Fact or Fiction: Keon Keeley, Javien Toviano, Malachi Coleman
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney along with Cole Patterson of Orangebloods.com, Jeremy Birmingham of DottingTheEyes.com and Greg Smith from InsideNebraska.com tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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STING FACTOR: Demitrius Bell's decommitment from Michigan State
CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
TRANSFER PORTAL: Stories/coverage | Message board
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1. Five-star Keon Keeley is visiting Ohio State for the season opener against Notre Dame. The Buckeyes have a really good shot at keeping him away from Alabama and Florida and landing his pledge.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I do believe Alabama leads for Keon Keeley and it might be insurmountable at this point but the longer the five-star stays uncommitted then Ohio State has a better chance. It’s telling that the Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep standout will be in Columbus so quickly after backing off his Notre Dame pledge to see the Buckeyes host the Irish. It should be an electric environment at Ohio State plus he could see some of the younger defensive ends thrive in the Buckeyes’ defense. Alabama has the edge right now but the longer this goes, the better chance Ohio State and others have.
Birmingham’s take: FACT. Ohio State was the first non-Notre Dame program to host Keeley for a visit when he tripped to Columbus in March and conversations about a return trip — an official visit — have persisted since then. Now that he’s back on the open market, the Buckeyes have as real a shot as anyone to land him. The timing of Keeley’s decommitment may scream “Alabama!” but there’s no doubt that his interest in Ohio State has been real and has existed for a while.
Larry Johnson has no defensive ends committed in the class of 2023 and there’s likely one more season left of Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau so the path to early playing time for Keeley is evident and he’s a young person that fits the Ohio State culture exceedingly well. It’s never wise to expect Alabama to lose on a recruit but the Buckeyes aren’t just a hat on the table for Keeley.
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2. Javien Toviano should be considered for the No. 1 spot at cornerback in the 2023 class.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I see Javien Toviano’s versatility as an asset, not a detriment, to his ranking and he’s going to be in the discussion as the No. 1 corner in this class. In highlights this summer from Future 50, the Arlington (Texas) Martin standout looked a little stiff and that he turned a little slowly, but that was absolutely not the case with pads on. Toviano looks fluid, fast, physical, aggressive and he was basically shutting down one side of the field. Cormani McClain is phenomenal as well but Toviano is now more in the discussion than ever.
Patterson’s take: FICTION. Toviano was fantastic on Thursday night in a game that he was rarely tested through the air. The five-star was very active in run support and showed off his physicality as a blocker throughout the season-opening win over Lake Travis. All of that said, Toviano played safety as much as he played corner. His versatility is evident and impressive – a big reason why he is considered a five-star recruit – but there are questions about his ceiling as a pure cornerback. I believe Texas commit Malik Muhammad will give Toviano a strong push as the top corner in the state for the cycle. It is safe to say that Cormani McClain has a stranglehold on the No. 1 spot nationally.
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3. Malachi Coleman can easily make an argument to be a five-star prospect.
Gorney’s take: FACT. The most difficult part about the rankings process is projection and trying to predict a very uncertain future when it comes to football players. Every elite prospect in the country is facing double teams and many have tougher senior seasons than junior ones when they aren’t as well-known on a national level. The Rivals rankings are based on expected college performance and NFL Draft projection and Malachi Coleman is someone coaches and NFL execs will love. He looks like a basketball player on the football field with elite athleticism and length. While he will need to add some weight in college, I see no reason why he couldn’t play at 220 and have that wiry strength while coming off the edge or being used in the passing game. So much about football is length, athletic ability and covering ground, and Coleman has it all.
Smith’s take: FICTION. After seeing him play in person it’s going to be tough for Coleman to make the jump. He’s physically bigger than a year ago and spent the summer working on the finer points of playing wide receiver and defensive end/outside linebacker. His game has surely improved but I’m not sure he will get the chance to show it much this year. Coleman’s team is still searching for consistency at quarterback after losing a record-setting player after last year. He's going to see constant double- and triple-teams all season. Teams will also run away from him constantly when he’s on defense. Coleman’s stats could be down from his breakout junior season but shouldn’t influence all the colleges that covet his skills.