Fact or Fiction: Chris Parson will end up at Mississippi State
Rivals national recruiting analyst Ryan Wright, national recruiting analyst Sean Williams, Marcus Benjamin of CanesCounty.com and Kelly Quinlan of BulldogBlitz.com tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. Chris Parson's decommitment from Florida State will be Mississippi State's gain.
Wright’s take: FACT. Chris Parson picked up an offer from the Bulldogs on May 28 and camped with them on June 10. Parson’s decommitment from the Seminoles is a surprise given the numerous unofficial visits he’s taken to Tallahassee, attending a Florida State camp on June 4, and taking an official there on June 24.
Based on the quarterback position rankings, Florida State could upgrade in a sense, following Parson’s decommitment. Parson, ranked No. 19, could be replaced by No. 11 Brock Glenn out of Memphis. Glenn is the only other QB left uncommitted FSU has offered.
Quinlan’s take: FACT. All the stars are lining up for Mississippi State to land Parson. He spent time on the Bulldogs' campus last month and has maintained a strong relationship with Mike Leach and his staff throughout his recruitment. I think he is a good fit in the Air Raid and the continuing evolution of the offense. With Will Rogers moving into his third season at the helm of the Bulldogs' offense, I'm sure Leach and his staff would like to have some good competition brewing for the future in Starkville.
The other interesting part of this is FSU may land Brock Glenn now who many thought early on was going to end up at Mississippi State. It may end up like a de facto trade or like a pro draft where one player going to one place impacts another. The QB domino effect has been crazy in the 2022 class so far so anything is possible.
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2. Miami will land a top 10 class in 2023.
Wright’s take: FACT. It was looking rough for Miami in mid-June but the Hurricanes have since enjoyed a significant turnaround, adding eight commitments and sitting with the No. 12 class in the country. Beyond the possibility of landing a top 10 class, Miami could force its way into the top five depending on what happens with CB Cormani McClain, DE Samuel M’Pemba, OT Samson Okunola. There is always the possibility of landing backyard five-star WR Hykeem Williams as well. What could also help is if commits like OT Francis Mauigoa and QB Jaden Rashada have ridiculous senior seasons and add that fifth star to their recruiting ranking.
Benjamin’s take: FACT. This could be a big weekend for the Miami Hurricanes. Miami currently has 14 commits in its 2023 class, the fewest of all of the teams ahead of the Hurricanes in the Rivals rankings, so the class has room to grow. Miami commit Francis Mauigoa could gain a fifth star and landing two or more five-star players would almost guarantee a top-10 class. Miami is in the position to possibly land several five-stars prospects in Nyckolas Harbor, David Hicks, Samuel M’Pemba and Samson Okunlola.
Cristobal also has a way of closing at the end of the cycle. With a fertile football hotbed in South Florida, Miami has the potential to add local talents Andy Jean, Will Fowles and Rueben Bain during the season. I would bet on Cristobal landing a top 10 class, the question is will he creep into the top five? This weekend will reveal whether or not Miami has a shot, as it is in play for five four-star prospects.
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3. At least three more Alabama prospects will be in the top 100 of the next Rivals250 update.
Wright’s take. FICTION. Alabama is already well-represented in the Rivals100 with 12 prospects on the list. There are prospects on the cusp of the top 100 such as WR Karmello English, SDE Hunter Osborne, OC Bradyn Joiner and APB Jeremiah Cobb, who could present a case for a push onto the list, but there are also big-time prospects from Texas, Florida, Louisiana, California and beyond poised for big senior seasons that could force some within the 100 to drop out. Regardless, the amount of talent in the state of Alabama this season is pretty amazing.
Williams’ take: FACT. The talent in the state of Alabama is always deep and it would be easy to see at least three more prospects from the state represented in the top 100 when the next rankings are released.
Alabama already has one representative among the best in the nation with Kavion Henderson checking in at No. 84. There are also three prospects hovering just outside the top 100 threshold as well in Ronnie Royal (No. 106), J'Marion Burnette (No. 116), and Kamari McClellan (No. 126). All three have valid reasons to be moved up into the upper echelon of the rankings and I think at least two will make the jump. The Yellowhammer State will be well represented among the top 100 prospects in the next 2024 update.