Rivals nationwide recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman is joined by nationwide recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr., together with Jeremy Birmingham of DottingTheEyes.com and TideIllustrated.com‘s Jack Knowlton to deal with three subjects and decide whether or not they consider every assertion is FACT or FICTION.
1.
New Ohio State dedication Riley Pettijohn has a compelling case to be included within the five-star dialogue.
Birmingham: FACT. There are a variety of things that go into the choice to make somebody a five-star prospect however there aren’t many bins left to examine for McKinney (Texas) Excessive Faculty standout Riley Pettijohn. Measurement? Examine. Pettijohn remains to be rising into this 6-foot-2, 215-pound body. Pace? Examine. He’s run the 100-meter sprint in 10.77 seconds as a highschool junior and he’s solely going to get sooner as he will get right into a high-level school weight program. Sport movie? Examine. Simply placed on the tape. Degree of competitors? Examine. Pettijohn performs within the highest degree of Texas prep soccer. Genetics? Examine. His father, Duke, performed professionally and was an all-conference kind of participant at Syracuse.
Once you put all of it collectively, there’s no different linebacker within the 2025 class who has the mixture of ‘it’ components that Pettijohn does.
Spiegelman. FACT. As a junior, Pettijohn put packages across the nation on discover with a breakout marketing campaign, anchoring the center of the McKinney (Texas) Excessive protection. Pettijohn boasts implausible velocity ranging sideline to sideline, and at 6-foot-2 and 220 kilos, can stuff the run. He’s dynamic making performs in area and behind the road of scrimmage. Most just lately, Pettijohn shined on the Rivals 5-Star in protection.
A dynamic defender able to dashing the passer, defending in opposition to the run and dropping again in protection, the newly minted Ohio State commit is a no brainer in relation to athletic linebackers constructed for soccer in 2024.
*****
2.
Oregon is the front-runner for five-star athlete DJ Pickett.
Garcia: FACT. For now. Oregon acquired the final June official go to for DJ Pickett and has appeared to have closed the hole with Miami throughout that journey. Now, because the go to excessive has absolutely worn off, how a lot endurance does Dan Lanning‘s program have or Mario Cristobal‘s?
The Duck angle, throughout the nation, is one that’s as scorching as any within the nation in the mean time – particularly in relation to elite nationwide expertise. Alternatively, Miami has been the state of Florida’s high program at narrowing down on the perfect within the 2025 cycle, with Pickett standing as a high prospect from the start of the setting of the board. Throw in household ties and proximity for the Tampa-area native, and it appears like a detailed name between every shade of inexperienced.
There have been a number of shifts on this recruitment, led by visits, and there are not any scheduled between now and determination time later this month.
Spiegelman: FACT. The No. 1 athlete within the Rivals250 projected to play within the secondary on Saturdays is about to disclose his determination on July 17. Pickett named Oregon, Miami and LSU as his finalists, and for a lot of his recruitment the Florida five-star has been leaning towards the Tigers. The Geese and in-state Hurricanes each closed the hole in a big method this summer season, and as a call nears a lot of the excitement has centered round Oregon.
I like the place the Geese are presently positioned. Miami, nonetheless, will not be going away and is anticipated to be on this till Pickett’s thoughts is made.
*****
3.
Alabama will problem for the No. 1 recruiting class within the nation for 2025.
Knowlton: FACT. Alabama had top-of-the-line months of any program on the recruiting path in June. The brand new Crimson Tide employees set the tone for the remainder of the category and confirmed that there will probably be minimal, if any, drop-off in Alabama’s recruiting in the course of the post-Nick Saban period.
Regardless of two decommits final week, the additions of Kaleb Edwards and Justin Hill in early July have saved Alabama at No. 2 within the Rivals.com Crew Recruiting Rankings with a number of large additions seemingly on the horizon. The Tide won’t exit quietly within the race for five-star defensive deal with Justus Terry, whereas the commitments of four-star Mississippi merchandise Caleb Cunningham and Akylin Pricey really feel nearly inevitable and will probably be one other large enhance to Alabama’s class ought to they pledge to the Tide.
These attainable future additions plus a number of extra within the fall ought to have Alabama primed to problem for No. 1 by Nationwide Signing Day.
Spiegelman: FACT. The Crimson Tide are rolling this June and kicked it off in a giant method early on by flipping elite quarterback Keelon Russell from SMU, and the dominoes haven’t slowed down since. At the moment, Alabama is slotted at No. 2 within the Rivals Crew Recruiting Rankings behind solely Ohio State. Alabama is trending up with a few of the nation’s greatest, together with top-100 prospects Caleb Cunningham and Akylin Pricey, and is taking its greatest shot at Rivals250 receiver Travis Smith Jr., who may even come off the board this weekend.
With large momentum heading into the remainder of the summer season and your complete fall forward, Kalen DeBoer and this new Alabama employees are battling solely Georgia, Oregon, Ohio State and some others for the nation’s top-ranked class.
