Fact or Fiction: Swinney, Lawrence will both end up with Falcons
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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FACT OR FICTION: Georgia has the best defense in the country
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1. Dabo Swinney and Trevor Lawrence will both end up with the Atlanta Falcons.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. I don’t see Dabo Swinney leaving college football and he won’t leave Clemson for any job short of perhaps Alabama down the line. He’s making a ton of money in college, his way of handling young players and building team unity is perfect for college, and the NFL isn’t a great fit. Trevor Lawrence could end up with the Falcons. But he won't be playing for Dabo.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. There might be some rumors, but they will be quickly squashed like all the other ones because I’m not convinced Swinney will ever leave Clemson, and I’m not sure he would even consider the opportunity of coaching in the NFL. There are some coaches who are constantly trying to find that next job and move up the ladder – and that’s fine, I don’t hold it against them – but Swinney has already built Clemson into a national power and he has everything he wants. From talking to people who cover him, I just don’t get the sense an NFL job is his dream. He’s already found his dream and my bet is he stays at Clemson.
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2. FSU will finish outside the top 25 in recruiting for the first time ever.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. With the loss of four-star LB Branden Jennings, the Seminoles are currently No. 29 in the nation, even with 16 commitments. Last year’s No. 20 finish was not pretty. But outside the Top 25 for the Noles? No way, it won’t happen. They will land some three-star and four-star guys such as Destyn Hill to stay in the top 25, but it will be close.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Florida State has no commitments among the top 28 in-state players. Not a single one. The Seminoles are outside the top 25 in the team recruiting rankings and even when broken down by average star ranking, they’re tied for No. 25 with Minnesota. And I just don’t see where these final few four-star commitments will come from to propel them in the team rankings.
There is a decent chance Jennings can rejoin the class and coach Mike Norvell and his staff can convince some out-of-state players to go to FSU. To finish inside the top 25, Florida State is going to need some recruiting momentum and I just don’t see where that comes from right now, especially with so many in-state players already committed.
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3. Notre Dame doesn’t have the defense to make the playoff.
Farrell’s take: FACT. I was worried about the outside playmakers for Notre Dame coming into the season but now the defense worries me. Notre Dame looked awful against a really bad Florida State team this past weekend and the defense showed some serious weakness. I was surprised at the pass defense as it made Jordan Travis look like a solid quarterback and we all know he’s more of an athlete. Sloppy mistakes on defense could kill this Notre Dame team against good programs.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Only four teams are going to make the playoff and so it’s extraordinarily difficult for Notre Dame because Clemson is the best team in the country, two could easily come from the SEC – and it looks like it would be Georgia and Alabama – and then Ohio State probably out of the Big Ten. The Irish are 3-0 but let’s be honest, they have not been tested yet against Duke, USF and Florida State.
Notre Dame’s defense is fine. It wasn’t the best performance against the Seminoles but that was a shootout and the Irish D held up OK. I just don’t think ND has the guns to stay with Clemson or even North Carolina possibly, so that will be problematic for a playoff run. Notre Dame is very talented but there are teams better in the ACC alone.