Rivals national recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr. is joined by Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney, Brandon Helwig of UCFSports.com and Marcus Benjamin of CanesCounty.com to tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
FACT OR FICTION: Georgia arrests have Kirby Smart on Urban Meyer-like path
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1. Vernell Brown's commitment to Florida will kick-start the Gators' climb up the class rankings.Â
Gorney: FICTION. Getting Vernell Brown III in the class was huge for Florida because he's a major playmaker who could be in the five-star discussion as we continue through this recruiting cycle but I don't really see Brown's pledge sparking a rush of more commitments to the Gators. The big summer commitment season is over and while there will be a few stragglers heading into the season not many are pegged for Florida.
I don't really believe that Brown's pledge will flip four-star quarterback Tramell Jones from Florida State. And I don't see Florida really being a player for friend Jaime Ffrench so the two could tag-team in Gainesville.
If Florida has an impressive season then I could see the Gators flipping prospects late as coach Billy Napier builds momentum. But he doesn't really have that much right now and he might need a huge season to stay as coach. A lot of players are definitely going to be watching that closely.
Garcia: FACT. Florida holds just 10 verbal commitments to date, as we assume many top prospects await what the season may look like for Billy Napier and company, but Brown's pledge was a big one for perception. He had a national offer list and was favoring rival Florida State at one point so this win was a major splash on the trail. Brown says he will be sporting his recruiting hat now moving forward and outside of a quarterback – which is still on the agenda for UF – a popular and highly ranked skill prospect could be the turning point for the group.
The season will matter plenty, but the current ranking in the mid-50s will become an afterthought in the coming months. Florida has added six pledges since June began and should be in position to reel in a few more before kickoff 2024. If things break the right way, Brown's pledge will be viewed as a major reason why.
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2. UCF is poised to bring in its best recruiting class ever.Â
Helwig: FACT. UCF's entry into the Big 12 has elevated Gus Malzahn's recruiting to a whole new level, opening doors that quite frankly would not have been there if the Knights remained a Group of Five program.
The class began in earnest with highly touted running back Taevion Swint, who was the first to commit in April 2023. In recent months the Knights have added national recruits such as defensive backs Tony Williams and Kendarius Reddick, fending off programs such as Florida State and USC.
UCF has eight four-star commitments, surpassing its totals in the 2024 (six) and 2023 (five) classes. It also helps that the Knights aim to bring in a larger high school class than the past couple years, which makes a difference in team ranking calculations.
As it currently stands, UCF has a team ranking of No. 18, which is tops in the Big 12. If the Knights can remain in that ballpark by December, it would be far and away their best class ever on paper. The previous benchmark is the incoming 2024 class, which ranked No. 40 (UCF's 2011 class actually ranked No. 39, but key prospects in that class never made it to campus).
Garcia: FACT. Helwig ran through the numbers very well above, but the group is already strong in volume, sitting at 19 commitments. Nearly half currently hold blue-chip status on Rivals and there are plenty of targets still in play going forward.
Already holding the top class in the Big 12, Gus Malzahn and company will be in maintenance mode relative to holding on to this strong group of prospects.
With the on-field expectation just as high as the recruiting ascent, this group could actually see more blue-chippers on board before the weather turns. The wide receiver group, and both the offensive and defensive lines are plenty Power Four worthy with its current top-20 makeup.
It would be a surprise if the Knights fell out of the top 25 in the months to come.
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3. Miami will sign the ACC's top class in 2025.
Benjamin: FACT. The Hurricanes have a sizable lead on Clemson, the closest conference foe. Miami ranks No. 8 with 19 commits while the Tigers are not too far away ranking No. 15.
The Hurricanes will target high-profile prospect during the season, including five-star LSU commit DJ Pickett, who could certainly bolster the class down the line.
Still, there are several recruiting targets that Miami is actively recruiting for the 2025 class. Four-star running back Byron Louis, four-star defensive back Ben Hanks Jr. and four-star wide receiver Jaime Ffrench are just a few prospects who could help Miami maintain its ranking.
The programs to watch to overtake the Canes here are Clemson and Florida State per usual. The Tigers only have 14 commits and have a star average of 3.79, just under Miami at 3.84. The Seminoles are ahead of the Hurricanes with a four rating and just 12 commits.
The ACC recruiting crown will certainly come down to the wire, but I expect the Hurricanes to win its third consecutive conference recruiting title with late flips.
Garcia: FACT. While many eyes will be on the Hurricanes during the season relative to increased expectations, that product hasn't seemingly hurt Mario Cristobal's program over the last two cycles. Its current class is just as strong, with an elite secondary group, linebacker corps and offensive line haul already on board.
Of course there are still considerable targets remaining for The U, and even if those decisions come in later rather than sooner -- Cristobal's staff has closed as well as anyone of late.
If there is an upset brewing in the ACC, Clemson is a contender but my eyes are more focused on Florida State. Not only are some of UM's remaining battles head-to-head with the Seminoles, but continued on-field success under Mike Norvell could present as the most stable program in the state. That still matters as commitments become signatures in December and beyond.
