Fact or Fiction: Seminoles should be worried McCall is taking visits
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney and recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman along with Michael Langston from Warchant.com and Andrew Bone from BamaInsider.com tackle three topics in recruiting and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
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1. Florida State should be worried that Sam McCall is taking visits.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Sam McCall has already flipped once from Florida to Florida State but I think he’s done now even if the four-star safety wants to take visits. LSU would be one to watch since the Tigers are so convincing and have such a history of developing defensive backs into NFL players. But McCall has a lot of great relationships at Florida State plus he’s recruiting others to the Seminoles as well. If FSU implodes this year then McCall could look around but right now I expect he sticks.
Langston’s take: FICTION. Anytime a prospect takes visits fans get nervous. But at the same time when a prospect is recruiting heavily for FSU like McCall it lessens the concern. Sure it's something you still have to monitor but I think it's likely he sticks with the Seminoles. McCall also plans to visit Florida State multiple times in the summer and for games. It also doesn't hurt he's close with some of the players at FSU.
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2. Domani Jackson plans to visit Alabama at some point. The Crimson Tide can flip him.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. It might be foolish to bet against Alabama for a five-star prospect like Domani Jackson and if he ends up visiting Tuscaloosa then maybe this can happen but I’m not sold just yet. The Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei prospect has been committed to USC since January but probably knew he was going to the Trojans for much longer than that. Alabama could be the one school that changes Jackson’s mind but it’s going to be tough especially since the five-star has such a great relationship with USC position coach Donte Williams.
Bone’s take: FACT. Alabama is one of the top schools in the country when it comes to producing NFL talent especially in the defensive backfield. Jackson has been high on the Tide’s wish list for a long time. The communication has remained consistent despite his commitment to the Trojans. It’s a tall task to flip a top recruit especially one who lives on the opposite end of the country. Alabama is a little bit different though as it is the best program in college football. The Tide flipped many top recruits through the years including former USC commitment and Mater Dei alum Bryce Young. Can Alabama do it again with Jackson? It’s possible, but the first step is getting him on campus this summer which is expected.
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3. AJ Harris will push Tony Mitchell and Javien Toviano as the top CB in the 2023 class.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I love Tony Mitchell’s versatility and playmaking ability and Javien Toviano could make an argument as the nation’s top cornerback since he’s also such a physical presence. But AJ Harris really made a statement at the Atlanta Rivals Camp that he should be in that elite conversation as well. Harris was more 6-foot-1 than his previously-stated 6-foot-3 but he is physical at the line, is a blanket in coverage and then competes for the ball once it’s in the air. He’s tough-minded and competitive and I really liked what I saw from him in Atlanta.
Spiegelman’s take: FACT: There is no five-star cornerback in the 2023 class, yet, but we are starting to see a handful of candidates emerge this spring. Count Harris among the five-star hopefuls, as the 2023 standout from Alabama captured DB MVP honors in Atlanta over the weekend. Having seen Toviano play extremely well in-person on a few occasions and how Mitchell shines playing all over the secondary on tape, it’s certainly going to be a heated debate throughout the offseason and beyond.