Fact or Fiction: Will Johnson will join Domani Jackson at USC
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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MORE FACT OR FICTION: Tennessee is a top-10 job in college football
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
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1. Will Johnson will follow Domani Jackson to USC.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. The five-star cornerback from Michigan loved his visit to USC and he and Domani Jackson want to play together, but he’s shown new interest in Michigan since the hire of Maurice Linguist as the DBs coach. Ohio State is still in the mix, especially if the Elias Ricks-to-the-Buckeyes rumors turn out to be untrue. I just don’t see Will Johnson going that far away from home, at least not right now. Maybe if the pandemic changes over the next 10 months or so but not right now.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Johnson and Jackson want to play together but now that Jackson has committed to USC that leaves really only one option for Johnson and I’m going to take the field. Actually, the Wolverines are looking better and better for Johnson especially after some good assistant coach hires in Ann Arbor and Ohio State is definitely right there as well. USC is a major player in Johnson’s recruitment but I’d say he leans toward staying in the Big Ten.
2. The Gamecocks can pull an upset for Sam McCall.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. The Gamecocks are in the mix for the elite 2022 defensive back who had been committed to Florida and that’s a good thing. But right now I have Alabama and Florida ahead of the Gamecocks for Sam McCall. McCall is the kind of prospect Shane Beamer needs to bring in to turn things around and it’s still very early, but right now it would be a huge upset.
Gorney’s take: FACT. One of the biggest reasons McCall committed to Florida so early was because of defensive backs coach Torrian Gray and now he’s at South Carolina and McCall is going to be very interested in the Gamecocks. The high four-star prospect is someone who can contribute for South Carolina on offense and defense and that could be attractive.
Alabama wants McCall on offense and so the Lakeland (Fla.) Lake Gibson standout might want to have more opportunities on both sides of the ball. By no means is it a lock that McCall goes to South Carolina but the Gamecocks are very involved with this recruitment.
3. Maason Smith will prove to be the best player in the 2021 class.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. I realize that we have Maason Smith ranked No. 1 in his class, but . The honest truth is we don’t know who will be the best player in this or any class before they head off to college. Plus, this is a weird year with fewer scouting opportunities and players missing senior seasons. I think it would be more impressive than ever for Smith to live up to his No. 1 ranking like Trevor Lawrence, Jadeveon Clowney and others over the years. But it’s a crapshoot.
Gorney’s take: FACT. He’s No. 1 in the country for a reason and it’s because Smith has all the special abilities to be a dominant force on LSU’s defensive line. He’s massive but he’s also fast. He’s physical, tough, his motor is great and he has the potential to be unstoppable not only against the run but getting into the backfield and tracking players down. There are many others with high-level talent in this class like OL JC Latham and former No. 1 Korey Foreman, but Smith has all the ability to back up his top billing.