National Signing Day Updates: Historic class takes shape at Texas A&M
The first day of college football’s early signing period wrapped Wednesday as the Class of 2022 took final shape. Since the inception of the early signing period, around 90% of recruits have used Wednesday as Signing Day.
On3 has Signing Day covered with the biggest news items, analysis of commitments, shocking flips and classes making moves up and down the team rankings throughout the day. This live blog will include news as it comes in from all across the country from On3 recruiting analysts and Fan Site reporters.
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Aggies add another blue-chip DB
Texas A&M’s top-ranked recruiting class continues to get better and better. Snellville (Ga.) North Cobb four-star cornerback Marquis Groves-Killebrew announced on Wednesday night that he was flipping his commitment from Georgia to the Aggies.
Marquis Groves-Killebrew is ranked as the No. 104 player in the country, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Marquis Groves-Killebrew also ranks as the No. 13 cornerback and ninth-best player in Georgia.
Inside the top 25 class rankings
8 p.m. — The smoke from the first day of the early signing period – aka Signing Day – has cleared. While there are plenty of other big names still to come off the board on Thursday and Friday and even more that will commit later on down the road, we do have a pretty clear picture of the top 25 recruiting classes in the country. Here’s a look at the On3 Consensus Top 25 as of 8 p.m. Wednesday.
- Texas A&M
- Alabama
- Georgia
- Ohio State
- Texas
- Notre Dame
- Penn State
- North Carolina
- Michigan
- Oklahoma
- Clemson
- Kentucky
- Missouri
- Oregon
- LSU
- Auburn
- Tennessee
- Florida State
- Stanford
- Arkansas
- Miami
- Oklahoma State
- Indiana
- Mississippi State
- Iowa
How did new head coaches fare in their first Signing Day?
7:50 p.m. — Just weeks ago, the coaching carousel spun frantically creating a frenzy in roster movement and coaching staff movements. Today a lot of the storylines came to a head. How did the new guys do as many of them played catch up to hold on to or steal young talent? On3’s Jeremy Johnson reviewed how the new head coaches across the country did today, including an in-depth look at Florida, USC, Miami and Oklahoma’s classes.
Read the full report here at this link.
Biggest surprise classes from early signing period
7:45 p.m. — Wednesday marked one of the wilder National Signing Day’s we’ve seen in years. A number of programs made big moves up the On3 Team Recruiting Rankings. On3’s Charles Power has a great look at the surprise classes in the country, which includes headliners like Texas A&M, Texas, Kentucky and Missouri.
Read the full breakdown here at this link.
Inside the wild final hours of Travis Hunter’s recruitment
7:40 p.m. — Five-Star Plus+ Suwanee (Ga.) Collins Hill athlete Travis Hunter surprised everyone in the recruiting industry Wednesday when he flipped his commitment from Florida State to FCS Jackson State and head coach Deion Sanders.
His process, and his ultimate decision, wasn’t just a stunner for everyone covering it. According to On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons, even those close to him didn’t see it coming.
In a Twitter Spaces event, Simmons broke down what exactly happened in by far the most shocking recruiting decision in recent memory.
Read how it all went down in this breakdown from Keegan Pope.
Lane Kiffin sounds off Travis Hunter signing with Jackson State
7:35 p.m. — Deion Sanders stunned the recruiting world when he flipped Florida State commit Travis Hunter to Jackson State. College coaches around the country weighed in on the decision and the rumored name, image and likeness deals that came with it.
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin was one of them, and he spoke about the “free agency” effect with NIL.
“You’re in free agency that, there are no contracts,” Kiffin said, via Michael Katz of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. “I really hope for these kids, they get all the money that they’re being promised at all these schools when they get there.
Deyon Bouie sticks with Texas A&M
7:30 p.m. — Kirby Smart has been after fellow Bainbridge (Ga.) native Deyon Bouie for a long time. The No. 82 overall prospect in the On3 Consensus rankings for the class of 2022, was once a Georgia commit.
Georgia made their run, but Bouie is sticking with Texas A&M. On3’s Jeremy Johnson goes inside Bouie’s recruitment.
