Rivals National Recruitment Analyst Adam Friedman, Josh Henschke from TheMaizeandBlueReview.com, Matt Moreno of DuckSportsAuthority.com and Rivals National Recruiting Director Adam Gorney address three topics and determine if they think each statement is REAL or FICTION.
MORE REALITY OR FICTION: Oklahoma leads for DE Williams Nwaneri | Wisconsin to sign at least five prospects from Illinois in 2024
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1. Linebacker Aaron Chiles will end up at Michigan.
Friedman’s point of view: FACT. Michigan has strong ties to the Olney (Md.) Good Counsel program, having signed players such as Kris Jenkins in the past, and it looks like Chiles will be the next Falcon heading to Ann Arbor. He just announced the top three from Michigan, Maryland and Florida, but it looks like the Wolverines have the momentum right now. Their lead could increase further after his official visit next month and even put them above for his engagement.
Henschke’s point of view: DONE. It appears Michigan has held a lead it won’t let go since Chiles made an unofficial, multi-day visit to Ann Arbor in March. The Michigan staff knocked him out of the park and the confidence that he will land the Rivals100 linebacker was very high. Ever since that visit, it still felt like a situation where the program was counting the days until it committed. While Florida and Maryland will do their best, we’re confident this recruiting will wrap up fairly quickly after his official visit to Ann Arbor in June.
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2. Getting a commitment from Ify Obidegwu means it’s only a matter of time before Oregon gets a commitment from Michael Van Buren.
Friedman’s point of view: FACT. Oregon had a truly impressive prospect with Rivals250 defensive back Ify Obidegwu when he announced his commitment earlier this week. The Ducks have high expectations for him on the field, but he should also help on the recruiting track. Obidegwu isn’t exactly a big talker, so when he talks, everyone listens. Now he’s helping recruit teammate and quarterback Michael Van Buren. Oregon appears to have taken the lead on the signal caller from Baltimore St. Frances, with Penn State losing the momentum it had just months ago. Van Buren has indicated he wants to commit in July, but we’ll see if he waits that long.
Moreno’s point of view: DONE. Even before Obidegwu made his decision, it looked like Oregon would be tough to beat for Van Buren. He has been a priority for the Ducks for months and has made several visits to Eugene. Still, with the recent addition of his St. Frances Academy teammate, it now seems a foregone conclusion that Van Buren will make the call for Oregon. It’s certainly been an interesting few weeks with Arizona-based quarterback Luke Moga looking like he could potentially delay his decision just to pull the trigger on a commitment to the Ducks in late April. While that might have ended any notion that Van Buren would join the class as well, it just didn’t work out that way and Oregon is pushing to have both quarterbacks in the mix for 2024.
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3. The ACC will sign more than five of the top 20 offensive linemen in the Eastern Region.
Friedman’s point of view: FACT. It’s pretty grim for ACC fans when you look at where the top 20 offensive linemen in the East are going, but signing just five of the top 20 is such a low bar that I have to think they’ll eventually beat that number. Penn State and South Carolina dominate this group of positions, and there will likely be more headed to the Big Ten, SEC or Big 12, but the ACC has a good chance with the top 20 linemen. current offenses Robby Martin and Mason Wade. It will also be interesting to follow the recruitment of Cam’Ron Warren throughout the summer and fall. North Carolina’s Jani Norwood commitment has been impressive this offseason and we’re keeping an eye on Miami’s commitment Juan Minaya, skinny ACC Kyle Altuner and a few others. Look for other players to move up the rankings and help the ACC surpass five offensive line commitments in the East Region’s top 20.
Gorney’s point of view: FICTION. Seven of the top offensive linemen are already committed, as Penn State and South Carolina have cleaned up early commitments. And while there will inevitably be ACC offensive line commitments in the top 20, I don’t think it’s going to get more than five. Ethan Calloway and Martin are two who could most likely end up in this conference, and Wade is also looking good there, but there are plenty of new deals coming in that should be watched. Warren could definitely be an ACC player and Colin Cubberly is being raised at many ACC schools if he doesn’t end up at Rutgers. There could be twists and surprises, but going over five is too tight, so at this point, I’ll say fiction for this question.
