Rivals national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman is joined by Jason Suchomel of OrangeBloods.com, Jed May of UGASports.com and Caleb Alexander of GamecockScoop.com to tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. Texas could make a national title run with either Quinn Ewers or Arch Manning leading its offense.
Suchomel: FACT. A few weeks ago in a buy or sell, I advised everyone to slow down on the Arch Manning praise because we'd seen him play only one half of meaningful football against ULM. Well, I'm all-in now. With a very good team around him, including a stellar defense, Manning is definitely good enough to keep the Longhorns in the national championship hunt should Quinn Ewers be forced out of action long-term. The good news for Texas fans is that Ewers is getting healthy and should be ready to go when the Longhorns take on Oklahoma next weekend.
Spiegelman: FACT. Quinn Ewers has lifted Texas to new heights under Steve Sarkisian's watch. Last year, the Longhorns were a College Football Playoff team and early on with Ewers commanding the offense, they look equally as strong. Ewers is back at practice and expected to be ready to give it a go against Oklahoma next Saturday. The luxury that Texas has is that even without Ewers, Manning provides a big-enough spark as the back-up to still compete for a spot in the SEC Championship Game and in the College Football Playoff. Manning didn't skip a beat filling in for Ewers and starting against ULM and then Mississippi State. With Ewers ready to roll and Manning on deck, the Longhorns should be national title contenders for at least the next two or three years.
2. Georgia is the team to beat for four-star RB Ousmane Kromah ahead of his Saturday announcement.
Jed May: FACT. This race is still very close, and I’m not entirely sure a final decision has been made yet. But Georgia certainly has reasons to feel optimistic. The Bulldogs have been a constant near the top of Ousmane Kromah’s list, while Auburn and Florida State have gone back and forth as the main competitor. I believe Kromah’s strong relationship with Georgia running backs coach Josh Crawford, combined with the on-field struggles of the other two contenders, has the Bulldogs feeling good heading into this weekend’s decision.
Spiegelman: FACT. This recruitment has been fluid for months, which is why Kromah came out of a series of official visits in June without a decision made, then was still undecided as his senior season arrived. Kromah has kept a steady eye on a few programs consistently – that includes Auburn, Florida State and Georgia. Tennessee and South Carolina also made runs at the four-star prospect. Auburn has had an edge for different stretches of Kromah's recruitment. Florida State has, too. The Dawgs have kept their foot on the gas with one of the Peach State's best, and as Saturday's decision nears there's a sense that he'll wind up in Athens.
3. South Carolina is the team trending for four-star WR Malik Clark following his decommitment from Florida State.
Alexander: FACT. This week's news that Malik Clark was decommitting from Florida State shouldn’t have been some big shock to our site subscribers. With the way each program has started their 2024 season on the field, the patience of South Carolina’s coaching staff after Clark’s initial snub, and getting him back on campus for the LSU game, it’s easy to see how the Gamecocks have positioned themselves to be the next logical choice for the four-star receiver. With him returning to campus again this weekend as the Gamecocks host Ole Miss, it could be only a matter of time before South Carolina completes the flip. All that said, you’d like the team to have a nice showing on the field this weekend to solidify that the progress they’ve shown so far is something that Clark can believe in.
Spiegelman: FACT. It was a stunner when four-star receiver Malik Clark declared for Florida State over South Carolina and North Carolina over the summer. The Seminoles impressed Clark and his camp during the June official visit, but that luster has dissipated into the fall, especially with the in-state Gamecocks continuing to press hard behind the scenes. Clark made a visit back to Columbia in September for the Akron game and is scheduled to return this weekend with Ole Miss in town. That's currently the only visit on tap for the Rock Hill (S.C.) High pass-catcher. There was already a good deal of confidence long-term about the Gamecocks sticking around in Clark's recruitment. After reopening his recruitment, South Carolina is going to hard to beat.
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