Shane Beamer says Jaishawn Barham flip earlier today was not ‘a surprise’
6:35 p.m. — District Heights (Md.) St. Frances Academy four-star EDGE Jaishawn Barham committed to South Carolina on Saturday.
But just a few hours later, someone gave Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer a call to say that the commitment won’t stick.
“When this particular young man committed on Saturday, about 10 minutes later I got a phone call from somebody in the know up there that said ‘Just so you know, it’s all part of the plan He’s going to flip on Wednesday and go to Maryland,’” Beamer said.
There is a lot to unpack with this situation.
Florida’s push pays off with Shemar James
6:27 p.m. — Over the weekend, Mobile (Ala.) Faith Academy linebacker Shemar James took his official visit to Georgia. Entering that visit, the four-star, who was at one time committed to Florida had narrowed his list down to Alabama and Georgia.
The No. 62 prospect is the On3 Consensus had in-home visits with Alabama, Florida, and Georgia last week, and he had eliminated the Gators.
James was not familiar with Billy Napier, but over the weekend, while he was in Athens, the Gators had communication with him. Things slowly started to change as we inched closer to Signing Day.
Alabama was out and it was a battle between Florida and Georgia. This one went back and forth until the final minute, but Napier and the Gators got James back.
Read more about how Napier pulled off one of the bigger Signing Day surprises.
Decommitments defined 2022 class
6:07 p.m. — Today’s signing day will be most remembered for one flip, but this entire cycle has been defined by its decommitments. On3’s Peter Warren has a great look at the decommitments that defined the 2022 recruiting cycle.
There are decommitments and flips every cycle — it’s the nature of recruiting. And there was plenty of movement before the silliness started up a few weeks ago. But this cycle will be remembered for not only the number of the flips but also for the quality of the flips, including the biggest flip in the history of college recruiting.
Aggies extend lead over Bama for No. 1
6 p.m. — After adding five-star defensive lineman Anthony Lucas and four-star EDGE Enai White, Texas A&M has extended its lead for the No. 1 spot in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rank.
The Aggies have the No. 1 class with 95.277 points, followed by Bama with 94.895 points and Georgia with 94.747 points. Ohio State and Texas round out the top five.
Notre Dame is sixth, Penn State is seventh, North Carolina is eighth, Michigan is ninth and Oklahoma is No. 10.
As mentioned earlier, with so many top players still on the board looking at both programs, especially Bama and A&M, there’s a chance this ranking will move a few more times today and multiple times until the February signing period.
So, what you see now, might not be what you get later on down the road.
Ryan Day on changing landscape of recruiting
5:45 p.m. — Lettermen Row’s Jeremy Birmingham sat down to talk one-on-one with Ohio State coach Ryan Day about the Buckeye’s No. 4 class and the changing landscape of college football recruiting.
The constant upheaval and realignment of the college game is dizzying Ryan Day said Wednesday.
“It’s part of the job,” Day said. “And no one said it’s easy, but that’s what it is. And I think one of the biggest challenges right now is the unknown. For a long time, you knew what the rules were, you knew what to expect, right? Now, you feel like things are changing on a daily basis, and you have to stay out in front of it the best you can.
“I think that’s probably the most unnerving thing right now for all of us.”
Read more and watch the full interview on Lettermen Row.
A&M adds another huge piece to No. 1 class
5:25 p.m. — Philadelphia (Pa.) Imhotep four-star EDGE Enai White has committed to Texas A&M over Ohio State, Alabama and Georgia. It’s another enormous get for what is already the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class.
White joins five-star DL Anthony Lucas, four-star OL Kam Dewberry and four-star TE Jake Johnson as new additions on Signing Day. Plus, the Aggies were also able to hold on to Five-Star Plus+ DL Walter Nolen on Wednesday.
The A&M class is now made up of 96% blue-chip prospects.
Devon Campbell down to OU, Texas
5:25 p.m. — We knew coming into Wednesday that five-star offensive lineman Devon Campbell was not going to announce a commitment. But we know now who his final schools are and when he officially will decide.
