Rivals national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman is joined by national recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr., along with Jeremy Birmingham of DottingTheEyes.com and TideIllustrated.com's Jack Knowlton to tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. New Ohio State commitment Riley Pettijohn has a compelling case to be included in the five-star discussion.
Birmingham: FACT. There are a number of factors that go into the decision to make someone a five-star prospect but there aren’t many boxes left to check for McKinney (Texas) High School standout Riley Pettijohn. Size? Check. Pettijohn is still growing into this 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame. Speed? Check. He’s run the 100-meter dash in 10.77 seconds as a high school junior and he’s only going to get faster as he gets into a high-level college weight program. Game film? Check. Just put on the tape. Level of competition? Check. Pettijohn plays in the highest level of Texas prep football. Genetics? Check. His father, Duke, played professionally and was an all-conference type of player at Syracuse.
When you put it all together, there’s no other linebacker in the 2025 class who has the combination of 'it' factors that Pettijohn does.
Spiegelman. FACT. As a junior, Pettijohn put programs around the country on notice with a breakout campaign, anchoring the middle of the McKinney (Texas) High defense. Pettijohn boasts fantastic speed ranging sideline to sideline, and at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, can stuff the run. He is dynamic making plays in space and behind the line of scrimmage. Most recently, Pettijohn shined at the Rivals Five-Star in coverage.
A dynamic defender capable of rushing the passer, defending against the run and dropping back in coverage, the newly minted Ohio State commit is a no-brainer when it comes to athletic linebackers built for football in 2024.
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2. Oregon is the front-runner for five-star athlete DJ Pickett.
Garcia: FACT. For now. Oregon got the last June official visit for DJ Pickett and has appeared to have closed the gap with Miami during that trip. Now, as the visit high has surely worn off, how much staying power does Dan Lanning's program have or Mario Cristobal's?
The Duck angle, across the country, is one that is as hot as any in the country at the moment – especially when it comes to elite national talent. On the other hand, Miami has been the state of Florida's top program at narrowing down on the best in the 2025 cycle, with Pickett standing as a top prospect from the beginning of the setting of the board. Throw in family ties and proximity for the Tampa-area native, and it feels like a close call between each shade of green.
There have been several shifts in this recruitment, led by visits, and there aren't any scheduled between now and decision time later this month.
Spiegelman: FACT. The No. 1 athlete in the Rivals250 projected to play in the secondary on Saturdays is set to reveal his decision on July 17. Pickett named Oregon, Miami and LSU as his finalists, and for much of his recruitment the Florida five-star has been leaning toward the Tigers. The Ducks and in-state Hurricanes both closed the gap in a significant way this summer, and as a decision nears much of the buzz has centered around Oregon.
I like where the Ducks are currently positioned. Miami, however, is not going away and is expected to be in this until Pickett's mind is made.
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3. Alabama will challenge for the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for 2025.
Knowlton: FACT. Alabama had one of the best months of any program on the recruiting trail in June. The new Crimson Tide staff set the tone for the rest of the class and showed that there will be minimal, if any, drop-off in Alabama's recruiting during the post-Nick Saban era.
Despite two decommits last week, the additions of Kaleb Edwards and Justin Hill in early July have kept Alabama at No. 2 in the Rivals.com Team Recruiting Rankings with a few big additions seemingly on the horizon. The Tide will not go out quietly in the race for five-star defensive tackle Justus Terry, while the commitments of four-star Mississippi products Caleb Cunningham and Akylin Dear feel almost inevitable and will be another massive boost to Alabama's class should they pledge to the Tide.
Those possible future additions plus a few more in the fall should have Alabama primed to challenge for No. 1 by National Signing Day.
Spiegelman: FACT. The Crimson Tide are rolling this June and kicked it off in a big way early on by flipping elite quarterback Keelon Russell from SMU, and the dominoes have not slowed down since. Currently, Alabama is slotted at No. 2 in the Rivals Team Recruiting Rankings behind only Ohio State. Alabama is trending up with some of the nation's best, including top-100 prospects Caleb Cunningham and Akylin Dear, and is taking its best shot at Rivals250 receiver Travis Smith Jr., who will also come off the board this weekend.
With big momentum heading into the rest of the summer and the entire fall ahead, Kalen DeBoer and this new Alabama staff are battling only Georgia, Oregon, Ohio State and a few others for the nation's top-ranked class.
