Fact or Fiction: Oscar Delp, Raleek Brown, Iowa
National recruiting director Mike Farrell and national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
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1. TE Oscar Delp will join QB Gunner Stockton at Georgia.
Farrell’s take: FACT. Oscar Delp also likes Florida and other programs but he has a special bond with Gunner Stockton and has always liked the Dawgs. With the Gators landing Arik Gilbert and Georgia more likely to use the tight end more and more with players like Darnell Washington and Brock Bowers, this one is likely.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Delp and Stockton have played in some 7-on-7 events and workouts together and the chemistry is obvious. Stockton is one of the top quarterbacks in the class and Delp is one of the top tight ends and playing together in Athens seems like a natural fit. There will be others that chase Delp because he’s so good but playing with Stockton is a huge draw and I see the four-star tight end ending up in Athens.
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2. RB Raleek Brown will stick with Oklahoma.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. This is a hunch but remember Raleek Brown was a lock for Alabama before changing course to Oklahoma and there is a good chance he could start looking at options closer to home by the end of the process. A lot depends on how well USC plays and if others in California can get in his ear. This will take months to play out and OU does a great job recruiting California, but USC is on a roll.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Oklahoma is where Brown always wanted to play and if Lincoln Riley stays in Norman then I expected Brown’s commitment to the Sooners to remain firm. USC is going to be tempting especially since Brown is now at Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei so watch out for the Trojans, and maybe for Oregon as well, but Oklahoma’s offense is perfect for what Brown can do and it was always the school that caught his attention the most.
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3. Iowa is the one team that should get more respect for NFL development.
Farrell’s take: FACT. Iowa has four players in the Super Bowl — four. That’s more than programs like Alabama, Ohio State and others. But yet Iowa once again gets ignored when it comes to player development and putting prospects into the NFL. Tristan Wirfs is the big name as a first-round OL but Anthony Nelson, Ben Niemann and Anthony Hitchens are all solid players. Let’s hear it for the Hawkeyes.
Gorney’s take: FACT. What’s so impressive about what Iowa does is that we all know the Hawkeyes do such a phenomenal job taking undervalued offensive linemen and making them into guys who completely dominate the line of scrimmage. But three of the four former Iowa players playing in the Super Bowl are linebackers and so coach Kirk Ferentz and his staff are developing elite players at other positions, too. Iowa had just as many players as Clemson and Michigan in the Super Bowl but don’t get nearly that level of recognition.