Fact or Fiction: Tennessee is emerging as leader for Mike Matthews
One in Florida, one in Georgia and the other in Alabama, Rivals takes a look at three too- close-to-call recruiting battles at the wide receiver position in this edition of Fact or Fiction.
Joining national recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr. are Dale Dowden of VolReport.com, Caleb Jones of AuburnSports.com and Frank Tucker of CanesCounty.com.
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1. Tennessee is emerging as the leader for five-star Mike Matthews.
Garcia's take: FICTION. While the timing of this weekend’s official visit won’t hurt Tennessee’s chances, the Vols are in a true battle for perhaps the top uncommitted pass catcher in the land. Matthews lit up talking about last weekend’s official visit to USC, and the culture at Clemson also has his attention. He is also unsure of his timeline at this point, potentially increasing the amount of visits he can take. If it extends closer to August, it could enable Alabama or even Ohio State to contend for a visit late in the recruitment. Tracking the visits could be key, but the door being open for these powerhouse programs makes me think Matthews still has a lot to consider ahead of a commitment.
Dowden's take: FACT. Tennessee has been among the top schools for Matthews, especially coming out of high school spring ball. The buzz around the five-star athlete and the Vols has grown. It is still early, in a sense, and this weekend could really solidify where Tennessee stands. It appears that Matthews is No. 1 on the big board for the Volunteers. With that being said, I think one could safely say Tennessee is in a great spot and possibly the leader for the Georgia-based target.
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2. Auburn is the team to beat for Rivals100 WR Cam Coleman.
Garcia's take: FICTION. If today were signing day, yes, Auburn would be the trendy pick for the local star, but this recruitment appears far from over. Coleman did not elect to end the process before the end of summer like many do, theoretically giving more time for programs he is already high on, like LSU, Florida State, Florida and Clemson to continue to push and make up ground. Georgia and Texas A&M won’t give up in the race any time soon, either, so it’s a bit early to make any prediction with the top 25 overall recruit. Auburn needs Coleman and has stressed as much, but his rise up many college boards has a similar level of prioritization coming from many bluebloods. The longer this one plays out, the better for everyone else.
Jones' take: FACT. Coleman made the biggest jump in the latest Rivals250 rankings, going from unranked to the No. 23 player in the country. Auburn has been on him for a while, and he was one of the first targets that Hugh Freeze and his staff got to know when they arrived in late November. He’s been to campus a ton, taken his official visit and built a close relationship with wide receivers coach Marcus Davis. With a top eight of Clemson, Kentucky, Florida, LSU, Florida State, Texas A&M, Georgia and Auburn, I believe Auburn to have a slight advantage in this one at the moment. It’s still early, as Coleman likely won’t make a decision for several months, but this is absolutely a recruiting battle Auburn needs to win.
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3. Miami commit Chance Robinson is on flip watch.
Garcia's take: FACT. Track the visits, right? Robinson was somewhat of a surprise when it went down, before official visit season, so this is one many have been expecting to take many trips. While Miami has been among them, Robinson is fresh off of back-to-back weekends at Penn State and Florida – both potential flip destinations. PSU has been steady, once again, in the state of Florida and has seen success from the state on its commitment list. Florida and its reshuffled staff were still settling when Robinson picked The U, and now it has him on the priority prospect list. Wide receivers coach Kevin Beard is well-liked and has Miami in the mix for many elite wideouts, but holding on to Robinson won’t be an easy task the rest of the way.
Tucker's take: FICTION. Every recruit goes through a process, and Robinson taking visits to Penn State and Florida is just that. Robinson committed to Miami before he really had to, and in a way he kicked off the class that is finally starting to get real momentum. Childhood fandom ties and a collection of lifelong friends making their way to Miami in this class only cement his spot in the class for me. I see Robinson as more of an ambassador locally than someone on flip watch.