Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling a handful of issues in the college football landscape. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and a local expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites.
MORE TAKE TWO: Does USC need to expand its recruiting efforts?
THE STORYLINE
Quavaris Crouch is the top-ranked prospect in the 2019 class, a rare five-star athlete leading the way since his future position is unclear.
It is almost certain the Charlotte (N.C.) Harding University standout will play running back or linebacker in college - and beyond - and the thinking seems to be that if he continues to develop physically that playing defense would make more sense.
There are examples of massive prospects staying at running back with Alabama’s Derrick Henry and Bo Scarbrough being two recent ones but the thinking with Crouch might be he grows out of running back and is pushed to linebacker.
That seems fine with the five-star prospect but more than anything he’s looking for coaching staffs to have a plan for his development, an idea on where they want to use him and not to just tell him the company line he can play wherever he wants. That probably won't work with Crouch.
As the five-star works through the recruiting process, will his same top programs stay high on his list regardless of position?
FIRST TAKE: ADAM FRIEDMAN, RIVALS.COM RECRUITING ANALYST
“This is a question Crouch would have a hard time answering himself. Clemson and Tennessee seem to be doing the best job so far but Michigan, Georgia, South Carolina, and a few other programs are still in the mix. He will be visiting Florida, Florida State, and possibly Georgia this week. Crouch is asking everybody he can whether they think he should play linebacker or running back in college. He is taking those answers, formulating an idea, and then hoping to hear some good plans from college coaches.
“The problem for Crouch is that nearly every college coach is telling him that he can play wherever he wants. He wants to hear a college coach have a solid plan for him that he can believe in. Crouch has good relationships with plenty of coaches but the school that has a solid plan that will lead Crouch and the team to success will really grab control of Crouch's recruitment.”
SECOND TAKE: MIKE FARRELL, RIVALS.COM NATIONAL RECRUITING DIRECTOR
“I don’t think it matters when he’s picking a school. I just can’t see him on the offensive side of the ball. As good as he is in high school, he’s just going to get so big. I know we said the same thing about Derrick Henry and Bo Scarbrough so maybe he turns into one of those guys but I just think he’s going to play on defense no matter where he goes.
“Unless he was in love with playing offense and some team used that as a recruiting gimmick and said he could play offense here and everybody else wanted him for defense, but he seems okay with wherever he plays. He’s starting to grow into the idea of being a defensive player after initially wanting to play on offense so I think he’s going to play defense no matter what school.”