Campbell, the No. 10 player in the country out of Arlington (Texas) Bowie, said Wednesday he is down to Oklahoma and Texas. He said he will announce his decision on Feb. 3v – the traditional signing window for prospects.
Oklahoma and Texas have always been teams high on Campbell’s list, but coaching changes in Norman seemingly pushed the Sooners down his list some for other schools. But now that he’s waiting, Oklahoma will have a chance to battle the Longhorns’ for the five-star interior offensive lineman.
Malik Agbo wants to build at Texas
5:20 p.m. — Others were in the mix at different times, but it came down to Miami and Texas for Malik Agbo. The four-star offensive lineman out of Federal Way (Wash.) Todd Beamer made his decision about a week ago.
“It was not easy, and I knew it was a big-time decision, but in early December, I decided on Texas,” Agbo said. “I knew I wanted to go there and be a part of what coach Steve Sarkisian is building.”
Read more about Agbo’s decision to head to the Forty Acres.
Staying true: Kiyaunta Goodwin sticks with BBN
5:12 p.m. — Kentucky landed a big commitment from a player it already had on board earlier in the process.
Charlestown (Ind.) five-star offensive tackle and Kentucky commit Kiyaunta Goodwin announced early his morning that he wasn’t ready to make his college decision between Michigan State and Kentucky. Just a few hours later, it appeared he had reversed course. Goodwin told 247Sports that he planned to decide at 3:30 p.m. ET between the Spartans and Wildcats. He again postponed until 5:00 p.m. After all the fuss, Goodwin committed to the Wildcats, whom he committed to back in April.
“It’s a huge commitment, literally and figuratively for Mark Stoops in Lexington,” On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simons said.
Kentucky Sports Radio has more on Goodwin’s decision and what it means for the Wildcats.
Details emerge on Travis Hunter’s flip to Jackson State
5:10 p.m. — Travis Hunter’s flip from Florida State to Jackson State was the talk of college football on Wednesday. More details are now coming out about the name, image and likeness deals that came with his commitment.
Hunter, the No. 1 recruit from the Class of 2022, announced his flip on Wednesday — National Signing Day. Rumors also swirled that he signed a name, image and likeness deal as part of his commitment.
That deal was apparently with Barstool Sports, worth $1.5 million. However, Front Office Sports’ Amanda Christovich reported Wednesday afternoon that those rumors were false.
Oregon lands Signing Day surprise
5:04 p.m. — Signing day didn’t come and go without at least one surprise for Oregon fans. Long-time Texas commit Anthony Jones has committed and signed with Oregon. The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder committed to Texas back in June. On3’s Scoop Duck has more information on the Pac-12 flip.
4-star RB Jaydn Ott commits to Cal (again)
5:01 p.m. — Four-star running back Jaydn Ott of Norco, Calif., announced his commitment to Cal on Signing Day. It’s a pledge that brings him full circle with the Bears.
Ott was previously committed to Cal, but on Sept. 16 he backed away from that pledge to the Bears. Ott said his decision to decommit came because he picked Cal early without really seeing other schools. He also was committed to Oregon at one point in 2020 before reopening things back up.
But it appears the Golden Bears have convinced Ott that Berkeley, Calif., is the place to be.
Chris McClellan sticks with Gators
4:55 p.m. — Four-star defensive lineman Chris McClellan got heavily pursued by Oklahoma down the stretch. But when it came time to sign, he stuck with his original commitment to the Florida Gators.
“The people I’ll be playing with, and the culture of the town in Gainesville. It’s really welcoming, and I always liked that about them,” McClellan recently told GatorsOnline. “The people in the town, man. They’re all about the players, all about the school, so it’s just great. I love that support.”
Earl Little Jr. big get for Alabama
4:45 p.m. — He is a Miami legacy. He is an elite defensive back with major offers. And like a lot of times, Alabama is the school of choice.
Earl Little Jr. was getting offers as a freshman and he has been recruited for over three years. The No. 88 prospect in the On3 Consensus gave Florida State a hard look to the end. He took an official visit to Oregon. Of course, Miami was always lurking.
