Fact or Fiction: Georgia is the program to beat for Jalon Walker
National recruiting director Adam Gorney and analyst Adam Friedman along with Justin Rowland from CatsIllustrated.com and Tim Sullivan from HokieHaven.com tackle three topics in recruiting and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
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1. Georgia is the team to beat for Jalon Walker.
Gorney’s take: FACT. This has really been a tough call because it felt Clemson was going to land Jalon Walker and that would make sense since the Tigers do such a great job in the state of North Carolina and Walker is a top priority for that coaching staff. But in recent days it feels like this has changed to Georgia and after doing some social media snooping, I’m starting to lean to the Bulldogs as well. Why else would Walker follow some Georgia commits and some sites that cover Georgia and some more Georgia coaches recently? By no means is that a scientific way of predicting this but it could offer clues. It’s still a tossup but I’m leaning Georgia.
Friedman’s take: FACT. Walker has been going back and forth between his three finalists Clemson, Georgia, and North Carolina but at this point the race is really coming down to just the Tigers and Bulldogs. Walker has been leaning on the expertise of his dad, Curtis Walker, who is the head coach at Catawba College, and his mother to make his decision but it’s the relationships that they’ve built the college coaches that could carry the most weight. With Kirby Smart being a defensive-minded head coach and Will Muschamp on staff along with the top-tier defensive coaches already in Athens, Walker feels like there are plenty of coaches that could help him turn into the best linebacker he can be. On the flip side, Walker and his family have outstanding relationships with the Clemson coaches, Brent Venables, and a number of current and former Clemson players. Saying no to the Tigers is proving hard for Walker but I think he ends up in Athens.
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2. Virginia Tech is emerging as a favorite for Gunner Givens.
Gorney’s take: FACT. I’m not counting out others yet for Gunner Givens but if we’re talking about which program has shown the most consistent attention, it’s probably Virginia Tech and that could go a long way in Givens’ recruitment and potentially his decision. Penn State seems to be sticking around along with others but Blacksburg is right down the road for Givens, the coaches have been working hard to land him and other schools might have higher priorities which could further draw Givens to the Hokies. Is it a done deal? Not by a long shot but Virginia Tech is definitely emerging as a real player here.
Sullivan’s take: FACT. The Hokies have made Givens a priority throughout his recruiting process. While there may have been some missteps in strategy along the way, the level of attention has never diminished. The Hokies' coaches feel like they're putting a more serious, genuine, spirited effort into his recruitment than any other program, and that's paying off for the local kid. Keeping up that heat when he's finally able to visit some other schools - and showing that it's possible to win big games in Blacksburg again - could make VT difficult to beat.
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3. Kentucky is a smart pick to land Kiyaunta Goodwin.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. I believe all the Kentucky hype and the connections there and that the Wildcats have been doing a great job recruiting him. But if Ohio State wants somebody, especially within driving distance, then the Buckeyes rarely lose those recruiting battles. From everything I know it sounds very unlikely Kiyaunta Goodwin will venture far from home to play college football so this really comes down to a battle between Kentucky and Ohio State. I completely get how the Wildcats could win out here but I’m not willing to give up on Ohio State yet.
Rowland’s take: FACT. I'm feeling pretty confident about my FutureCast for Kiyaunta Goodwin to Kentucky. For a long time there was a widespread assumption that he was going to end up at Ohio State but Kentucky has always been confident about him. He's been around UK since he was a junior high kid and they offered so early in the process. Vince Marrow has really locked down the state and offensive line coach Eric Wolford has gotten a good reception as well. If I had to guess I'd say COVID shutting down visits to other places has helped UK, a school he was familiar with well before all of that started. They're telling him that he's their No. 1 priority in the class and that pitch seems to be doing well for them. I don't think I'll be flipping the pick from UK.