Rivals rankings director and national transfer portal analyst Adam Friedman is joined by Matt Moreno of DucksSportsAuthority.com, national recruiting analyst Marshall Levenson and Josh Henschke of TheMaizeandBluereview.com to tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
1. Dillon Gabriel should be the Heisman favorite right now.
Friedman: FACT. Dillon Gabriel is now tied with Carson Beck as the preseason Heisman favorites, according to BetMGM. It’s hard to say confidently give an answer one way or the other here but, on paper, there isn’t much to say against Gabriel’s potential for a Heisman-worthy 2024 season. The new Oregon signal caller is a near-perfect fit in offensive coordinator Will Stein’s system and Gabriel is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the country. He’s also led prolific offenses in the past, spending the last two seasons at Oklahoma.
The Ducks head into the Big Ten this season and there will certainly be an adjustment period but Gabriel’s experience should help to an extent.
Moreno: FACT. Oregon appears to be positioned for success once again heading into the 2024 season, and you can always expect a high-level offense in Eugene. Even though Dan Lanning is viewed as a defensive-minded head coach, his offensive coordinator, Will Stein, showcased just how potent his system can be with the right signal caller. Bo Nix shined last year and eventually finished third in the Heisman voting after finishing first in passing touchdowns and second in passing yards. Dillon Gabriel was eighth and ninth on those lists, respectively, in 2023.
The combination of Gabriel’s skill, Stein’s offense and the rest of the weapons for the Ducks’ offense should help the Oklahoma transfer unlock another level to his game this fall. Gabriel has already put effort into building chemistry with his receivers this offseason, and he has many of the same qualities to his leadership style that we saw with Nix in the last couple years. Gabriel feels like a perfect fit for Stein and the Ducks, and the overall product should put Oregon right at the forefront in the Big Ten race and the quarterback will be a big reason why.
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2. Faizon Brandon could push for his fifth star in the next rankings update.
Friedman: FACT. The development Faizon Brandon has shown since early in his sophomore season up to now has been well-documented. The added mass, strength and refined throwing mechanics have transformed the North Carolina signal caller into one of the most intriguing passers in the 2026 class. At Future 50 he was able to show off the progress he’s made, despite the awkward 5-on-5 flag football format on a narrow field.
This newly realized arm talent combined with his outstanding athleticism that has been there from day one should put him in the five-star discussion.
Levenson: FACT. With this I am not saying that he will get his fifth star, but if the question is “could” he, then yes, he could. From an athletic standpoint, we may not find a prettier quarterback prospect than Brandon, who is 6-foot-4 and creeping up to 200 pounds.
We got a recent evaluation of Brandon at the Future 50 event and he certainly looked the part. He was by far the top quarterback based on performance. Now, moving from his current No. 134 ranking to five-star status, which looks to be in the top 10-15 in the next update, would be quite the jump. There are only two quarterbacks in five-star status but there may be some shuffling there as well.
Brandon had great production as a sophomore with 3,026 yards with 36 touchdowns to just three interceptions. If there was a ‘built in a lab’ quarterback of the 2026 cycle to this point, it would be Brandon. By that measure, he could absolutely push for his fifth star.
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3. This will be Michigan’s highest-ranked class in the last five to 10 years.
Friedman: FICTION. This could go either way but I’d be a little surprised if Sherrone Moore signs a top-three class in his first year as Michigan’s head coach. The Wolverines signed classes that ranked No. 4 in the team rankings back in 2016 and 2017 but haven’t cracked the top five since then.
There’s a better chance that Michigan’s 2025 recruiting class finishes with the highest average stars per commit rating in the last five to 10 years. The number to beat is 3.67 and right now the 2025 Michigan recruiting class has an average stars per commit rating of 3.88.
There are three more major updates before the rankings are finalized and the Wolverines aren’t done adding players to this class so there is a lot of room for that 3.88 rating to change.
Henschke: FACT. Michigan’s slow and steady approach to the 2025 cycle appears to be paying dividends as we sit here in the month of July. The quality over quantity approach is resulting in a sky-high star rating average that doesn’t appear to be slowing down.
Factoring in potential changes in recruiting rankings going forward, there is absolutely a possibility of the Wolverines’ class being one of the strongest from a ratings standpoint in quite some time. A strong debut by Sherrone Moore.
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on Rivals.com, the leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here.