National recruiting director Mike Farrell and national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney tackle three topics daily and determine whether they believe the statements or not.
1. Arkansas needs to go after Lane Kiffin.
Farrell’s take: FACT. Arkansas needs to make a splash with its next hire and improve recruiting in a big way to get back to bowl games. Kiffin is just the spark it needs. He’s been in the spotlight and has coached at some major powers, and overall he’s a good game coach. And he's a very good recruiter. Give him the keys to an SEC program again and this time he will be more successful.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. I do believe Kiffin has resurrected his career at Florida Atlantic and he’s no longer seen as something of a caricature in the coaching world. But he’s not the right person for the Arkansas job. The offensive personnel would make sense for what Kiffin wants to do, but he’s never proven to turn around a program and he’s never stayed long enough at one place yet to prove he can rebuild from the bottom up. It wouldn’t be a horrible hire, but Kiffin isn't the right fit in Fayetteville.
2. Florida State is still a top 10 job.
Farrell’s take: FACT. Yes it’s a dumpster fire right now, but the Florida State job is an elite job that any coach would jump at. Why? They have great winning tradition, they have a great recruiting advantage and they have a tremendous fan base. This isn’t Miami, where the fan base is weak and the facilities are awful and they are far removed from a national title. This is Florida State, a recent national title winner and the right coach can easily turn it back into a contender.
Gorney’s take: FACT. Florida State is absolutely a top-10 job nationally and that’s one reason why the decision-makers in Tallahassee moved on so quickly from coach Willie Taggart. There are some elite players on the roster, but the Seminoles need to correct quarterback and the offensive line before they start competing for conference titles again. A rabid fan base with realistically high expectations and a big-time name in recruiting, if they get this hire right then the Seminoles could return to glory.
3. Tua Tagovailoa is overrated.
Farrell’s take: FACT. This won’t be a popular opinion, but I just don’t see No. 1 pick for Tua or even a first-rounder. His arm strength is average, he’s already had surgery on both ankles, which will affect his mobility, and he struggles when pressured.
He had a big half off the bench to win the national title and he’s won a lot of games, but he’s a product of great receivers, an elite offensive line and a lot of yards after catch. Give me
Joe Burrowand others.
Gorney’s take: FICTION. Farrell is wrong here. The expectation for Tagovailoa was so ridiculously high that throwing for 2,584 yards with 31 touchdowns and three picks in eight games is not good enough for some people. He played the LSU game on a bum ankle (he could hardly walk off the field afterward), showed a ton of guts and had Alabama within striking distance late in the game. There’s no doubt Burrow is having an exceptional season and is shooting up NFL Draft boards, but Tagovailoa is not overrated.
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