Fact or Fiction: Miami has overtaken LSU for five-star DJ Pickett
Rivals national recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr. is joined by national recruiting director Adam Gorney, national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman and CanesCounty.com's Marcus Benjamin to tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. Miami has overtaken LSU as the favorite for five-star DJ Pickett.
Gorney: FACT. LSU is a sneaky contender and Oregon could be the dark horse here, especially if the Ducks provide a lot of NIL money, but DJ Pickett has said time and time again Miami is the team to beat. He sees a massive opportunity to start there, early, and he's close to family. Not to mention potentially playing with family, as Booker Pickett is already on the team and his cousin. It will take a lot to get them out of the state, something that was also said early on in this recruitment. I'm not going to pick against LSU or Oregon yet but Miami is definitely the program to beat.
Garcia: FICTION. Pickett has said plenty of positives about Miami, but the local buzz has not been as pro-Hurricanes ahead of official visit season. Instead, many around the five-star continue to cite LSU as the program most likely to win out for the secondary recruit at this time. From a bevy of trips to Baton Rouge, to the reconnection with Corey Raymond and the chance to help restore the 'DBU' moniker with Brian Kelly's program – the Tiger angle is not to be overlooked. I'll agree that Miami is in the best position within state lines for the Floridian, and Oregon is absolutely not out of this race, but I see the Tigers adding to their lead with the first official visit to their name this weekend.
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2. Georgia has become the favorite for Rivals250 WR Travis Smith Jr.
Spiegelman: FACT. If Georgia isn't the leader, then Kirby Smart and his offensive staff are certainly positioning themselves to be right at the forefront when Smith announces his commitment on July 13. Smith was back in Athens last weekend for the annual scavenger hunt, the Bulldogs made a strong move to close the gap with some of the other SEC heavyweights in the mix here. Tennessee's offensive success and stable of quarterbacks behind center is a factor. So is Kaleb DeBoer and JaMarcus Shephard's track record at the receiver position coming over from Washington. He also sees several impact freshmen over in the Plains right now. The Georgia staff is making this way more interesting as the summer heats, and the Dawgs' recent success throwing the ball might ultimately be the catalyst.
Garcia: FACT. This one has felt like more of a classic Georgia-Alabama battle, where it's never quite over until the dust truly settles. Smith is one of two priority wide receivers remaining for Georgia within state lines, along with CJ Wiley, but his recruitment is set to end much sooner come July. Setting that hard deadline before official visits kick off is typically not bad news for the longtime favorite, and it could play out just that way especially considering Wiley's recruitment features more contenders and will likely last longer. Smart's program is working uphill against perception at very few positions, but wide receiver is one of them, so there is added pressure to win this one in Athens – something rarely wise to bet against.
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3. Miami fans should be worried about the status of Elijah Melendez's commitment.
Benjamin: FICTION. The Miami staff allows its players to embrace the recruiting process, and Elijah Melendez is doing that. Although Melendez has scheduled official visits to Auburn (May 31), Michigan (June 7) and Oklahoma (June 14) in the upcoming weeks, Miami has the essential final visit on June 21. I do believe that the four-star in-state backer will give the bluebloods a serious look, but the Hurricanes seem to have a stranglehold on the situation.
Miami has a culture fit that is not matched by any other program to this point. Miami will make a run at blue-chip linebackers Zayden Walker and Gavin Nix, a fellow Orlando-area native who Melendez is actively trying to persuade to join the Hurricanes' class. Melendez will strategically be joined by coveted linebackers HerBert Scoggins III and Ohio State commit Tarvos Alford on his official visit. Should Miami fans be concerned at this point? No. But cautiously optimistic may be a better term for how they should feel about Melendez sticking with the Canes.
Garcia: FACT. If the trips were to some of the other programs once in the mix here, like Colorado, USC, etc., there would probably be less of a caution with the Melendez's trips. But two of the trips, in particular, hold some intrigue relative to the physical linebacker getting out to those campuses. Michigan has already hosted him for multiple days and he admitted it was eye-opening, and now he'll get to do so on the Wolverines' dime. Oklahoma is the other interesting twist, as Melendez has never been to Norman. The push from Brent Venables himself and the allure of playing SEC football is something that could combine well for one of the most physical defenders in the class. Miami will have the last say with the final visit, and it may take as much to keep him on the commitment list for good.