Fact or Fiction: Williams Nwaneri, David Stone, Tennessee five-stars
Rivals national recruiting analysts Clint Cosgrove, Ryan Wright and Sean Williams along with Josh McCuistion of SoonerScoop.com tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
*****
TRANSFER PORTAL: Latest news | Transfer portal player ranking | Transfer portal team ranking | Transfer Tracker | Message board | Team ranking FAQs
CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
*****
1. Oklahoma is the team to beat for four-star defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri.
Cosgrove's take: FICTION. I see Oklahoma being in Williams Nwaneri's recruitment until the end and the Sooners are likely one of his top programs as things stand today. But, I see this recruitment taking plenty of twists and turns before it is over and it is tough for me to say there is one school to beat right now. Nwaneri is likely a future five-star and should end up one of the most coveted players in the entire 2024 class.
Look for Georgia, Oregon, Nebraska, Missouri, Ohio State and other elite programs to challenge Oklahoma for his pledge.
McCuiston's take: FACT. My point should be prefaced with the idea that it's far from an insurmountable lead but the Sooners have done a great job building a real bond with Nwaneri. That has been led by defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis, who started to make a name for himself in recruiting circles in the 2023 class by landing fellow Kansas City area five-star pass rusher P.J. Adebawore. Beyond that the relationships that the Sooner staff has from Brent Venables being a very active presence in the Kansas City area for more than two decades helps build in an easy comfort. On top of that, Nwaneri has a former teammate already in Norman in the form of 2023 Rivals100 offensive lineman Cayden Green.
Obviously the Sooners have some built in advantages but Nebraska, Georgia, and home-state Missouri, among many others, are very likely to turn this into a dogfight to the finish.
*****
2. Michigan State is still the front runner for five-star DT David Stone.
Cosgrove's take: FICTION. There is definitely some pull in East Lansing for David Stone, and while the Spartans shouldn't be considered out of his recruitment, I do not see them as being the front-runner at this time. Recent changes on the Michigan State staff, the fact that Stone is an Oklahoma native and numerous elite programs making him a priority target could all be contributing factors toward Stone cooling on the Spartans.
Miami appears to have made recent inroads with Stone, there is a family connection at Wisconsin and Oklahoma is home. Ohio State and Texas A&M are two additional programs that should be in the mix as well.
Wright's take: FICTION. Fans love their school but recruits outside an immediate recruiting area for a given program fall in love with coaches then the program leading to a commitment. With Stone, Oklahoma and Michigan State have been out in front in his recruitment with the Spartans seemingly edging out over time. With defensive line coach Marco Coleman off to Georgia Tech, the change to Diron Reynolds may take some time for the Spartans to develop that much-needed player-coach relationship to reestablish a lead.
Are the Spartans out of it? No, but there are a few programs that have jumped into the mix as of late. Wisconsin and Washington were late to the party, but their messaging is getting through to Stone. Another team to watch is Ohio State. A big IMG Academy-to-Columbus pipeline could be developing. The Miami Hurricanes will continue to push in hopes of taking advantage of that developing tie to the Bradenton (Fla.) high school football program.
*****
3. The state of Tennessee will produce multiple five-star recruits in the 2025 class.
Cosgrove's take: FACT. The talent coming out of Tennessee seems to get better by the year and 2025 has a chance to be one of the most talented classes the state has produced as of recent memory. Cameron Sparks' stock is rising and he is already ranked as the No. 29 prospect in the country, which puts him inside the 32-player threshold of five-stars a class typically has. Quarterback George MacIntyre is currently No. 45 overall, but the more I watch him the more I feel he is underrated and I see him as a likely five-star.
Tarrion Grant, Chauncey Gooden, Ethan Utley and CJ Jimcoily are all prospects who look to have a shot at earning a fifth star. With how young this class is we could certainly see additional players emerge.
Williams take: FACT. Once again, the state of Tennessee is loaded with talent in the 2025 class with three prospects already in the upper echelon of the rankings. Wide receiver Cameron Sparks checks in at No. 29 overall and will continue to be talked about as one of the top pass-catchers in the class. When it comes to quarterbacks, we were probably a little too conservative in putting George MacIntyre at No. 45 in the country. He continues to pile up offers and could prove to be one of the best signal-callers in 2025 when it's all said and done. Cornerback Tarrion Grant made his debut at No. 56 in the rankings for 2025 and has a ton of upside to his game. He's one I could see making a steady climb and prove to be one of the best corners in the class as well.