If Boeing thought this professor would believe it they were mistaken; he made the statement to his students and I think he was sincere. Cruise at Mach 1 defies aerodynamic rationale for the most part, and it would have been amazing if Boeing had found a way to do it efficiently. Belief plays a role in science in that one must believe they can prove something in order to prove it. Some beliefs are unsupported by theory and must be identified as unlikely.

Modern aerodynamic theory far exceeds the present capacity of computer calculation. The Navier Stokes Equations of compressible flow are intractable open-form equations that supercomputers cannot manage. Aerodynamic engineering is therefore a mix of simplified equations and experimental data. If one does not share the results of their actual experiments, then assuming they have truly found something noteworthy it puts the competition at a great disadvantage. It is not inconsequential for parties to engage in disinformation campaigns under such circumstances. Much of the intelligence activity of WWII was dedicated to unraveling scientific truths thought to be known to the enemy. Business is similar in that if you beat the competition to a better product you can dominate the market in that product. Such is the case with 787, Boeing has made an airplane that exceeds others in its category. It took a lot of hard work plus a little bit of subterfuge to accomplish it. In summary, I consider it very likely the sonic cruiser was a fake project.