Fact or Fiction: QB Jadyn Davis is a lock for Michigan
Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Friedman, Josh Henschke of TheMaizeandBlueReview.com, Marcus Benjamin of CanesCounty.com, and Caleb Alexander of GamecockScoop.com tackle three topics and determine where they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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Five-star QB Jadyn Davis is a lock for Michigan when he announces later today.
Friedman's take: FACT. We’re finally going to see the end of Jadyn Davis' long recruitment later today, and I expect him to go public with his commitment to the Michigan Wolverines. It's felt like Michigan has been the favorite since last summer, which is when I put in the first Michigan FutureCast prediction, and there's been no reason to change that pick since then. Davis put out a top five last week that included Clemson, North Carolina, Tennessee and Ohio State, along with Michigan, but it’s hard to see a scenario where he chooses any of the other four given his reaction to his latest trip to Ann Arbor.
Henschke’s take: FACT. We have felt pretty good about Michigan’s chances for Davis for a while. We feel his best relationships are in Ann Arbor. The Jim Harbaugh-to-the-NFL rumors and a change at quarterbacks coach in rapid succession might’ve had short term ramifications, but Kirk Campbell’s addition to the staff as QB coach has been huge to get things back on track. I am expecting Davis to pick the Wolverines.
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Miami is set to take the lead for five-star David Stone.
Friedman's take: FICTION. There is certainly a lot for Miami fans to get excited about, but visits on back-to-back weekends isn't a guarantee of anything. Stone doesn't want to commit until the fall, so there is a lot of time for teams to jockey for position. Oklahoma, Tennessee, Ohio State and Michigan State are just some of the other contenders trying to woo Stone and his family. Whatever momentum Miami picks up from this weekend's visit, Mario Cristobal and his staff will need to sustain it before I consider them the clear leader for Stone's commitment.
Benjamin's take: FACT. Visits on back-to-back weekends are a rarity in college football recruiting. The fact that David Stone visited Miami on consecutive weekends bodes well for Hurricanes fans. Also having two defensive line coaches - and one being a Hall of Famer in Jason Taylor - doesn’t hurt either. Then add in the fact that his former IMG teammates Francis Mauigoa (who is pushing for a starting position in the spring), Antonio Tripp and Jayden Wayne are enjoying every bit of Coral Gables and the culture Cristobal is establishing, Stone could very well be rolling his way to Miami. Plus, Miami is still super thin at the defensive tackle position, which will be a constant selling point.
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South Carolina will go 3-for-3 with the in-state four-star offensive linemen.
Friedman's take: FACT. The South Carolina coaching staff has been tearing it up on the recruiting trail, and there’s no reason to doubt the momentum, especially when it comes to in-state prospects. Kam Pringle, Blake Franks and Josiah Thompson are the three offensive lineman from South Carolina rated as four-star prospects and it seems like the Gamecocks are in position to bring all three aboard in this recruiting class. Pringle was an early commitment for the Gamecocks, and now it looks like Franks is ready to jump aboard. He announces his commitment later today, and it would be surprising if he were to choose a school other than South Carolina. Shane Beamer and his coaching staff are set up to land Thompson’s commitment as well. He is scheduled to announce his commitment in the next couple weeks.
Alexander's take: FACT. Or perhaps I should say foregone conclusion, especially if Franks locks things in Friday afternoon, as I expect he will. It’s truly been impressive to watch this staff work. I’ve felt good about Thompson for months, but when I first spoke to Pringle last spring, he had his sights set on several out-of-state bluebloods, and Franks seemed destined for Clemson. The transformation in the recruitment of those two over the last year has been astounding, and former OL coach turned analyst Greg Adkins and current OL coach Lonnie Teasley deserve a lot of credit for the classes they’re seemingly stacking over the last two cycles. I’ve heard from several people close to these recruits that the Gamecocks coaches are simply outworking their competition, and recruits are buying into the “family” mindset being created at South Carolina.