Fact or Fiction: Ryan Hilinski, Sean Clifford, Missouri
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. Ryan Hilinski will be an upgrade at QB for the Gamecocks over Jake Bentley.
Farrell’s take: FACT. This is nothing against Jake Bentley who we liked out of high school as a four-star quarterback, but Ryan Hilinski was better as a high school prospect. The difference? Arm talent. While Bentley and Hilinski are both cerebral and mature quarterbacks and can read the field well, Hilinski has the better arm and accuracy of the two at the same stage. He was in the discussion for a five-star ranking and he’s going to surprise a lot of people with how ready he is early in his career. Bentley never took the next step that Hilinski will surely take and I think he gets better each year.
Gorney’s take: FACT. There might not have ever been a prospect I saw drastically improve from his sophomore to senior year more than Hilinski, who is an incredibly hard worker, smart and has all the physical tools to be special at South Carolina. He’s going to have a big game this weekend against a weak Charleston Southern team and then we will see exactly what we have the following weekend against Alabama. I don’t expect the Gamecocks’ offense to fall off much at all with Hilinski in charge and he could actually provide a much-needed spark after a tough opener.
2. Sean Clifford is the best new QB in the Big Ten.
Farrell’s take: FACT. What? Even with Justin Fields showing so much promise in his debut at Ohio State and how highly-regarded he was out of high school, there is something about Sean Clifford that I always liked. He carried himself with great maturity, had a unique pocket presence and had intangibles that remind me a bit of Jake Fromm. They were both members of the 2017 class, with Fromm boasting a five-star ranking and Clifford as a four-star, but I felt like the two were comparable aside from Fromm being taller. Fields' ceiling is higher and the NFL will love his athleticism as well as his ability in the pocket, while Clifford will get torn apart a bit for a perceived lack of athleticism but trust me this kid can extend the play and moves around pretty well. I think both quarterbacks will have great years but Clifford will have a better season despite fewer weapons.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. I like Clifford a lot but I’m going to hold off saying he’s the best new quarterback in the Big Ten. Fields is just too special. The former five-star had a big opener against FAU and it’s fully expected he picks it up even more from here as a dual-threat quarterback who can do a lot of special things. He was not used correctly during his time at Georgia but quickly found a place that will maximize his abilities. When we see Penn State visit Ohio State later this season, the difference will be clear. Clifford is a great quarterback and should serve that Nittany Lions' offense well but I give a big edge to Fields. And this is coming from a Penn State grad.
3. Missouri will bounce back quickly.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. I have never been sold on Kelly Bryant as a passer and I think he struggles all season. Missouri will have a rough year. The opening loss was a disappointment and I’m not sold on how well Missouri will do this year. West Virginia is next up as a non-conference opponent and that’s another loss.
Gorney’s take: FACT. An SEC team losing to Wyoming is inexcusable but let me make some excuses: Wyoming is a tough place to travel to, the elevation is difficult and Bryant was in his first game with a completely new team. He also threw for 423 yards and the Missouri defense was really the biggest problem all night. Missouri will be fine - and by that I mean have an OK season. The Tigers are not going to win the SEC but I could still see seven or eight wins on that schedule. It starts this weekend against West Virginia, which didn’t look like gangbusters against James Madison.