Rivals national recruiting analyst Marshall Levenson is joined by Dale Dowden of VolReport.com, national recruiting analyst Greg Smith and national recruiting director Adam Gorney to tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
MORE FACT OR FICTION: Notre Dame QB Deuce Knight is Auburn's top flip target
MORE LEVENSON: Ranking The Contenders of Five-star OT Michael Fasusi
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1. Ohio State will hold onto the No. 1 class in the country through signing day.
Smith: FACT. The Buckeyes have paced the 2025 cycle for a while now after Notre Dame got off to a hot start. They have consistently added top-flight talent to the 2025 class and have even had players move up the rankings.
There are only a couple players that are in danger of flipping away from the program right now. But the group could suffer a loss or two and still hold on to the top spot. Ohio State is currently outpacing the total points (3,202) that last year’s No. 1 team, Georgia, had (3,156) in the 2024 cycle. If LSU pulls off a few flips it can make things really interesting but the Buckeyes have too much firepower in the class. It’s a deep group led by the No. 1 player, Tavien St. Clair, and a bevy of big-time defensive backs.
Levenson: FACT. I almost said fiction here because LSU, Alabama and Georgia will continue their trends of landing elite talent throughout this cycle. But it's Ohio State and I'd be silly to act like they won't do the same. Now, in the world of recruiting, come November and December, there will surely be flips that completely throw off what we see now in the rankings, but odds are Ohio State will be involved with some of those higher-profile players anyway. So I am going to ride with the Buckeyes given their current lead and say they can fend off those who are somewhat nipping at their heels at this time.
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2. Omarion Robinson has a chance to be the No. 1 safety in 2025.
Gorney: FICTION. I love Omarion Robinson. He was the best safety at the Rivals Five-Star this summer which was loaded with talent at every position. He is a total ball hawk, smart, he has great instincts and the Oklahoma commit does a phenomenal job making plays all over the field. He definitely deserved a massive bump in the latest rankings. But Hylton Stubbs and Trey McNutt are also elite, possess all those same abilities and are slightly more impressive because of their length. Robinson could end up more in the five-star discussion but passing Stubbs and McNutt in the overall rankings will probably be a major hurdle.
Levenson: FICTION. I posed this question as a result of Robinson's recent steep rise from outside the top 100 to No. 34 overall, which brings up the question of how high he can continue to rise. After seeing him at Rivals Five-Star, I absolutely believe he is one of the best safeties in America. But I have to agree with Gorney here. He is on the same playing level as Stubbs and McNutt, but they do possess some slightly better measurables at this time. And measurables matter, especially when you're splitting hairs at a position. Robinson will certainly be in five-star contention either way moving forward.
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3. David Sanders Jr. would be the most important prospect in Josh Heupel's time at UT to this point.
Dowden: FICTION. Although David Sanders is a huge piece and is one of the most important prospects under Josh Heupel, you have to look back to Nico Iamaleava. The commitment of Iamaleava brought in many pieces, not only in the 2023 class but 2024 as well. Prospects in the classes of 2025 and 2026 also reference him.
At this point, you can make an argument either way, but without Iamaleava and the pieces he attracted, you have to question if Sanders would be as interested in Tennessee.
Levenson: FICTION. I followed the same thought process as Dowden in here in that it would be tough to not give the nod to Iamaleava. Not only does he play the most important position on a team, but Dowden's point of Sanders' interest potentially being strengthed simply because of his presence is very compelling. If the Vols land Sanders, it should certainly be celebrated, there's no doubt about that. And I'm sure it might even feel like a bigger win for Heupel and his staff if he commits simply because Iamaleava committed much, much earlier in the process.
