Fact or Fiction: Trevor Lawrence, Maalik Murphy, Ty Thompson
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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RIVAL VIEWS: Which 2022 prospect could challenge for the No. 1 spot?
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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1. Trevor Lawrence’s weight and shoulder are a concern.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. I have to laugh at this. Trevor Lawrence had his Pro Day on Friday and weighed in at 214 pounds which was concerning to some. He also has to have surgery on his non-throwing shoulder but he should be ready for OTAs in the summer. And I don’t care about any of it. He looked great throwing the ball, we’ve all seen what he can do and how mobile he is and he has a frame that will carry 230 once he can get back into the weight room. Let’s be clear, this is the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft and a guy born to win Super Bowls.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. It is the job of NFL coaches, scouts and executives to worry about things this time of year, to think through every single draft pick and dissect each NFL Draft selection and so that’s what is happening with Lawrence, too. Good luck. The former five-star was awesome at his Pro Day and he’s the clear No. 1 pick in the draft. He should be a superstar in the pros playing for coach Urban Meyer. He also has some decent talent around him in Jacksonville so Lawrence should shine from Day 1.
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2. Maalik Murphy is a better get for Texas than Quinn Ewers.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. Maalik Murphy brings a lot to the table and is a huge get for Steve Sarkisian but an in-state commitment from Quinn Ewers would mean more to recruiting than an elite QB from California. What I like about this is that Texas lost Ewers and Sark came in and landed one of the elite passers in the country regardless. His offense is intriguing to quarterbacks but Ewers' in-state ties would be a bit better.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Ewers has the edge in terms of proof on the field but I’m going to say Murphy is a better get because it starts to validate Sarkisian’s efforts and ability to recruit the West region which has been valuable to Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma and other national powers across the country. The Longhorns won’t focus their entire recruiting class on players from the West especially since in-state recruiting needs to be a major focus, but cherry-picking some top prospects could provide valuable additions to the class. Murphy proves that it’s possible. Bijan Robinson was a major name to head to Austin and now Murphy has all the tools to be special there as well.
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3. With Tyler Shough leaving, Ty Thompson will win the starting job at Oregon.
Farrell’s take: FACT. Jay Butterfield and others are young and ready to compete while Anthony Brown has shown he can lead this offense, but something about Ty Thompson and his size and skillset tells me he’s going to be the starter. A lot depends on how much practice time he can get of course and what limitations we have due to COVID, but Oregon is in great shape at QB.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I loved Butterfield in high school and if he shows leadership qualities and continues to develop physically he can be an outstanding college quarterback. Brown has the experience and some playing time with the Ducks but Thompson is a really special prospect. He has all the tools to lead an offense that is also bringing in some elite receivers in the 2021 class who could see the field immediately as well. The QB spot in Eugene is absolutely loaded and the competition will be interesting but Tyler Shough left for a reason – and that reason just might be that Thompson is coming to town.
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