Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney along with Sean Williams of PowerMizzou.com, Jason Higdon of 1standTenFlorida.com and national recruiting analyst John Garcia, Jr. tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
1. It now looks probable that Missouri lands in-state five-stars Williams Nwaneri and Ryan Wingo.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. There is no question Missouri has positioned itself extraordinarily well for both five-star, in-state prospects. The Tigers could get both of them for sure and they would be huge recruiting wins for coach Eli Drinkwitz, who also won on five-star receiver Luther Burden in the 2022 class. So it’s been done before. But I’m not sold yet. Williams Nwaneri has a ton of connections to Oklahoma, not to mention a former teammate who plays for the Sooners and his high school coach played there as well, plus many other factors, too. With Ryan Wingo, after talking to him at the NIL Sports event in California a few weeks ago, Missouri is definitely a key player but it feels like Texas is absolutely right there along with Georgia, Michigan and others. No doubt things are trending Missouri’s way for both five-stars but recruiting can be strange and I’m just not completely sold yet.
Williams’ take: FACT. Things are definitely trending in the right direction for Missouri with both Nwaneri and Wingo. Of course, the first domino is set to fall on Aug. 14 as Nwaneri, the No. 3 player in the country, will announce his college decision. His recruiting process has taken many turns with Georgia, Oregon, Oklahoma all being perceived leaders at various points in time. Now, Missouri is the favorite as we head into the home stretch and if Nwaneri, who is from the Kansas City suburb of Lee’s Summit, picks the Tigers, that will definitely have a positive effect on the recruitment of Wingo. The five-star wide receiver out of St. Louis has been to Missouri’s campus plenty of times already, most recently for an official visit in late June while also returning for an unofficial in July. NIL laws in the state of Missouri are proving to be a beneficial factor along with the relentless recruiting efforts of the Tigers’ coaching staff.
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2. Sitting at third in the overall team rankings, Florida’s class is the biggest surprise so far in the 2024 cycle.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Florida is coming off back-to-back 6-7 seasons including Billy Napier‘s debut in 2022, but the Gators now have the third-best class in the country behind only Georgia and Ohio State. It has been an incredibly nice recruiting run for the Gators who are led by five-star linebacker Myles Graham and high four-stars QB DJ Lagway, LB Adarius Hayes and DB Xavier Filsaime. Florida’s class is the biggest surprise so far but there are other contenders including the Buckeyes, who actually have the highest average star ranking in the class and could make an argument for the best 2024 class so far.
Higdon’s take: FACT. To those who are not following closely, Florida’s class is the biggest surprise in the country so far in the 2024 cycle. For a team coming off back-to-back losing seasons to be where it is in the overall team rankings is impressive and speaks volumes for the kind of staff coach Billy Napier has put together. Everything he has touched, he has turned around, and with the kind of army he has assembled, the recruiting success was only a matter of time.
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3. There could be a lot of movement in the running back rankings but the best one plays somewhere in the Southeast.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. The best running back in the country might not even be the best running back on his own team. Georgia commit Nate Frazier is so dynamic with the ball in his hands and he has lightning-bolt speed but at Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei, 2025 No. 1 RB Jordon Davison got the bulk of carries and yards last season. If Frazier is not the top back nationally in the 2024 class, my vote would go to Michigan running back pledge Jordan Marshall, who has the speed, power and patience to be elite. This running back class could be rife with changes until after the all-star events but I’m not so certain the best one comes from the Southeast, even though there are plenty of top backs from that part of the country.
Garcia’s take: FACT. Entering the fall, it does appear as if the RB1 conversation is as wide open as ever, but it’s hard to bet against the roster from the Southeast region. Current No. 1 back Kameron Davis isn’t flashy, but he is as well put-together and balanced a back as there is in the class. The region, of course, doesn’t lack the flash beyond Davis. Jordan Lyle broke out in 2022 to the tune of 11 yards per carry at St. Thomas Aquinas and Chauncey Bowens may have the best burst of a back north of 200 pounds in the class, complete with head-turning top-end speed relative to his size. That duo will remain in the conversation as will the longtime contender near the top, Jerrick Gibson, who has also put on mass. Nobody will face a tougher schedule than the Texas commitment at IMG Academy will, so another dominant run may be enough to hold off the Lyle’s and Bowens’ of the world, though it certainly won’t be easy.
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