Tuesdays with Gorney: High-profile commits offer clarity

In his weekly series, Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney offers his thoughts on recruiting topics and storylines that impact the national landscape.

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I had a chance to talk with five-star cornerback Domani Jackson since he’s out with injury before his Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei team took on Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco on Friday night. I left with the impression that his heart is still very much with USC and it’s going to take a whole lot to flip him to either Michigan or Alabama.

Here’s what Jackson said that really stuck out: The freshman class USC signed led by five-star DE Korey Foreman is really good. It’s the upperclassmen that have not been pulling their weight and that’s the issue. He loved coach Clay Helton but is super close with interim coach Donte Williams and Jackson doesn’t believe he’s leaving USC.

The Trojans offered Jackson as an eighth grader and ever since then it was going to be tough to beat them. He’s visited Michigan numerous times and he’s really close with fellow five-star Will Johnson. He also wants to see more of this season to watch the new coaches there. But I just got the distinct sense that while he respects Michigan and Alabama a ton, his heart is set on USC.

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Five-star Oklahoma commit Raleek Brown was wearing USC sleeves during the Mater Dei/Bosco game on Friday night. It perked up my attention so I asked him about it following another outstanding performance. There’s nothing to it.

“They’re just free sleeves,” Brown said.

He also said something else. He’s completely done with visits and is locked in 100 percent with the Sooners. That’s huge news because before Helton was fired, USC was trying to make a run at him and others were, too.

Brown is a perfect fit for Oklahoma’s offense and while that’s thrown around a lot in the recruiting world, it’s true here. He’s so shifty and dynamic in the backfield, so difficult to tackle, hides behind his offensive linemen and then sprints for more yards. If Oklahoma is going to use him in the passing game, too, he’s going to be even more dominant.

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With five-star Florida State commit Travis Hunter visiting Georgia this past weekend and the Bulldogs making a serious run at him, I looked through the five-star list and noticed something pretty important: If things go the right way, Georgia could really load up in a big way at the top of the rankings for the 2022 class.

Hunter is at least one to watch. Georgia is in the top three for five-star DL Walter Nolen, it’s getting more involved with five-star corner Jaheim Singletary, could be the front-runner for five-star receiver Luther Burden and five-star defensive lineman Keithian Alexander is basically down to Georgia and Texas A&M.

That’s only among the top 10 prospects nationally. Kirby Smart and his staff are building a powerhouse in Athens and loading up even more with this class.

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There is no ignoring how dominant Tetairoa McMillan has been early this season - and no forgetting that currently there are three receivers rated higher than him right now in the 2022 class. That could definitely change.

The Anaheim (Calif.) Servite standout and Oregon commit has 38 catches for 783 yards and 13 touchdowns in six games. He's averaging more than 20 yards per catch. Servite is undefeated so a deep playoff run is not out of the question, which could bump McMillan’s stats to astronomical levels.

Not only is he productive on the high school level but he’s so athletic and long, and he has such ball skills that he could make an argument as the best receiver in this class.

I saw East St. Louis, Ill., five-star Luther Burden earlier this season and loved him. Thought he was super physical, super competitive and super dominant if he had an elite quarterback throwing him the ball. I’ve seen McMillan a million times and he’s different in many ways. I’ll see him in a game over the next few weeks to judge the pros and cons of each.

There might not be a receiver having a better season than McMillan right now.

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All the chatter this weekend that five-star LSU commit Walker Howard was visiting Notre Dame got me thinking about other quarterbacks who might be at least taking a look at some other programs and possible flips late in the game. From what I was told, Howard wasn’t really thinking about switching his commitment to the Irish but it’s still at least interesting that he planned to take a visit there before getting hurt on Friday night.

The one to really watch here is four-star USC commit Devin Brown, who is getting the full-court press by Ole Miss. With the uncertainty surrounding the USC coaching situation and the impressive showing by Rebels QB Matt Corral this season, Ole Miss could be persuasive.

Brown has dreamt of playing at USC for a long time and he loves the offense under offensive coordinator Graham Harrell. This situation is far from over but Ole Miss is in this one. Four-star Inglewood, Calif., QB Justyn Martin is also one to watch, one that Ole Miss was involved with a whole lot a few weeks ago. But now UCLA looks like it could be in the market for him.

Five-star quarterback Arch Manning is the No. 1 prospect in the 2023 class. After that, the debate is wide open and I could absolutely make an argument for five-star athlete Alex Styles from Pickerington (Ohio) Pickerington North.

Styles comes from a football family (his dad played at Ohio State; his brother plays at Notre Dame). He has length, playmaking ability, and speed. He’s the prototype of the long, rangy defender that every school in the country salivates over.

Last week, Styles had a pick-six that went for about 100 yards. He is great in coverage, and he hits. Everything is there for Styles to be one of the best players in the class.

There will be a big discussion and other names are certainly worthy, but from what I’ve seen this season, Styles should lead the pack.

Five-star DL Walter Nolen goes to Texas A&M this weekend. It’s a chance for the Aggies to roll out the red carpet, to show him the 12th Man and everything that goes with it.

But be careful. Because Alabama is also coming to town. The Crimson Tide look like an unstoppable force. The Aggies have lost to Mississippi State and Arkansas in their last two games and barely beat Colorado in September.

Also, Nick Saban knows Nolen will be in attendance and Alabama is working the five-star defensive lineman as the Crimson Tide try to stay involved in his recruitment. Georgia, Tennessee and Texas A&M are the top three right now but Florida and Alabama are also right in his recruitment.

An Alabama blowout this weekend wouldn’t be good news for A&M but there is an opportunity as well. The Aggies play well – especially along the defensive line, of which they are more than capable – and Nolen could get even more interested.