But Alabama has been his favorite for some time and the 6-foot, 180-pound defender out of Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage acted on that love for the Crimson Tide Wednesday.
“It came down to how the player development at Alabama,” Little told On3. “The coaching there is the best. I like the way they prepare players for the NFL too. The stability at the top played a role in my decision.”
On3’s No. 1 player Marvin Jones Jr. picks UGA
4:40 p.m. — In the end, Marvin Jones Jr. went his own direction. The No. 1 recruit in the country, according to On3, is heading to Georgia. Many assumed he would follow in his father’s footsteps to Florida State, but in the end, he picked the Dawgs and bolstered the No. 3 recruiting class in the country.
“Late into the evening, I am hearing Georgia has the edge as we get ready to enter the early signing period,” On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons wrote Tuesday night. “He has had multiple conversations with the Georgia staff today, including head coach Kirby Smart. Jones has also spoken with Georgia commits about his interest in the Bulldogs.
Read more about Jones’ commitment to Georgia.
DJ Wesolak ready to help Missouri win
4:36 p.m. — DJ Wesolak lives about 15 minutes from the Missouri campus. He is very familiar with Columbia, visiting the Tigers over half a dozen times.
Eliah Drinkwitz has made the four-star out of Boonville a priority from the start, and his program beat out another SEC program in the end.
“I was thinking hard about LSU, but I am staying home with Missouri,” Wesolak told On3. “It was really simple. Throughout the whole process, Missouri recruited me hard, they made me feel wanted, and I know I will have great support there.
Jihaad Campbell boosts Alabama’s strong DL class
4:26 p.m. — On3 Consensus four-star EDGE Jihaad Campbell of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy was originally committed to Clemson. But the departure of defensive coordinator Brent Venables caused him to back away from that pledge and it opened the door for Texas A&M and Alabama to become major players in his recruitment.
In the end, Campbell decided to commit to the Crimson Tide during Wednesday’s National Signing Day. The decision boosts an already strong defensive line class and a group that ranks as the No. 2 class overall in the country.
Aggies add another key piece – Kam Dewberry
4:21 p.m. — The Texas A&M class continues to get better and better. The Aggies currently have the No. 1 class in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking, and it was boosted even more with the addition of four-star offensive lineman Kam Dewberry of Humble (Texas) Atascocita.
“I feel as if it’s close to home and they have proven that they can dominate the SEC and are a national championship contender,” Dewberry told On3 a few weeks ago.
Walter Nolen signed, sealed for Aggies
4:15 p.m. — Jimbo Fisher has won one of the biggest recruiting battles in the 2022 recruiting cycle. Five-Star Plus+ defensive lineman Walter Nolen is officially an Aggie.
Nolen, the No. 2 player in the country from Powell, Tenn., was the focus of a fierce recruiting battle between the Aggies and in-state Tennessee. He is the crown jewel of the A&M recruiting class, which is currently ranked at No. 1 in the country.
Billy Napier’s late push lands Kamari Wilson
4:09 p.m. — Fort Pierce (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star safety Kamari Wilson has elected to go to Florida over favorites Georgia, making the decision Wednesday during National Signing Day.
Wilson was originally going to decide between LSU, Georgia, Texas A&M and Florida State, but the Gators came in at the last minute to secure the signing.
“Wilson, who has close ties with Jamar Chaney and Corey Raymond, decided to head to Gainesville for one last official before he signed,” Donavon Keiser of Gators Online wrote. “Both Raymond and Chaney spent months recruiting Wilson, as Chaney wanted to bring him to his last stop at Mississippi State, and Raymond wanted him in Baton Rouge.
LSU keeps local star Jordan Allen home
4 p.m. — New LSU head coach Brian Kelly made a difference in Lafayette (La.) Lafayette Christian Academy four-star safety Jordan Allen’s final decision. It’s a decision that will keep him close to home and play for the Bayou Bengals.
“Everything changed on the official visit,” Allen told On3v. “The old staff at LSU wasn’t too big on me, I guess. As soon as coach Kelly got there though, he offered, and he took a chance on me.
