Fact or Fiction: Karl Dorrell is the right fit at Colorado
National recruiting director Mike Farrell and national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
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1. Alabama is a true threat for the Brockermeyer brothers.
Farrell’s take: FACT. Tommy and James Brockermeyer have many ties to the Texas football program and most believe they will end up there but consider this. Tom Herman is on shaky ground at Texas and needs a big season while Nick Saban keeps rolling along at Alabama. And Saban has gone into Texas before and pulled some stunners. T
he Brockermeyer brothers will take two official visits to Alabama, one on April 3 and another on June 19 right after their official visit to Texas. LSU and Auburn will get officials as well, but the NCAA allows twins to take two official visit to the same school and the fact that Alabama gets two is a big deal. I still think Texas has the edge here but don’t sleep on Alabama at all.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Texas has the edge for various reasons, but if the Longhorns don’t improve on the field and the heat gets turned up on Herman, then the Brockermeyer brothers could definitely look elsewhere. No doubt Alabama is playing a big factor here and if LSU continues to dominate nationally, the Tigers could steal them. The Longhorns could be tough to beat but never count out SEC powerhouses especially if Texas continues to look average on the field and Herman’s future in Austin remains unclear.
2. Tamorrion Terry isn’t getting enough national respect.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. I put out my top-10 returning wide receivers for college football last week and Tamorrion Terry didn’t make the cut. Does that mean I don’t like him? Of course not. He was one of the guys I debated at the bottom of the top 10 along with Dazz Newsome, David Bell, Amon-Ra St. Brown and some others. Terry had a very good year last season with 60 catches and 1,188 yards and nine scores with some bad quarterback play at Florida State, but does that put him ahead of guys like George Pickens, Rondale Moore, Chris Olave and TuTu Atwell who all either also had great seasons or have shown amazing ability when healthy. After all, only 10 can fit in a top 10.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Farrell missed one here. Florida State’s pass offense was miserable last season but Terry put up impressive numbers and was by far the Seminoles’ top pass catcher with 60 catches for 1,188 yards and nine touchdowns, all improvements from his freshman season. If Florida State can figure out its quarterback play, and I have faith that first-year coach Mike Norvell can do it, then Terry should have an even bigger season. Terry should definitely be among the top 10 returning receivers in college football.
3. Karl Dorrell is the right fit at Colorado.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. No offense to Karl Dorrell, who is a fine coach, but couldn’t Colorado have done better than a guy who has already failed as a college head coach in the Pac-12? Now Dorrell’s record with the Bruins wasn’t horrible, as he went 35-27 in five seasons and led his team to five bowl games, but much more was expected. With the recruiting advantage UCLA has over Colorado, why would we think he could do better with the Buffs? I just don’t think this is a hire the Colorado fans can get excited about.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Dorrell does not have a lot of name recognition in the West with top recruits, but he had one of UCLA's three 10-win seasons in the last 20 years and he had only one losing season in his five-year stint and that was in his first year. Dorrell did not exactly win big in Westwood but he wasn’t bad, either, and he’s coming into a situation that is more difficult than maybe some imagine.
It’s hard to believe but Colorado has had only one winning season - one! - since 2005 so it cannot be bad to bring in Dorrell and give him a shot. Kids love coaches with NFL experience and Dorrell can sell that, plus he knows the Pac-12 well from his time playing and coaching at UCLA. Name recognition is low but there’s a chance Dorrell could keep turning things around in Boulder.