Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney along with Justin Rowland from CatsIllustrated.com, Andrew Hutchinson from Hawgbeat.com and Blayne Gilmer of UGASports.com tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement.
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1. Barion Brown is taking a visit to Kentucky this weekend. The Wildcats are a sneaky contender to land his commitment.Â
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Barion Brown is a difficult prospect to read because he doesn’t talk much so he could be keeping his thoughts close to the vest but Alabama wants him as one of the receivers in its class and it’s tough to say no to the Crimson Tide. TCU also has a puncher’s chance here so there is no rhyme or reason to Brown’s recruitment right now so Kentucky might not be completely out of it but I don’t see him ending up in Lexington. The visit this weekend could completely change his thinking though.
Rowland’s take: FACT. Sneaky contender is the perfect way to put it. Kentucky had been recruiting him when Steve Clinkscale was in charge of the state. When he left I thought they were probably out with Brown, but offensive coordinator Liam Coen and receivers coach Scott Woodward have quietly done a very good job of making the case to an elite player. I'm sure they're talking to him about how the offense looked in Week 1.
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2. Gentry Williams keeps showing interest in Arkansas and plans to visit this weekend. The Razorbacks have a real shot to land him.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Gentry Williams keeps returning to Arkansas which makes me think I could be completely wrong here - and the lure of playing in the SEC could be significant - but I just don’t see the Razorbacks in the lead here. This feels like a battle between Oklahoma and USC right now as both have intrigued him a lot as well. By no means is Williams going back to Fayetteville as some kind of courtesy visit and there is legitimate interest in Arkansas but a real shot to land him right now? I would say the Hogs are running third in this race.
Hutchinson’s take: FACT. I'd probably consider it a "long" shot opposed to a "real" shot, but I do think it's too early to completely rule out the Razorbacks for Gentry Williams. He took an official visit over the summer and is back on campus for the Texas game, which will be played in front of a sellout crowd. Arkansas has had success in the Tulsa area recently, including landing Williams' former teammate Keaun Parker, plus defensive backs coach Sam Carter is a rising star in the business and has shown he can land big-time guys with four-star safety Myles Rowser from Detroit already committed. That said, it'll be tough for Arkansas to beat out the in-state Sooners. An upset over the Longhorns in front of a rowdy atmosphere might give the Razorbacks a puncher's chance, though.
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3. Georgia really impressed Shemar Stewart in the season opener and the Bulldogs could emerge as the winner in his recruitment.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Over the last few months, Miami, Ohio State and Texas A&M had jumped out to the front for Shemar Stewart but after seeing the Hurricanes get blasted by Alabama and then seeing Georgia’s impressive defensive performance - especially by the defensive line - in the win over Clemson, the Bulldogs are right in the thick of things. There is still room to make up and more impressive showings to be had but Georgia’s schedule is very favorable and if things go the right way an undefeated regular season is very possible. The Bulldogs are definitely trending up in his recruitment.
Gilmer’s take: FACT. Georgia is very much in the recruitment of Shemar Stewart. The Georgia coaching staff reached out to Stewart as soon as the clock hit 0:00 in the dominant defensive performance and win over Clemson. Georgia is doing what it needs to do to compete toe to toe with Ohio State, Miami and Texas A&M for Stewart. This is now truly a four-team race and Georgia is angling for Stewart's last overall visit. At this point, Stewart and his camp don't mind complying with that wish. Getting the last visit would be huge for Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning and coach Kirby Smart.
