National recruiting director Mike Farrell and national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
*****
RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK: Countdown of the 2022 five-stars | Who should be No. 1?
FACT OR FICTION: Texas just landed its best QB since Vince Young | A national title won't mean much in 2020
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
*****
1) This cornerback class could rival the 2013 class.
Farrell’s take: FACT. Remember that class with Jalen Ramsey, Kendall Fuller, Tre’Davious White and Vernon Hargreaves? Throw in Artie Burns, Jourdan Lewis, Mack Alexander and Eli Apple and you have a special group of players either drafted very high or currently starring in the NFL (or both). That’s still the best corner class I’ve ever covered at Rivals and 2022 could push it. Three of our top-five players are corners led by Domani Jackson and we already have four five-star corners. This class is absolutely loaded at the position and could certainly push 2013.
Gorney’s take: FACT. The 2013 class is extra special because everybody at the top has not only gone to the NFL but many of them have thrived and become some of the best young cornerbacks in the game. This class could be the same way - and in some ways even deeper. Domani Jackson is exactly what everyone is looking for at cornerback but there was a wide-ranging discussion whether Denver Harris should push for No. 1 at the position as well. Jaheim Singletary is definitely a major player and having a five-star corner from the Midwest in Will Johnson is rare. Not only are there already four five-stars but five others are ranked one notch below five-star status. This group is loaded and hopefully pans out as the 2013 class did.
*****
2) Georgia could be in trouble at QB.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. The team I deemed the deepest at least from a 1-2 standpoint in the country could be in trouble when it comes to the quarterback position. But probably not. Kirby Smart revealed that JT Daniels hasn’t been cleared from his ACL injury last season and Jamie Newman has been banged up a bit although he appears to be healthy now. After the duo there is a huge drop off in talent to D’Wan Mathis and freshman Carson Beck. The good news is that Daniels is progressing and will likely have to wear the brace he’s sporting now anyhow even when cleared and Newman is a big kid who looks ready to step in and be the every-down quarterback regardless.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Trouble? No way. If anything, Georgia’s quarterbacks are going to cause trouble this season and I’m not worried about some preseason injuries that look to be fine over the long haul. Newman’s foot sprain doesn’t seem to be concerning. Daniels’ knee not being ready yet is a little disappointing because he has the skill to compete for that starting job but it’s just slower than expected, not getting worse. Mathis was also a highly-rated kid who could be a sleeper among this group. No, I’m not worried about Georgia’s quarterback room in the slightest.
*****
3) Quinn Ewers is underanked even at No. 6 in the 2022 class.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. Quinn Ewers is a very talented quarterback and Longhorns fans will feel he’s underrated a bit because there is so much hype surrounding him being compared with Trevor Lawrence and such, but No. 6 is just fine for right now. He is not that quarterback talent like Vince Young, Terrelle Pryor and others with size and athletic ability but he is similar to Jimmy Clausen and others who finished No. 1 with great accuracy and a feel for the game. His release reminds me a bit of Philip Rivers and he’s that kind of accurate as well. If he comes anything close to Rivers he will be great. He could end up No. 1 in the end but time will tell.
Gorney’s take: FACT. History is not on our side by putting Ewers sixth if we believe he’s the best quarterback in this class since a QB hasn’t gone that low since the 2013 NFL Draft. Since that time, Blake Bortles, Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Jared Goff, Carson Wentz, Mitch Trubisky, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert went sixth or higher in the draft which is to say quarterbacks are going early in the first round. The tricky part is picking the right quarterback and since we have Ewers so high we’re putting our chips on him right now. To further prove that quarterbacks are usually going to go before sixth overall, there’s a good chance Lawrence and Justin Fields could go first and second in the 2021 NFL Draft. Ewers is our top QB so he should be ranked higher based just on that trend alone, not to mention his immense talent.
