbert as the possible No. 1 pick before this past season where Herbert did nothing to dissuade evaluators. Burrow had a phenomenal season and if he’s picked No. 1 overall it would be hard to argue against. But Herbert should not be ignored.