Fact or Fiction: UNC will pounce on Auburn decommitment
National recruiting director Mike Farrell and national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
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1. Auburn decommitment Trenton Simpson will end up at UNC.
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Farrell’s take: FACT. Mack Brown has it rolling on the recruiting front for North Carolina and when Simpson, a huge in-state target for the Tar Heels, de-committed it became clear to me he’s going to UNC. He’s very close to his family, he’s visited UNC numerous times as an Auburn commitment and Brown and his staff do a great job of recruiting. This wasn’t a flip to UNC but it might as well have been.
Gorney’s take: FACT. The sense that I’m getting is that Simpson prefers to be closer to home and while that makes Clemson and Georgia viable options, the comfort level at North Carolina plus the opportunity to get on the field from Day 1 might be too much to pass up. It would be huge for the Tar Heels as well because Simpson has the potential to be a five-star prospect and the recruiting class is absolutely loaded with stars on that side of the ball.
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2. Florida will begin to dominate Miami and Florida State in recruiting.
Farrell’s take: FACT. If things continue to go the way they are on the field, the tide will turn in recruiting. It’s not that Florida isn’t recruiting well, but they are currently behind FSU and Miami in our team rankings for 2020. But FSU has a serious hot seat situation with Willie Taggart and Manny Diaz has not gotten off to a great start at all in Miami. Dan Mullen keeps winning games and developing players and that will help recruiting even though Mullen isn’t known as a dynamic recruiter.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Things are bordering on embarrassingly bad at both Miami and Florida State and both programs are still out-recruiting Florida at this point. There is no question in my mind Mullen can coach circles around both Taggart and Diaz - that is just evident by watching football games - but Florida State and Miami still have tremendous name recognition in the recruiting world and that’s not going to change. If there is a coaching change at Florida State, which seems to look very possible at this point, a new staff will breathe new life into the Seminoles and recruiting will be fine.
3. Oregon is in the playoff conversation.
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