Fact or Fiction: Travis Hunter could be the best ATH of the Rivals era
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney along with national columnist Mike Farrell, national recruiting analyst Ryan Wright and Blayne Gilmer of UGASports.com tackle three recruiting or rankings topics and determine whether they believe each statement.
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1. Travis Hunter can make an argument as the best athlete of the Rivals era.
Gorney’s take: FACT. There are five athletes that could be in this discussion when it comes to the best during the Rivals era dating back to 2002 and they are Travis Hunter, De’Anthony Thomas, Adoree’ Jackson, Robert Woods and Derrick Williams. Believe me, I absolutely loved Jackson and he was a phenomenal athlete and legitimately someone who was training to be an Olympian. In a straight-line race, maybe Jackson or Thomas beat Hunter. But when it comes to pure athletic ability, insane levels of athleticism and quick-twitch ability, I’ve never seen anyone like Hunter. Couple that with an incredible competitive drive and Florida State is getting someone very special. There’s no doubt in my mind Hunter can make the argument as the best athlete in Rivals history.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. While he’s an amazing athlete and he’s more dangerous on the offensive side of the ball, it’s hard for me to think he can be better than Adoree’ Jackson, who was our No. 1 athlete in 2014 and No. 6 prospect overall in one of the most talented classes in Rivals history. They are similar players for sure but Jackson was just a bit more polished on defense and better in the return game. It’s close but give me Jackson for now. Williams was our highest-ranked athlete before Hunter as a No. 1 overall as well but he was purely an offensive guy. It’s Jackson and then Hunter for me.
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2. Francis Mauigoa should be considered for five-star status at offensive tackle.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Originally from American Samoa, Francis Mauigoa started at San Bernardino (Calif.) Aquinas before heading to Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy and through the last couple seasons he has flirted with playing defensive end and defensive tackle along with the offensive line. Now he’s settled full-time on playing offensive tackle. It should be the perfect position for his style and his physical ability, and as he gets more seasoning – against great competition in practice and games – he could emerge as a five-star for sure.
Wright’s take: FACT. Mauigoa is a beast and is still developing. Making the full-time move to the offensive line, his skill level should continue to rise, and it will help going against all the top talent at IMG every day in practice. Mauigoa has dedicated himself in the weight room transforming his body adding more power to his blocks. By the end of the 2021 season, Mauigoa will definitely be in consideration as a five-star offensive tackle.
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3. After seeing him in the Corky Kell Classic, Missouri commit Sam Horn is underrated.
Gorney’s take: FACT. An argument for Sam Horn to be higher could definitely be made - and I would be in favor of it because he had outstanding film from last season and if he showed up to more national events, he’s someone who might be able to climb way up in the rankings. But he wasn’t at Rivals camps and he wasn’t at the Elite 11 and so it’s difficult to gauge his game against others in the same setting. In the end, that’s not going to negatively affect his ranking but seeing Horn in more places could have definitely helped him since he’s so talented. There’s no question the Missouri commit has all the skills in the world but he’s also helped out by having elite receivers in his offense. Still, Horn could make an argument for being in the discussion for the fourth-best pro-style QB in this class and that would definitely be a move up.
Gilmer’s take: FACT. Horn has the size, arm talent, and mobility that all programs want in their QBs. One of the more impressive things about seeing Horn in person is his ability to command an offense. Also Horn can feel and allude pressure well and utilize varying arm angles to deliver the ball when needed. Horn does need to improve his ball placement and accuracy at times. With the receivers Horn has, it’s easy to overlook a ball that isn’t perfectly placed because Travis Hunter and Ethan Davis are oftentimes wide open.
Overall there are not many prospects in the country I’d rank higher than Horn. Ty Simpson and Cade Klubnik are standouts in the class but after that, Horn is as good as anyone in the country. Eli Drinkwitz and Missouri stole one from the Peach State and have an excellent successor to Connor Bazelak lined up in Horn.