Official Orangebloods Bullshit Meter
5 – Total and undeniable bullshit (Vince Young hurt his hand in a fight the night before Texas/OU)
4 – Probably bullshit, but we probably shouldn’t be emphatic about it
3 – There’s enough of a possibility of it being true, that we should file it away just in case.
2 – You think it’s probably going to happen, but things can change in the blink of an eye. (It’s Austin.)
1 – Total and undeniable truth
Let’s get on with it.
Rumor: Tyler Atkinson IS NOT a lock for Georgia
Grade: 1
We wrote about 5-star Tyler Atkinson in this column last week, but in talking to some folks earlier this week, we feel very confident that the Longhorns are a realistic option for the nation’s top linebacker prospect. For the longest time, most have considered Atkinson a lock to stay in state and go to Georgia, but that may not be the case. The Dawgs are still the betting favorite, but this will be an NIL game and there has been some chatter this week that UGA might have a spending ceiling they’re not willing to break through. If those rumors are true, it could open the door for Texas, which might be running second right now.
Rumor: Chace Calicut is bucking the NIL trend
Grade: 2
In today’s world of recruiting, especially with top national prospects, NIL is usually an overwhelming factor. That’s not to say the usual things like relationships, academics, location, playing for championships, etc. aren’t still factors, but NIL better match up or a program won’t have much of a shot with the national top-50ish types of players. As of today, OB is expecting safety Chace Calicut to commit to Georgia on Friday, and word going around this week is that Calicut is taking a slightly smaller NIL offer to do so. Georgia’s recent winning history and defensive prowess are expected to win out.
Rumor: Richie Wesley is locked in with his Texas commitment
Grade: 1
It’s only natural to speculate on how solid new Texas commitment Richie Wesley‘s pledge is after he backed off his previous commitment to Oregon so quickly, but OB feels this one is on solid ground. A bit of background: When recruits show up to the Rivals Five Star, they’re given an opportunity to take pictures with hats from as many college programs as they’d like. Most guys take photos wearing the hats of multiple teams. That includes a lot of prospects who are committed … you know … covering their bases. When Wesley walked into the photo room he took a picture with one hat and one hate only and it was burnt orange.
Rumor: Richie Wesley is only scratching the surface of his potential
Grade: 1
We’re giving Wesley two spots in this column because he earned it. When you’re the nation’s No. 6-ranked prospect overall, there’s usually not much room to improve but that’s not the case of Wesley. He absolutely dominated at the Rivals Five Star, he’s got an incredible frame at 6-5 and 250 pounds and he could still have room to grow. Wesley has an uncle his stands 6-11 and Wesley just (technically) finished up his sophomore year of high school, so he could still have some growing to do.
Rumor: Ismael Camara is underranked
Grade: 2
@Ketchum has Ismael Camara ranked higher than any of the national recruiting services (No. 11 in the state on the LSR, No. 13 on Rivals, No. 15 on 247, No. 17 on ESPN and No. 36 on On3. Buy stock in this young man now, while it’s still relatively low. Being from France, Camara is still very new to football but he was absolutely dominant at the Rivals Five Star and he may just be scratching the surface of his talents at 6-6 and 325 pounds. Camara is listed as an interior offensive lineman because of his current frame, but people close to him expect him to be a tackle long-term. A recent trip to the doctor has projections of him being 6-8 or 6-9 and likely carrying around 350 pounds.
Rumor: Kohen Brown has broken the “dream school” curse
Grade: 1
This quote from former USC commitment and current Texas commitment Kohen Brown is worth noting … “Growing up, Texas was always a dream school for me,” Brown told OB at the Rivals Five Star. Curse broken? Let’s hope so.