Fact or Fiction: Poaching, Mike Leach, Amarius Mims
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. New Jersey is the most talented state open for out-of-state poaching.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. I got to thinking about this since the answer is usually North Carolina or Maryland, but Mack Brown and Mike Locksley have done a good job keeping some talent home. Now with Greg Schiano at Rutgers, New Jersey will be tougher to recruit.
So for me it’s the state of Virginia where players like TreVeyon Henderson and others continue to leave the state for power programs. I’m not sure when Virginia or Virginia Tech will change this, but for now this state is wide open.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Virginia is a good one and definitely deserves recognition but I’m picking Missouri, a state where many of the top prospects leave for higher-profile programs nationally and then end up excelling in a big way. It’s something first-year Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz needs to quell to have a chance in the SEC. In the 2020 class, none of the top nine players in the state picked the Tigers as Notre Dame, Ohio State and other powers poached them. The 2021 class is off to a similar start as the state’s top player, CB Jakailin Johnson, is committed to the Buckeyes and No. 2 Gabriel Rubio has pledged to Notre Dame.
2. Mike Leach will produce several stat-stuffing QBs at Mississippi State.
Farrell’s take: FACT. The quarterback room at Mississippi State is getting crowded and talented. Okay, well it will be soon enough. The commitment from Sawyer Robertson is a good one and they also have Daniel Greek. Last year the Bulldogs landed Will Rogers and of course they have Stanford transfer KJ Costello who will be the first one to put up massive numbers in Leach’s offense. Watch out for these names in a few years. The next Gardner Minshew could be in here.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Anthony Gordon threw for 5,579 yards in one season. Minshew had 4,779 passing yards in one year at Washington State. Luke Falk threw for 14,481 yards and 119 touchdowns during his four years in Pullman.
It’s a virtual guarantee that the next Mississippi State quarterback under Leach will have huge numbers as well because his offense is designed for it. Leach has had offensive success in the Big 12 and Pac-12 and SEC defenses could be an entirely different proposition but I still believe the Bulldogs will move the ball and score points. It’s just what Leach does and top quarterback prospects - like Robertson and others - should be interesting in playing for him.
3. Auburn is the biggest threat to Georgia and Alabama for Amarius Mims.
Farrell’s take: FACT. Mims, who hails from Georgia, has narrowed his list down to 10 schools but we all know Georgia and Alabama are the teams to beat. But who could sneak in here? Auburn. They almost stole away Broderick Jones last year and they are a sleeper for Mims as well. Georgia leads but Alabama is always hard to beat but keep an eye on the Auburn Tigers here if anyone is going to pull an upset.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. I really think Georgia has a huge edge in his recruitment despite Mims naming a top 10 and then Alabama is in second place. At this very moment, Auburn is definitely a big threat, but once Mims can get back out on the road following the coronavirus travel ban, watch out for Clemson. The Tigers can get anybody, the five-star offensive tackle wants to visit and he could fit very well into their culture. Georgia is going to be tough to beat, but over time Clemson will become the biggest threat of all.