Fact or Fiction: LSU recruiting has reached a different level
National recruiting director Mike Farrell and national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
MORE FACT OR FICTION: Jim Harbaugh has an exit strategy
1. LSU recruiting has hit a different level.
Farrell’s take: FACT. LSU has always been able to recruit well, but most of it was regional with a player from out of its range here or there. But this year is a different story and the commitment of tight end Arik Gilbert from Georgia over Alabama, UGA and Clemson is a huge deal. LSU now has major commitments from states like Georgia, California, Maryland, Virginia and other states, in addition to in-state keeps. This will be the best LSU class in history on paper.
Gorney’s take: FACT. LSU has always been able to recruit well defensively, but now that has turned to elite offensive players as well, mainly because those players have seen the Tigers’ awesome offense this season and they believe that’s not going to change when they get to campus. Why would it? Quarterback Joe Burrow is having a great season, the offense is humming and guys like Gilbert want to be a part of it.
2. Jim Harbaugh is the most overpaid coach in college football.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. USA Today came out with its annual coaches salary list and Harbaugh, who hasn’t won anything at Michigan yet, was up near the top. However, Jeff Brohm at Purdue is in the top 10 and his team is a middling program in the Big Ten at best. Jimbo Fisher is making a ton and has an amazing buyout, but Texas A&M looks like it always does. So, these are two examples of coaches who are more overpaid than Harbaugh. But make no mistake, Harbaugh is not earning his keep.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Harbaugh has done absolutely nothing to deserve being the third-highest paid coach in the country behind Dabo Swinney and Nick Saban, but he’s not the most overpaid coach by a long shot. Fisher has a $60-million buyout, which is completely absurd in every way. For Tom Herman to make more money than Lincoln Riley is ridiculous. To have Brohm and Pat Fitzgerald (combined record of 3-10 this season) in the top 12 is nuts. Harbaugh has been highly disappointing in big games, but there are some positive signs at least.
3. The third best coach in college football is James Franklin.
Farrell’s take: FACT. Everyone agrees that Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney are the two best coaches in college football over the last few years, right? But Franklin sits third in wins since 2016 in college football and what he’s done at Penn State can’t be ignored. Penn State got screwed out of the playoff the year it won the Big Ten, so the people who say Franklin hasn’t won anything are wrong. The guy can coach and he can recruit and he needs more respect next to his name.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. I have nothing but respect for what Franklin has done in a short time at Penn State. He’s getting better as an in-game coach, he’s a fantastic recruiter and the game-day environment is one of the best in the country. He’s an outstanding coach who is definitely in the top five. But I’m going with Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley as the best Xs and Os coach in the country - and that includes Saban and Swinney. Almost every NFL team came to Norman recently to figure out how Riley runs his offense and every NFL team looking for a coach will come calling for Riley in the next couple months.