Rivals national recruiting analyst John Garcia is joined by national recruiting director Adam Gorney, national recruiting analyst Adam Friedman and Pat Burnham of TheOsceola.com to tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
1.
USC should feel better about its chances to hold onto No. 1 recruit Julian Lewis.
Gorney: FACT. The No. 1 prospect in the 2025 class is still taking his time to think through everything and could still do another round of visits but I still feel USC has a very good chance to keep Julian Lewis in this class although there are some concerns along the way. Those issues would be distance from home and turning down Georgia and Alabama right in his backyard.
But Lewis’ recent visit to USC went really well especially as he broke things down with coach Lincoln Riley and Riley’s track record with quarterbacks is far better than any coach from another program recruiting the five-star. Sure, Lewis could flip. But from QB success to development to an offense that’s suited to him to NIL opportunities and more, USC has a lot to offer and still looks good here.
Garcia: FICTION. While the trip to USC seems encouraging and Lewis sticking on that commitment list does speak volumes, it still feels like Georgia’s push – and just how heavy it charges – will factor through the month of December. We’ve been told Kirby Smart and company are pushing for Lewis like they haven’t battled for any other prep passer – so as long as the Bulldogs are without a quarterback on the commitment list, the threat remains. Alabama closing the gap on UGA as the potential top threat is fascinating to its own degree, too, so the unease in Los Angeles is likely to remain until things are officially official.
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2.
Javion Hilson’s performance at RCS Miami stamped his status as the No. 1 weakside defensive end in the class.
Friedman: FICTION. Javion Hilson lived up to the hype as the top-ranked weakside defensive end in the nation during his performance at the Rivals Camp Series in Miami but I wouldn’t say he’s locked into that spot. It was very impressive to see how quick-twitch and powerful he is despite having such a lean frame. The Florida State commit was a very smart pass rusher as well, understanding when to use power or speed moves and how to counter when necessary. Zahir Mathis, Zion Grady and others are right behind him in the rankings and each bring comparable skill sets to the table so we’ll see how the rest of the offseason unfolds.
Garcia: FACT. What the current Florida State commitment showed is two-fold from RCS Miami. On one hand, he has the desired height, length and twitch to win with the speed and rate one would expect from the top-ranked prospect at the position. But secondly, and perhaps more importantly, Hilson’s ideal frame has plenty of room for him to continue to fill out and even enhance his current strengths as he matures as a three-down defender. It’s also not the deepest edge group, though the rest of the offseason will go a long way toward the pecking order heading into the all-important senior season. It probably comes down to the all-star circuit in December and January, but Hilson will be tough to overcome in the short term.
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3.
Florida State is the most likely program to keep Rivals250 OT Ziyare Addison within state lines. 
Burnham: FACT. Ziyare Addison has been on Florida State‘s campus more than a half dozen times since the summer of 2022 and the Seminoles are currently scheduled to get his last official visit of the summer. His recent visit to Miami went well and he will continue to be pursued by the best programs in the country. However, Addison has said multiple times that the fact that the Seminoles were the first in-state school to offer him carries importance. He also stated that he likes the fact the Seminoles are coming off 10- and 13-win seasons and they just locked up Mike Norvell into a long-term contract. Actions always speak louder than words but when you look at how many times he has visited Florida State and couple that with his comments about the program and its head coach, it would be hard to believe that the Seminoles aren’t the in-state leader for Addison.
Garcia: FACT. It’s tough to argue the numbers from an offer and visit perspective with the Seminoles and Addison, not to mention the value of Alex Atkins jumping into the mix so early despite his inexperience as an offensive lineman when the offer originally came in. He’ll be back in Tallahassee at least two more times before a decision comes in, too, so even as Miami, Oregon, UCLA, Penn State and a few other programs have impacted Addison’s list of favorites of late, FSU has staying power and won’t soon be overlooked no matter which programs push. In the state, Florida has the most ground to make up but also hosts him sooner than the rest moving forward.
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John Garcia Jr., National Recruiting Analyst