“I knew that was big, but then on the visit, I knew I was going to LSU. When I met with coach Kelly, I learned a lot about him. I got to know him, he is a great guy, and that was it. I wanted to play for him and LSU.”
Read more about Allen’s decision to pick LSU.
Aggies overtake Alabama for No. 1 class
3:47 p.m. — After adding five-star defensive lineman Anthony Lucas, Texas A&M has passed Alabama for the No. 1 spot in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rank.
The margin between the top three teams continues to be razor-thin.
The Aggies have the No. 1 class with 94.860 points, followed by Bama with 94.733 points and Georgia with 94.338 points. Ohio State and Texas round out the top five. Michigan is also now firmly in the top 10 at No. 9.
As mentioned earlier, with so many top players still on the board looking at both programs, especially Bama and A&M, there’s a chance this ranking will move a few more times today and multiple times until the February signing period.
So, what you see now, might not be what you get later on down the road.
Anthony Lucas wants to ‘make history at Texas A&M’
3:40 p.m. — Five-star defensive lineman Anthony Lucas was a huge get for the Texas A&M Aggies on Signing Day. And he tells On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons he wants to do something special in Aggieland.
“I want to make history at Texas A&M,” Fisher told Simmons. “I could go into Alabama and be part of the winning legacy or go to Texas A&M and change things. My decision was to change things at Texas A&M.”
Read more from Lucas’ interview at this link.
Michigan moves into top 10
3:30 p.m. — Moves are happening all across the country that are impacting the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking. Here is the latest updated top 15 as of 3:30 p.m. The biggest movement is that Michigan is now in the top 10 after the addition of four-star WR Darrius Clemons.
Alabama actually expanded its lead over A&M by a few percentage points after four-star WR Shazz Preston committed. The Crimson Tide now has 94.733 points, while A&M is at 94.455. Georgia is third with 94.338 points.
Zion Branch big get for USC
3:20 p.m. – Score one for new USC head coach Lincoln Riley.
Las Vegas Bishop Gorman four-star safety Zion Branch has committed to USC, he announced Wednesday during National Signing Day. He called USC his “dream school” and his relationship with Riley when he was at Oklahoma also helped seal the deal.
Branch is the No. 52 prospect in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is ranked as the nation’s sixth safety.
Branch chose the Trojans over Oklahoma and Ohio State, joining Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei four-star wide receiver Raleek Brown and Las Vegas Bishop Gorman four-star cornerback Fabian Ross.
Alabama’s WR class gets boost from Shazz Preston
3:16 p.m. — Saint James, La., four-star wide receiver Shazz Preston announced Wednesday during national signing day his commitment to Alabama. His commitment bolsters an already monster offensive class for the Crimson Tide.
Preston is the No. 39 player in the country, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Preston also ranks as the No. 3 receiver and third-best player in Louisiana, per the On3 Consensus. On3 ranks Preston slightly lower. He is the No. 143 player in the country and No. 21 receiver, according to On3.
Preston is also a big recruiting W for the Crimson Tide against Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers.
Michigan lures Oregon’s No. 1 player to Ann Arbor
3:14 p.m. — Oregon’s top prospect is heading to the Great Lakes.
Portland (Ore.) Westview four-star wide receiver Darrius Clemons has committed to Michigan.
Clemons is the No. 98 overall player in the country, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. The 2022 On300 is higher on Clemons than the On3 Consensus, ranking Clemons at No. 47 in the nation.
It was originally believed that Clemons would be choosing between Auburn and Oregon, with the home-state Ducks believed to have the edge.
However, Mario Cristobal leaving Oregon for Miami changed everything for Clemons, and the Wolverines took advantage of the opportunity and made their move.
James Pearce commits to Tennessee Volunteers
3:08 p.m. — Four-star Charlotte (NC) Vance EDGE James Pearce has committed to Tennessee, he announced Wednesday afternoon on National Signing Day.
Pearce is the No. 189 prospect in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is ranked as the nation’s No. 16 EDGE and the No. 4 player in the state of North Carolina.
