Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney and national recruiting analyst Ryan Wright along with Ryan Young of TrojanSports.com and Cole Patterson from Orangebloods.com tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State | JUCO
CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
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RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Info for 2022 series
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1. Richard Young has locked up his spot as a top-two running back in the 2023 class.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Richard Young is incredibly talented and productive but he’s also physically maxed out where others in this class still have a ways to go in that regard and that’s why this could be an interesting debate as the 2023 rankings cycle goes on. He’s rocked up, powerful and puts up numbers so it’s hard to argue against Young in any capacity and I will not do that but Kaleb Jackson is pretty impressive, Cedric Baxter is still pretty lean and could have a little Derrick Henry vibe to him in the coming years and Michigan State commit Kedrick Reescano could be a major sleeper right now in this class. When it comes to most rankings, nothing is guaranteed.
Wright’s take: FICTION. Georgia football vs. Florida, all-purpose back vs. power back… opinions will be had which player is better, Haynes or Young, and all will have a credible argument to make. Haynes is the top-ranked back for now. During the 2021 season, Haynes proved he’s an every-down-back carrying the rock 275 times for 2,375 yards with 29 scores. He also caught 10 passes for 136 yards with two touchdowns. Young was brute force on his way to 1,755 yards on 196 touches in 10 games with 19 touchdowns. This is a classic Coke vs. Pepsi debate on two extremely talented prospects.
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2. Brandon Inniss will reunite with the coach he was committed to in Lincoln Riley during a visit to USC this spring. But Alabama is now the team to beat in his recruitment.
Gorney’s take: FACT. There is a very compelling case to be made that Brandon Inniss could end up at USC (read below). But there might be some reservations on the distance factor and playing in the Pac-12 when the big dogs like Alabama are calling. Inniss is very intelligent and understands the stakes here - he’s an elite receiver and many times over those players have gone to Alabama and excelled. Not only that, they’ve become first-round or early NFL Draft picks and Inniss has that level of talent. USC provides an incredibly interesting situation but the Crimson Tide are tried and true and I’m not counting out the other top programs for him just yet.
Young’s take: FICTION. On the first part, at least. There's every reason to view USC as the team to beat in Inniss' recruitment. It's been telling the key players and prospects who needed little time making the move or flip from Oklahoma to USC to reunite with Lincoln Riley -- QB Caleb Williams, five-star QB prospect Malachi Nelson, WR Mario Williams, four-star WR prospect Makai Lemon, five-star APB prospect Raleek Brown, CB Latrell McCutchin. Brandon Inniss didn't initially commit to go to school halfway across the country from his home because he was enamored by the idea of living in Norman, Okla. If he was sold on joining Riley there, there's no reason to think he wouldn't want to join him in USC to be a part of that same elite offense, to play with the same QBs (Williams and Nelson) he envisioned playing with initially. Riley and his staff, which includes former Oklahoma outside receivers coach Dennis Simmons, have proven to be strong closers when they get prospects on campus. Inniss' upcoming visit to USC provides the opportunity for the Trojans to seal the deal here. There are no guarantees, but if we're picking favorites, it's hard to ignore everything I just laid out.
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3. It's almost a certainty that four-star WR Johntay Cook II will end up committing to Texas or Texas A&M.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. I’m not there yet. I get that Texas and Texas A&M are the front-runners and that Johntay Cook can play all over the field for Steve Sarkisian and he loves the family vibe in College Station but I want to see how Cook’s visit to LSU goes first. First-year coach Brian Kelly could make a compelling case and there’s some underlying reason why I think LSU has a real shot to join the front-runners here. Alabama is always going to be a player if it really pushes for Cook, I don’t necessarily see him leaving the region, so while the Longhorns and Aggies are probably out front, I don’t think it’s an absolute lock yet he ends up at one of those two schools.
Patterson’s take: FACT. Texas and Texas A&M have been jockeying for position in Johntay Cook’s recruitment for the last year or so. The Longhorns have made a strong impression on Cook, who is a big fan of Steve Sarkisian and the offense that he runs. Jimbo Fisher has made Cook a priority, too. Alabama, LSU, and Ohio State are three other programs that have Cook’s attention, but this feels like a classic Longhorns-Aggies battle. It’s difficult to see the DeSoto product leaving the Lone Star State at this point in time.
