Fact or fiction: Miami is more than a dark horse for Jaime French
Competitors nationwide recruiting analysts John Garcia Jr. Joined Jason Higdon 1stAndTenFlorida.com, Pat Burnham TheOsceola.com and Marcus Benjamin CanesCounty.com addresses three topics and determines whether they believe each statement is fact or fiction.
1. Two-sport star Cornelius Ingram II will play for the Florida football team in college.
Higdon: Novel. Cornelius Ingram II decided Thursday to follow in his father’s footsteps and continue his athletic career at the University of Florida. Like his father who played for the Gators, the younger Ingram will follow a different path with the head basketball coach in Gainesville Todd Golden. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound Ingram has yet to reach his true basketball potential and won’t be playing football in the swamp. Ingram is a great athlete, but his long-term ceiling is through the roof of the basketball court.
GARCIA: Fiction. Late last year and even into the offseason, the 6-foot-6 rookie was talking about the possibility of reaching the next level in basketball and football. But when Ingram committed to the University of Florida on Monday, it was clear this was a basketball-first move. He was dazzling on basketball recruiting boards after his AAU season and looked like the kind of big guard or wing prospect who could make an immediate impact on the hardwood. In football, a high school quarterback must change positions, most likely to become a wide receiver, and start a new journey at the SEC level. Whether it’s because of the transition or the trajectory of basketball, the major scholarship offers for Ingram have become extremely one-sided this year. He chose the Gators over Kansas State, Michigan State, Georgetown and many others in this area.
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2. With the season about to begin, the recruiting drama surrounding five-star Solomon Thomas is now a thing of the past.
Burnham: Fact. While we all know that nothing is over until a prospect’s letter of intent is signed in December, I do believe that the drama surrounding Solomon Thomas’ recruitment is over. Thomas spent his final weekend of the summer in Tallahassee at the end of July, spending time with other Florida State commits and potential commits at the Seminole Elite Training Camp on July 27. He also watched and followed FSU practices in Tallahassee. Thomas told me before heading home to begin his own preseason camp that he thought it was important to spend some time on FSU’s campus with other committed players like C.J. Wiley, Tramell Jones and Brady Smigiel, who is also at Tara Hashi.
Thomas seemed to have an easier time recruiting than at any time in my memory. He seemed relieved that he had put recruiting behind him and started focusing on his senior season.
GARCIA: Fiction. Define drama. When we do this, define when recruitment is truly “over.” The answer is, not until pen meets paper. For now, Thomas is most likely to stay with the Seminoles, especially after the final trip back in July, but the season itself could prove how open the potential flip door still is. Even if there’s a slim chance that LSU or Florida, long considered the two prime flip destinations for Thomas to change his mind, could be decided this season on the eventual flip potential before the early signing period. This is especially true for Billy Napier Florida State’s 2024 schedule is approaching and most expected the state to perform well, resulting in immediate recruiting results, but it’s been a mediocre start to the cycle relative to Gator standards.
I suspect it will be quiet on this front until Thomas shows up on another campus for game day.
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3. Miami is more than just an in-state dark horse for five-star wide receiver Jaime Ffrench.
Benjamin: Fact. The recently minted five-star prospect has had quite the journey in his recruitment. Since Jaime Ffrench retired from Alabama in January, multiple programs, including Ohio State and Florida State, have shown interest. However, Tennessee, Texas, LSU and Miami round out the top four in Aug. 30 commitments. Many thought Miami was the dark horse to land French, but the crafty walk-on made multiple visits to two programs over the summer: Miami and LSU. Miami was the final visit and French came away impressed. The Jacksonville native has a close relationship with Miami’s wide receivers coach Kevin Beard There appears to be a connection to Miami’s 2025 quarterback Luke Nickell when he last visited Coral Gables. Miami doesn’t have many uncommitted options on its wide receiver board, so the Canes will likely focus all their efforts on signing French. I wouldn’t be surprised if French chooses Miami.
GARCIA: Facts. Miami was once a popular reminder not to discredit Ligue 1 recruiting, consistent with some dark horse status. But with the summer visit coming to an end and returning to Coral Gables, Miami’s leverage in this game appears to be more impressive than most initially thought. After the trip, French expressed the need for a sense of family, something the in-state Hurricanes have long been able to provide with LSU, where his family is nearby. Digging deeper, Miami has long been confident in this game, especially relative to turning down more local receivers. Since then, several UM recruits have become even more enthusiastic about keeping the five-star hotel in state. Texas remains likely to be the biggest threat from hurricanes, and the state remains confident heading into August 30.
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