On3’s own rankings are significantly higher on Pearce than the rest of the industry, pegging him as the nation’s No. 57 prospect, No. 6 EDGE and No. 1 player in North Carolina.
The Vols have been on a major Signing Day roll and Pearce is another significant get for UT.
4-star Ephesians Prysock commits to Arizona Wildcats
3:04 p.m. — Four-star cornerback Ephesians Prysock of Mission Hills (Calif.) Bishop Alemany announced his commitment to Arizona on Signing Day. The 6-foot-3, 171-pound four-star prospect picked Arizona over offers from major programs like Ohio State, Notre Dame and USC.
At one point in the process, Ephesians Prysock was committed to the USC Trojans. Prysock chose the Trojans in September. He pledged to the Trojans despite USC’s firing of head coach Clay Helton just days earlier.
But Prysock later backed away from the pledge after Lincoln Riley was hired by the Trojans. He went on to take an official visit to Arizona on Dec. 10. The visit with the Wildcats was key in his decision.
More good news on way for Tennessee?
2:57 p.m. — After flipping four-star DL Tyree West from Georgia, On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons said more good news is on the way for Tennessee. There are several potential candidates that Simmons is talking about. But one name to keep an eye on might be Charlotte (N.C.) Vance four-star EDGE James Pierce. The Vols have been trending for Pearce, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
Nyjalik Kelly commits to Miami
2:53 p.m. — Miami scored another important local recruiting victory with the addition of four-star Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Dillard defensive lineman Nyjalik Kelly.
Kelly is the No. 100 prospect in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is ranked as the nation’s No. 14 defensive lineman and the No. 14 player in the state of Florida.
The 6-foot-4, 255-pounder chose the Hurricanes over more than 25 other offers, including Oregon, Florida, Florida State and others. He is the Miami’s seventh commit in the 2022 cycle, joining four-stars Khamauri Rogers, Chris Graves, Wesley Bissainthe, and three more commits rated in the top 350 nationally.
But maybe, more importantly, Kelly is a local target that could help Mario Cristobal get some momentum with other top South Florida targets.
WATCH: FSU fan goes scorched Earth after Travis Hunter flip
2:30 p.m. — The anger in “Fire Mike Norvell” group chat on Twitter Spaces has nothing on one Florida State fan. The fan, posting under the Twitter name Daniel J. Grant, shared a video of him burning his signed, and framed, Deion Sanders jersey.
The fan is apparently distraught over the Seminoles’ loss of the No. 1 cornerback prospect in the nation. Travis Hunter flipped his commitment from Deion Sanders’ alma mater FSU to Jackson State on Signing Day.
Alabama moves to No. 1 in On3 Consensus Team Ranking
2:15 p.m. — There’s a new No. 1 in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking – for now, at least.
After the addition of four-star defensive lineman Khurtiss Perry on Wednesday, the Alabama Crimson Tide has moved into the top spot in the team rankings ahead of Texas A&M and Georgia.
The Tide is No. 1 with a score of 94.517, while A&M is second with a score of 94.455 and Georgia is third with a score of 94.338.
With so many top players still on the board looking at both programs, especially Bama and A&M, there’s a chance this ranking will move a few more times today and multiple times until the February signing period.
So what you see now, might not be what you get later on down the road.
Wildcat coach has perfect analogy for Kiyaunta Goodwin’s situation
2:15 p.m. — This National Signing Day has been unlike any other for Kentucky football fans, particularly in the curious case of Kiyaunta Goodwin. While some fans were unprepared for this five-star roller coaster ride, Vince Marrow told On3’s Kentucky Sports Radio he is taking things in stride.
“You wanna mess with the big boys, you wanna recruit against the big boys, this is what happens,” Kentucky’s recruiting coordinator said on this morning’s Kentucky Sports Radio. “I feel good about what’s going to transpire.”
Of course, coaches cannot speak directly about players until they are officially signed with a team. However, Marrow shared an analogy that describes this situation well.
