Fact or Fiction: OU is leaving Texas behind in recruiting
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. Texas is being left behind by Oklahoma in recruiting.
Farrell’s take: FACT. The Longhorns are landing prospects, but when I see Oklahoma reeling in five-stars like Mario Williams and four-stars like Clayton Smith while Texas adds more and more three-stars, it makes me wonder. Texas is ahead of OU in the Rivals team rankings with more commitments and the average star rating isn’t far off the Sooners, but let’s look at this — QB Caleb Williams is likely to commit and Oklahoma and the Sooners are involved and lead for many high rated prospects like Bryce Foster and others. If things pan out the way it appears it will, then OU will have a stronger recruiting year. And with the on field success already well ahead of Texas, that doesn’t bode well for Tom Herman and company.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. There is no question Oklahoma remains a major problem for Texas on the field and in recruiting, but the Longhorns had a higher-rated recruiting class in 2020 and the Longhorns are doing just fine with in-state prospects in 2021. Five-star OL Tommy Brockermeyer should join the class and then the Longhorns could be the frontrunner for four-star RB LJ Johnson (although Oklahoma is probably the favorite for five-star RB Camar Wheaton, the top player in the state of Texas). The Sooners are doing great, but Texas is right there as well and certainly not being left behind.
2. The sleeper recruiting team for 2021 is North Carolina.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. UNC is in the top 10 nationally for recruiting and doing very well under Mack Brown, but with their fertile recruiting territory, there are other programs that have impressed me more. The leader? Iowa. The Hawkeyes don’t have a strong recruiting home and teams like Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and so many others are doing well in the Midwest. It’s a competitive area without the depth of talent in the Southeast and the Hawkeyes continue to impress me the most.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. North Carolina is doing a great job and so is Iowa, but let’s look at Minnesota instead, a team that has routinely finished in the middle-to-lower part of the Big Ten team recruiting rankings now finds itself eighth nationally. More four-stars will be needed to stay in that spot through the recruiting cycle but P.J. Fleck is a winner, he’s recruiting really well and he’s building the Golden Gophers into a tough out in the Big Ten West. Fleck can sell winning now and that’s dangerous for other Big Ten teams.
3. Kyle Trask will be this year's Joe Burrow.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. There are a lot of people talking about Kyle Trask taking the next step next season and breaking out from a mid-round pick to a potential first rounder after a great year like Joe Burrow had. Trask will improve, but the Burrow comparisons are crazy. I don’t feel we will see a year like Burrow had for a long time and now many quarterbacks will be compared and expected to make similar jumps from year to year. Trask could be the best QB in the SEC next season, but he won’t be Burrow-like.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Trask is a really talented quarterback and I love coach Dan Mullen, but Burrow had maybe a once-in-a-lifetime kind of year, so let’s not go overboard with the comparisons. One could argue Trask had his breakout season last year with 2,941 yards and 25 touchdowns, a great year by any measure, and that similar numbers should be expected this season. Let’s face it: Burrow was awesome and he also had incredible receivers around him. Florida doesn’t have those types of playmakers and so Trask will have another nice year but not to the level of Burrow.