Rivals national recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr. is joined by Jason Higdon of 1stAndTenFlorida.com, Marcus Benjamin of CanesCounty.com and Charles Kang of SUJuiceOnline.com to tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
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1. Florida will only add 2025 commitments once a coaching change is made.
Higdon: FACT. With so much uncertainty surrounding the program I am going with fact. Florida will land verbal commitments once a resolution is reached, but not until recruits can see stability within the program. The next three weeks will significantly impact Billy Napier's future in Gainesville. The Gators host UCF, which got boat raced by Colorado, then travel to Knoxville for a night game with Tennessee before returning home to face Kentucky. That is the easy part of the schedule: Next comes five weeks with no bye weekend along with Georgia, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss and Florida State.
Garcia: FICTION. With an unknown timeline for a potential decision from the administration, it's tough to close the commitment window for any program – especially in the SEC. There is a sense that if and when Florida moves on from Billy Napier, it would likely replace him with a perceived upgrade when it comes to recruiting. That will be a message we hear in UF's efforts to keep key players and it will be echoed on the recruiting trail as well. So as spots become available at certain positions, that logo and the possibility of being retained by the next regime could be too sweet a deal to pass up for a potential recruit. Florida is the dream school for plenty of top prospects and the current staff hasn't stopped working the trail as expected.
2. Four-star Florida commitment Ben Hanks is a flip candidate for Miami.
Benjamin: FACT. Miami's recruitment of local cornerback Ben Hanks Jr. has been a roller coaster. Just when you think it's over, it's not. The Florida commit and legacy attended Miami's thrilling victory over Virginia Tech on Friday night, and pursuing the four-star continues. The Miami staff maintains a relationship with the lengthy defensive back, but the 2025 class is already loaded with defensive backs. The Canes have six defensive backs, including two local products, Chris Ewald and Bryce Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald is rumored to move to wide receiver should he stick with the class, and many believe that committed DBs Timothy Merritt (Alabama) and Jaboree Antione (Louisiana) may elect to stay closer to home. This leaves room to add Hanks and possibly five-star DJ Pickett to a defensive back class that can already be considered the best in the country. I cannot put anything past this staff, so I'm guessing Hanks stays home eventually.
Garcia: FACT. Miami has been hot and cold with Hanks for years, it seems, but he has always been among the highest on Miami's board despite multiple secondary coaches in a short time span. The U is of course the closest major program to him and it has resulted in plenty of familiarity for both Hanks and his family. He was back in town for the Virginia Tech game on Friday and as he plays through his senior season with strong production, we could see Miami pressing more for a potential flip. Of course, the situation at Florida and the buzz toward the Hurricanes working out simultaneously can't hurt the Canes' chances, either.
3. Demetres Samuel will be an instant-impact contributor at Syracuse.
Kang: FACT. Demetres Samuel will be an instant contributor. Aside from his tools as a physical corner that has versatility to potentially play at safety and nickel, Fran Brown and Syracuse have not hesitated to play true freshmen. Just in last week’s matchup against Holy Cross, the depth chart was dotted with true freshmen KingJoseph Edwards, Maraad Watson, Jahide Lesaine Jr. and notably Marcellus Barnes. Barnes, like Samuel, is a physical defensive back and has impressed early for the Orange. I expect Samuel to do the same in 2025.
Garcia: FACT. Syracuse is under new banners with Fran Brown and if he has his way, the talent acquisitions will be more critical with time, and Samuel is the highest-ranked recruit among 29 onboard for the Orange in the 2025 class. He was a big flip from Florida, where he has family ties, especially after the Orange lost him to the Gators late in the summer. Those early inroads and consistency after his change of heart have won out to this point. There's a reason both staff stayed heavy on his trail, and through a reclassification. Samuel is a big cover corner with physicality as part of his game, possibly promoting some potential at either a safety or nickel spot in the ACC.