“You take a player and he’s been a great college athlete,” Marrow said. “He’s been dating this girl for four years, for three years. Then it’s time for him to get drafted. The week before he gets drafted, in comes some pretty girl he doesn’t even know, but she comes in and tells him that she loves him. If he falls for that, then he’s a fool because she just sees what you really all about now. She doesn’t know who you are when you guys were eating Ramen noodles and doing all this other stuff.”
Goodwin will wait until 5 p.m. ET to announce, he tweeted early Wednesday afternoon.
Kaden Helms to sign Thursday because of weather
2 p.m. — Rest easy Oklahoma fans. Kaden Helms isn’t having second thoughts. No, the four-star tight end from Bellevue (Neb.) West is waiting until Thursday to sign his national letter of intent with the Sooners. Helms, the No. 9 tight end in the country, said he had to delay signing because his school is closed because of inclement weather.
Penn State Class of 2022 superlatives
1:55 p.m. — Penn State is tracking to ink a top-10 Class of 2022 in the On3 Consensus team rankings.
The Nittany Lions’ latest signing group is made up of almost an even split between offense and defense. It also has players from multiple states and big-time stars plus underrated recruits. The program announced 23 signees on Wednesday morning to kick off the early signing period. There was even a surprise on Wednesday morning.
Blue-White Illustrated has provided complete coverage of the early signing day. Now, BWI highlights some parts of the 25-member class with BWI’s superlatives list. Read the full list from BWI.
5-star offensive tackle Kiyaunta Goodwin signing this evening
1:36 p.m. — Charlestown (Ind.) offensive tackle and Kentucky commit Kiyaunta Goodwin announced early his morning that he wasn’t ready to make his college decision between Michigan State and Kentucky. Just a few hours later, it appeared he had reversed course. Goodwin told 247Sports that he planned to decide at 3:30 p.m. ET between the Spartans and Wildcats. But now, Goodwin will wait until 5 p.m. ET to announce, he tweeted early Wednesday afternoon.
TMac not signing until later in the week
1:33 p.m. — Four-star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan of Anaheim (Calif.) Servite has decided not to sign his National Letter of Intent today. The Oregon commit is down to the Ducks and Arizona, according to Greg Biggins of 247 Sports. USC has also been recruiting him hard. McMillan has been a Duck commitment since early August.
“TMac,” as he is often called, was one of the crown jewels of an Oregon class that has been in the top 10 for much of the lead up to the start of the early signing period.
Jaden Harris fulfillsdream with Miami commit
1:30 p.m. — Atlanta Riverwood cornerback Jaden Harris grew up in Tampa Bay watching Ed Reed, Sean Taylor and Ray Lewis. Harris can add his own name to the history of Miami football as he committed to the Hurricanes over Georgia Tech, Kansas State and Missouri on the first day of the early signing period today.
“They had a little advantage, I grew up watching those guys and to me that culture is so real down there,” Harris told On3’s Jeremy Johnson. “They take footballs seriously. Even if they haven’t been winning and it hasn’t been what they wanted it to be, that was a place where me and my class and the next couple of classes could get Miami back to where it used to be. I really love everything about Miami.”
Azareye’h Thomas gives Florida State good news
1:25 p.m. – The Florida State Seminoles got a dose of much-needed Signing Day good news. After Five-Star Plus+ Travis Hunter dropped the Noles for Jackson State, four-star Niceville (Fla.) defensive back Azareye’h Thomas has committed to the Noles.
He chose Florida State over 31other offers, including Florida, Georgia Tech, LSU, and others. He is the Seminole’s No. 17commit in the 2022 cycle. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Thomas took official visits to Florida, Georgia Tech and LSU over the summer, as well as one to Oklahoma this fall.
Connecticut’s top prospect Brian Allen commits to Iowa
1:21 p.m. — Three-star defensive lineman Brian Allen — who is from Woodstock, Illinois, and plays for Oakdale (Conn.) St. Thomas More — has committed to Iowa.
The On3 Consensus – a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies – has Allen as the No. 637 overall player in the country, No. 72 defensive lineman in the nation and No. 1 player from the state of Connecticut.
