Fact or Fiction: Miami is the favorite for five-star Jaheim Singletary
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney along with national recruiting analyst Adam Friedman and Gary Ferman from CaneSport.com and Mike Singer from BlueandGold.com tackle three recruiting topics and determine whether they believe each statement.
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1. Miami is definitely the favorite now for five-star CB Jaheim Singletary after his Ohio State decommitment.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. I do feel Miami has the edge in his recruitment right now especially since he just visited there and then decommitted from Ohio State but there is still a long way to go and the five-star cornerback is planning a round of visits in the fall. Jaheim Singletary’s relationship with Miami position coach Travaris Robinson could be a major selling point for him and a good showing by the Hurricanes early this season could move them even higher. But Georgia is definitely involved here and has been working on Singletary and he’s talented enough to play anywhere in the country. I’m excited if I’m Miami but there is some guarded optimism there as well.
Ferman’s take: FICTION. Miami has done a great job getting in this race and has a legit chance to land Singletary, but with Florida and Georgia also involved it's pretty tough to declare the Hurricanes a clear favorite or assume this battle is not going to continue for a while. Singletary is the top-ranked corner in the country and there will be others trying to get in the mix as well. Miami will be in it until the end and winning here is realistic. It would help the Hurricanes to put forth a good showing against Alabama in the season opener in Atlanta and then win the Coastal Division of the ACC this season. That is going to be a show-me variable for several of the key recruits this year as Miami tries to elevate its roster and battle in recruiting with the top teams in college football. The Hurricanes are a major player but it appears to be a pretty even three-way race right now.
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2. Zach Rice is better than the fourth-best offensive tackle in the 2022 class.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Until Zach Rice can prove his dominance on the national level, I don’t think moving him higher than fourth - where he’s still a five-star prospect so we definitely love him - probably is not justified. Julian Armella is going up against elite prospects every week in high school and he’s not shy of the camp circuit. Kelvin Banks has proven this offseason that he’s outstanding. And Kam Dewberry was outstanding after a slow start at the Dallas Rivals Camp. Rice is in the conversation but who would he displace higher on the list?
Friedman’s take: FACT. Admittedly, this answer is based more on a gut feeling than anything else right now but I have seen him in person just as much, if not more than any other industry analyst. Rice has the skill set to dominate any opponent he comes across and has done so in his limited offseason showings. He might come across one or two legitimate Power Five prospects during the upcoming season so it could be tough for him to make a better case than he has already until the all-star games at the end of the year. It will be very interesting to see how he handles defensive linemen that have the size, strength, and speed that he'll face at the next level.
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3. Notre Dame has a real shot to land high four-star safety Xavier Nwankpa.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Ohio State is the front-runner and has been for some time but if Xavier Nwankpa is going to take visits in the fall then Notre Dame definitely has a real shot to land his commitment because game weekends are so memorable in South Bend. The Buckeyes have so much to offer, have been so high on his list for so long and could be nearly impossible to beat but Notre Dame has been a school Nwankpa has shown a ton of interest in for a while and so if his recruitment drags through the fall, don’t completely rule out the Irish.
Singer’s take: FACT. Notre Dame absolutely has a real shot to land Nwankpa. He's expected to return to Notre Dame's campus this fall and continues to have great contact with the Irish coaching staff. While I would still give Ohio State the lead right now, his recruitment is far from over, and Notre Dame could definitely pull off an upset victory in this recruitment. Notre Dame's biggest pitch to Nwankpa? Be the next Kyle Hamilton, who is likely to be a top-10 pick at safety after his junior season this fall for Notre Dame. Nwankpa could play meaningful minutes in an Irish uniform, just like Hamilton did as a freshman.