National recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman is joined by DuckSportsAuthority.com's Brandon Gibson, DeathValleyInside.com's Jefferson Powell and TrojanSports.com's Ryan Young to tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. Five-star CB Na'eem Offord heads back to Oregon this weekend for the Ohio State game. This is the Ducks' best shot at flipping Offord.
Gibson: FACT. I’m not making a prediction that Oregon will flip Na'eem Offord, but this weekend’s visit will be the Ducks' best chance to make a lasting impression in his recruitment. Adam Gorney wrote an impact article back in December of 2018, about the No. 1 defensive end and future fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Kayvon Thibodeaux, on the day he committed to the Ducks.
In that article, Gorney wrote, “What really sold Thibodeaux was his visit to Oregon. Hesitant to take it at first, and not expecting a ton prior to the trip, the five-star said he was blown away by what he saw in Eugene and from that time it seemed like the Ducks could really pull this off.”
Oregon’s coaches place a great emphasis on building relationships and establishing culture within the program, but visiting Eugene on game day brings all those words and promises to life. You can talk all you want about having a great family environment, caring about the players, the support of the fans and everything else your program has to offer, but when you can actually deliver that experience, it all becomes real. Having world class facilities certainly doesn’t hurt either.
Thibodeaux's decision came down to more than just the football side of things, finding the absolute best fit for his academic and athletic goals, and the same may be found in Eugene by Offord. Both Oregon and Ohio State bring many of the same advantages (e.g., NIL opportunities, elite recruiting class, major fan support) so this one may come down to where Offord feels the right fit.
Spiegelman: FACT. Offord is in the final stretch of his recruitment and could be making his last or penultimate visit before signing on the dotted line. Offord was back in the Plains for the Oklahoma game late last month and is set to return to Eugene with the Buckeyes coming to town for the one of the biggest games on the slate this weekend. The five-star cornerback has hinted that another visit to Columbus is in the works, too. With that context, both Auburn and Oregon are going to chip away at the Buckeyes with Offord, and have been doing so throughout the summer and into the fall. Right now, there's still a strong sense that Offord will eventually ink with Ohio State. If he was going to reverse course, however, this final visit to Eugene looms incredibly large.
2. After hosting him for an official visit over the weekend, LSU should feel good about its chances of holding onto four-star LB Jaiden Braker.
Powell: FICTION. I would say LSU should feel more cautiously optimistic than confident. Alabama is recruiting him pretty hard and he was in attendance for that wild Alabama - Georgia matchup which saw the Tide win in dramatic fashion. I don't see the Tide slowing down anytime soon, and Jaiden Braker will likely be back on campus in Tuscaloosa in the future. LSU can certainly land him, but it's going to be a fight to the end and if I'm in that recruiting room, I'd feel anything but confident, especially given the nature of recruiting these days. Solid today doesn't mean what it meant 20 to 30 years ago.
Spiegelman: FACT. Braker flipped his commitment from South Carolina to LSU a few weeks ago, and amid a breakout campaign at Snellville (Ga.) South Gwinnett High, offers from Alabama and Georgia have since landed for the Rivals four-star linebacker. Braker was back in Baton Rouge over the weekend for an official visit. There is a lot of optimism about the Tigers' chances of holding onto Braker, especially after a very positive visit to campus with his family. That doesn't mean Alabama and Georgia are intent to slow down pursuing Braker. He was in Tuscaloosa for the Georgia game and has kept the door open to possibly visit – and possibly official visit – both teams that are on his tail. I still like where LSU is positioned long-term with Braker.
3. When it's all said and done, USC will ink five-star QB Julian Lewis.
Young: FACT. I remain convinced that is how it will turn out, but am I 100 percent confident in it? No, I can’t say that. That we continue to ask this question this deep into the recruiting calendar speaks to that. That Indiana and Colorado are both off to such strong starts, and that the Hoosiers’ passing game has been so productive, have only given Julian Lewis and his family more to think about (along with the mounting questions about USC’s offensive line play). But I still come back to conversations I’ve had with Lewis and his father about how QB development is paramount above all other factors, and I just don’t see them passing on the chance to play for Lincoln Riley in that case. Lewis was back in the Coliseum for USC’s last home game two weeks ago, helping with the recruiting pitch to defensive tackle Floyd Boucard. I believe he’s going to end up a Trojan. But anything can happen — two months is still a ways to go to reach the finish line here.
Spiegelman: FACT. Georgia, Auburn, Colorado and others have all shot their shots with five-star quarterback Julian Lewis, who less than two months away from the Early Signing Period has already returned to USC on a few occasions down what is essentially the stretch run of his recruitment. Over the past months and change, this has continued to trend in the right direction for Lincoln Riley and the Trojans, who have made Lewis a top priority and fended off several potential threats along the way. There is no such thing as a sure thing in recruiting, especially in the NIL era. But the way this recruitment has shaped up in recent months gives me a good amount of confidence that Lewis will wind up in Los Angeles.
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