Fact or Fiction: UGA, LSU hires; what to make of Burrow's hands
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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1. Scott Cochran to Georgia is a big deal.
Farrell's take: FICTION. The long-time Alabama strength coach leaving Nick Saban for Kirby Smart to become an on-field coach was the talk on Monday, but I don't think this is a big deal. Why? Because we don't know what kind of on-field coach Cochran will be and being a special teams coach isn't exactly an assistant head coaching job. Alabama will hire a great strength coach, one who probably yells and screams just as much, and they will be just fine.
Gorney’s take: FACT. It’s a big deal from a perception issue as to which team is the future in the SEC: Alabama or Georgia. Cochran is in essence getting a big promotion as an on-field coach, but just leaving Tuscaloosa for Athens, for any position, is a big statement and I’m not sure it would have happened under the Mark Richt regime at Georgia. Smart is recruiting at the highest level and he just stole a big name from the Alabama staff, so yes, that is a big deal. Alabama can get any number of strength coaches -- that won’t be difficult -- but just seeing Cochran leave Alabama for another SEC program is a major statement.
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2. We should worry about Joe Burrow's small hands.
Farrell's take: FICTION. Jared Goff got to a Super Bowl with 9-inch hands. Patrick Mahomes is considered a generational talent with 9 1/4-inch hands. Hand size can be an issue, but it's not the beginning and end of all quarterback evaluation. The fact that Burrow's hands measured in at 9 inches like Goff is a concern to some because of the inclement weather in Cincinnati and the worry that he will lose the ball at times, but Burrow has been playing in bad weather for much of his life aside from his years at LSU and I don't think it is an issue. He will be the No. 1 pick and he has a great future ahead of him.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. I did some research on this question and there is a very small sample size of players with 9-inch hands. According to ESPN, only three quarterbacks with 9-inch hands have thrown as many as 300 NFL passes in the last decade: Jared Goff, Ryan Tannehill and Chad Henne. Burrow is effectively better than all of them and it won’t be an issue for him.
I’m not worried about the cold weather, either, because Burrow has not shown a propensity for turnovers. If anything concerns me about Burrow it is his inability to win the starting job at Ohio State and then a one-year spike in stats when he was surrounded by NFL talent at almost every position. Hand size won’t be an issue for him and he could be the face of the Cincinnati Bengals franchise for many years.
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3. Kevin Faulk as running backs coach at LSU is a great fit.
Farrell's take: FACT. I love this replacement for Tommie Robinson, who headed to Texas A&M, because Faulk brings so much to the table. He played in four Super Bowls during his 13-year career with the New England Patriots and he will bring that experience to the field and recruiting. He's a young and energetic guy who will be relentless on the recruiting trail. As a former LSU star and legend, he can sell the program as well as anyone and is a great fit.
Gorney’s take: FACT. This hire reminds me of Oklahoma getting DeMarco Murray as its running backs coach and that’s going to pay off handsomely in recruiting as well. Getting young, energetic coaches who can relate to today’s players while also providing first-hand knowledge of what that school is like and proving it can produce NFL players is going to be huge in recruiting. LSU already recruits very well but watch for an even bigger uptick at the running back spot because of Faulk’s hiring.