re: 2020 FB Recruiting & Roster

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Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling an issue in the college football landscape. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com national recruiting director Mike Farrell and an expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites or a regional analyst.

THE STORYLINE

The recruitment of five-star running back Zachary Evans continues and the opinions and speculation of where he ends up is non-stop as well.

The Houston (Texas) North Shore standout released a top five of Ohio State, Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma and Georgia, but some believe Texas and Texas A&M remain serious players especially because he continued to visit both schools through the summer.

Trying to pick a front-runner is an impossibility because Evans has not made it clear which program stands out most and it’s unclear whether he even knows which team looks best at this point.

There are lots of things to consider: Georgia recently received a commitment from five-star RB Kendall Milton. Texas landed high four-star RB Bijan Robinson. Ohio State has been striking out with a lot of its top targets, so the Buckeyes could remain a serious contender.

LSU continues to be a front-runner, especially as the Tigers have been recruiting so well this recruiting cycle. Alabama appears to have lost five-star RB Trey Sanders for the season with a foot injury, which essentially pushes him into the 2020 class with Evans. Will that have an effect on Evans' thought process?

And then there is Texas A&M. With all the confusion surrounding Evans’ recruitment, staying close to home and playing with lots of Houston-area prospects could be the biggest draw, especially as the Aggies’ coaching staff keeps coming after him.

As the summer draws to a close and his senior season gets underway, is there anything clearing up about where Evans ends up?

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SECOND TAKE: MIKE FARRELL, RIVALS.COM

“He’s taking his time and trying to find what the best fit is going to be. Oddly enough, the Sanders injury could play into his interest in Alabama. On the one side, it could be something where Evans sees he’s going to be on more even footing if he goes to Alabama since Sanders will basically be a freshman again next year. On the other hand, Evans could see Sanders will be around longer, so that will be interesting to watch.

“I don’t think Georgia is an option. I know they’re going to continue to recruit him but I don’t see him going to a school with another five-star. So that’s why I keep saying A&M is the option that interests him the most. If they have a good season and they’ve done a good job having productive running backs over the years. That’s the one he’s waiting to see what happens this season.”

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FIRST TAKE: RYAN YOUNG, TROJANSPORTS.COM

“The five-star debate on Young is interesting because it would seem to simply come down to criteria. If the rating were purely a projection for what he can do at the college level, he's a clear five-star. His combination of touch, timing and arm strength when needed leave no doubts after watching him through the summer camp circuit and some 7-on-7.

"He may not win the longest throw competition with other top 2020 prospects, but watching him in live action his deep ball is as precise and impressive as anyone's. And he has the confidence in his arm strength to fit the ball in tight windows when needed. Any questions about his size would pertain more to a post-college evaluation, and if NFL Draft stock is weighing heavily in the five-star, four-star debate, then perhaps I can understand the other side.

"There's a reason Alabama has set its sights on trying to flip him off his USC commitment. Assuming he stays with his USC pledge, he'll walk into an interesting situation with his Mater Dei predecessor JT Daniels still likely around for two more seasons once Young arrives and 2019 freshman Kedon Slovis emerging as more than most expected.

"That said, Young is an ideal fit for what Graham Harrell wants out of his QBs with his ability to spread it around the field accurately and connect deep when those opportunities arise. Five-star or not, he carries true star potential to the next level.”

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THE LATEST: Four-star wide receiver Xzavier Henderson plans to announce his commitment on Jan 4 and has already narrowed his list to include just five schools. Below, the South Florida-based star discusses his options and his plans for the fall.

IN HIS WORDS:

ON THE SCHOOLS THAT REMAIN IN THE MIX: “It’s Florida, Clemson, Alabama, Georgia and LSU. Those are the ones I’m really looking at.”

ON FLORIDA: “My brother [Gators defensive back CJ Henderson], man. That was his dream school obviously. I never really had a dream school. So growing up and following his footsteps would be a dream for me, I guess. That is basically the school I liked because of him. He really isn’t pushing me because he’s not going to be there. Since he’s going to be gone, he’s not impacting my choice. He just tells me to take my time and make sure I do what is right for me.”

ON CLEMSON: They’re up there near the top -- deep in the mix. The receivers there fit my prototype. A lot of them are like me. ON DABO SWINNEY: “He’s cool, man. He’s just real enthusiastic. He’s a good, Christian man and he’s all about commitment. He’s all about being all in. That’s a big thing with him.

ON ALABAMA: “Coach [Nick] Saban is real serious. I mean, real serious. It’s been a while since I’ve been there, so I’m trying to think about what stands out. I’m taking my official there, so I’ll have a better feel then. I haven’t been there since June.”

ON GEORGIA: They do great in Florida and they relate to Florida kids. Everybody says they are just a running back school, but they try to show me that's not really true. You need a good running back if you want to be open as a receiver, so that’s appealing. I haven’t been there since back in June. I visited the same time I visited Alabama. It was all in a span of, like, two weeks. I liked it a lot.

ON LSU: “I didn’t get an official offer from them yet, but they tell me how bad they want me. They are trying to get the ball in the air and think I can help with that.”

ON UPCOMING OFFICIAL VISITS: I haven’t scheduled any, but the five I said [Florida, Clemson, Alabama, Georgia and LSU] are going to get them. I’ll take one during my bye week and then figure out the rest of the schedule from there.

ON HIS DECISION DATE: “I’m announcing at the All-American Game on January 4.”

RIVALS REACTION: So much will be made of Henderson’s official visits, and rightly so. Clemson and, to a slightly lesser extent, Florida seem like the leaders at this juncture but that could change once the four-star wideout embarks on his official visit tour. Georgia and Alabama could easily make a late move. LSU seems like the least likely option at this juncture.

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TidalSurge1

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Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling an issue in the college football landscape. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com national recruiting director Mike Farrell and an expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites or a regional analyst.

THE STORYLINE

There was a time not too long ago when the perception was that 5-star tight end Arik Gilbert was absolutely going to end up at Georgia. That has changed significantly over the summer.

The Marietta, Ga., standout who shined at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas has talked much more about playing wide receiver rather than tight end and he proved this summer he’s capable of making the move outside... ( more)

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