Fact Or Fiction: Orgeron's success, Tua, Mike Norvell
National recruiting director Mike Farrell and national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
1. Ed Orgeron would have had this success at USC.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. Ed Orgeron is made for LSU and Louisiana and while he would bring passion to any job he landed, his motivation at LSU has been doubled because of the rejection at USC. And the support he receives at LSU simply wouldn’t be matched at USC with all of their constant changes and terrible decisions.
Orgeron would have recruited off the charts at USC, but there’s no way he would be undefeated and in the playoff right now. He’s provided a hunger and determination for LSU players that he would have trouble instilling in USC players. That’s just the way it seems to be these days.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Orgeron wanted the USC job after Lane Kiffin was fired, but little did he know he would have been in a years-long downward spiral that might not have been able to be rectified. Kiffin set it in motion, but then Steve Sarkisian made it worse and Clay Helton has done little to make the Trojans a national power again.
Orgeron is in the perfect spot for his personality and his coaching style. He resonates at LSU, the players love him and he can recruit there. It’s a perfect spot and I doubt he’d have had this success - or this much fun - staying at USC.
2. Tua Tagovailoa should come back to Alabama.
Farrell’s take: FACT. Everyone will say Tua should leave and become a first round pick. But the fact is that he won’t be a first round pick this April, not coming off that horrible injury and being able to show NFL teams he’s fully recovered. He could come out this year and be a second- or third-rounder perhaps or come back and be the third quarterback off the board behind Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields in 2021. He should come back and prove he’s first round worthy — with a big insurance policy to back him up.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. There is still a very good possibility Tagovailoa will be a first-round pick in April’s NFL Draft because he is that talented and some franchise could take him and rehab him to their liking, at their facility, with their doctors.
Why go play another year of college football and take another year of pounding? No one is saying Tagovailoa will go to the NFL and start right away now and that’s not what he needs anyway. But an NFL franchise building for the future would be smart to draft him early, have him back completely healthy and do it on their terms. Tagovailoa should go off to the NFL.
3. Florida State recruiting will improve under Mike Norvell.
Farrell’s take: FACT. I’m still puzzled at the lack of success Willie Taggart had on the field, but his recruiting wasn’t that bad. However, Norvell is much more organized and will prioritize positions better. There’s no way Taggart should have allowed Sam Howell to get away or go two years without a quarterback. Under Norvell, that won’t happen. FSU will always land four- and five-stars, but under Norvell things, will be much more organized.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I’ve said this about the Texas situation, that the best thing that could’ve happened for Tom Herman was Charlie Strong. Meaning things were so bad under Strong that even though Herman is underachieving, people there realize it could be much worse.
Norvell is stepping into the perfect situation because things were terrible under Taggart for the short time he was there with quarterback play and the offensive line and player development. If Norvell shows any semblance of improvement then top prospects will get interested very fast. Norvell is a solid coach and Florida State will be just fine. Clemson is still playing in another stratosphere, but the Seminoles made a smart move this weekend by hiring Norvell.