Fact or Fiction: LSU is the front-runner with five-star Jahkeem Stewart

Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney is joined by national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman, Jack Knowlton from TideIllustrated.com and Nikki Edwards of CUSportsReport.com to tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.

Gorney’s take: FACT. Georgia could very well close on Justus Terry and that’s that, no surprise, but the word I’m getting is that there is guarded optimism by the Alabama coaching staff because if Terry wanted to commit he’s had plenty of time to do it already. The five-star defensive lineman from Manchester, Ga., could be biding his time and wants to make it more interesting closer to signing day (no one would be surprised if the Bulldogs won out) but Alabama is definitely a major contender here.

Knowlton’s take: FACT. Alabama getting Terry on campus for the South Florida game for a surprise visit was a significant move for the Crimson Tide. Alabama remains the only serious contender for Georgia and the staff is pushing hard to land one of the top defensive linemen in the country to fill the Tide’s biggest remaining need in the 2025 class. Terry may not make it for the Alabama-Georgia game due to his high school game being pushed back to Saturday. However, Alabama will very likely get him on campus again this fall. A decision is not expected until National Signing Day, which should also favor the Crimson Tide by giving it more time to close the gap on Georgia. Still an uphill battle, but Alabama is certainly a contender here.

Gorney’s take: FICTION. LSU is definitely a major player and there’s no doubt that the Tigers have made Jahkeem Stewart a top priority but I just don’t think he has a front-runner at this point. He has been very intrigued by the NIL opportunities at USC and the development under position coach Eric Henderson and others. Oregon has a lot to offer. Playing for position coach Larry Johnson – and seeing his NFL development – is huge. And of course LSU is close to home, he could play SEC ball there and be coached by some of the best as well. He could end up with the Tigers but I don’t think Stewart is thinking in terms of a team to beat in his recruitment yet.

Spiegelman’s take: FACT. There are a lot of unknowns swirling around five-star defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart right now, including when he’ll graduate and whether he’ll be a part of the 2025 or 2026 class. One thing for certain is the fact that LSU will be involved in this recruitment until the end. Stewart has a lead group comprised of the Tigers, USC, Ohio State and Oregon, and has made multiple stops at each campus this year, including another trip back for the UCLA game. If Stewart winds up reclassifying and doesn’t get to see the field as a senior, there are many reasons to believe that Baton Rouge would make the most sense. Bo Davis and Frank Wilson have been on top of this recruitment for years. USC and Ohio State both have made this very close at times, but I expect the Tigers to be involved until the end in this one.

Gorney’s take: FICTION. Travis Hunter certainly has the ability to play either wide receiver or defensive back in the NFL. He’s that special from an athletic and playmaking standpoint but I highly doubt any organization is going to pay him astronomical money only to grind him down so quickly in the NFL.

What people get away with in high school and college most of the time cannot be done in the NFL. Playing at that level is truly a craft and while I do believe some teams will want him first at receiver (even though Richard Sherman called him a “bland” receiver before walking back those comments on a phone call with Hunter himself (how about that for a flex), other teams will like him on defense.

The former five-star and No. 1 overall player could definitely play receiver or defensive back in the NFL. But I doubt he does both.

Edwards’ take: FACT. NFL coaches would be remiss not to use Travis Hunter’s elite abilities on both sides of the ball. Yes, the game is elevated in the NFL with better opponents, additional film study and the mental and physical toll is the largest deterrent in playing two ways. However, Hunter has changed the two-way landscape in college and is on track to change it at the pro level.

Last week against Baylor, Hunter played 145 snaps, 82 on offense and 63 on defense. In those offensive snaps he recorded seven receptions for 130 yards. On defense, he had three tackles and the game-sealing forced fumble. Hunter became the first Colorado receiver with five consecutive games (including Utah last year) with 100 yards or more and now has the sixth-most receiving yards in the FBS at 472.

According to PFF, Hunter has an 83.6 receiving grade, an 86.3 run-defense grade and an 85.5 coverage grade and has allowed zero touchdowns this season. There hasn’t been anyone in recent history that has accomplished what Hunter has in college.

“I keep hearing there’s others that done it, no there has not,” Urban Meyer said on The Triple Option podcast. “…Our own Charles Woodson won the Heisman, but he didn’t do it at this level.”

Hunter is a true college football anomaly that has put him in his own category, one that Charles Woodson wasn’t even in.