Khurtiss Perry’s bond with Nick Saban was important in his decision
1:10 p.m. — Montgomery (Ala.) Park Crossing defensive lineman Khurtiss Perry started getting offers in the ninth grade. The 6-foot-2, 267-pound four-star has been going through the recruiting process for well over two years and he has found his future home.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban played a big role in Perry’s commitment. The No. 75 prospect in the On3 Consensus started that relationship a couple of years ago and that was important.
On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons has more details on the big Alabama commitment.
Updated top 15 team recruiting ranking
1 p.m. — Moves are happening all across the country that are impacting the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking. Here is the latest updated top 15 as of 1 p.m.
- Texas A&M
- Alabama
- Georgia
- Ohio State
- Texas
- Notre Dame
- Penn State
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- Clemson
- Michigan
- Kentucky
- Missouri
- Oregon
- LSU
With the loss of Travis Hunter, Florida State fell to the No. 18 spot.
Jaron Willis brings more South Georgia swagger to Ole Miss
12:50 p.m. — Ole Miss’s defense will have even more of a south Georgia swagger to it in the coming year with the commitment of Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County linebacker Jaron Willis.
“It’s basically what everyone says about us Georgia kids, we bring that thump and we bring that energy,” Willis told On3’s Jeremy Johnson. “You probably want to call us the crash dummies sometimes. It’s just that both OT and Mark have those characteristics in their games. They’ve already set the tone at Ole Miss. When I get there the coaches should already know what they’re getting in me.”
Read more about Willis and his Ole Miss pledge at this link.
WATCH: Travis Hunter’s elaborate reveal would make Deion Sanders proud
12:46 p.m. — Travis Hunter is electrifying on the field — but his elaborate National Signing Day reveal was can’t-miss. In-front of a raucous crowd, Hunter made it official — flipping from Florida State to join Deion Sanders at Jackson State.
First, Hunter threw an Auburn hat to the side — saying, “This hat looks real good, but that ain’t my choice.”
Then, Hunter picked up a Georgia hat and put it on, “It fit me well, but that’s the wrong one,” he stated, prior to tossing it off his head.
The volume of the crowd got louder, as Hunter reached for the Florida State hat. After originally announcing his intent to be a Seminoles star in March of 2020, Hunter shocked the world — trying on the hat, then throwing it into the crowd.
Finally, the energy was brought to a zenith. After all the theatrics, Hunter zipped off his sweatshirt to reveal a Jackson State shirt, as he put the school’s hat on his head. In the process, history was made.
You can watch the full reveal at this link.
Le’veon Moss officially on board with A&M
12:30 p.m. — Texas A&M fans worrying about four-star running back Le’veon Moss potentially flipping to LSU can now rest easy. The Aggies officially announced Moss as part of their signing class just minutes ago. The move locks up the No. 6 running back and the No. 87 player overall, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
5-star CB Denver Harris will not commit until Saturday
12:19 p.m. — Houston North Shore is having a national signing day ceremony this morning, but five-star cornerback Denver Harris will not be a part of it. Harris is electing to announce his decision after Houston North Shore’s state championship game Saturday.
The On3 Consensus – a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies – has Harris as the No. 17 overall player in the country.
Harris is likely to choose between Texas and Texas A&M. On3 National Recruiting Analyst Gerry Hamilton said Harris is a must-get recruit for the Longhorns.
Travis Hunter makes history with Jackson State switch
12:12 p.m. — Five-Star Plus+ Suwanee (Ga.) Collins Hill athlete Travis Hunter pulled off one of the biggest recruiting shockers ever on National Signing Day Wednesday.
Hunter announced on Instagram Live that he is flipping from Florida State, where he has been committed for more than 20 months, to FCS Jackson State and head coach Deion Sanders.
Hunter is the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
It’s one of the most historic Signing Day switches ever, per Charles Power, On3’s Director of Scouting and Rankings.
“Seeing the No. 1 prospect in the On3 Consensus sign with a FCS program is unprecedented. If you were to come up with the most wild storylines possible, this might be at the top. It’s obviously huge for Deion Sanders, Jackson State and HBCU football. Travis Hunter is one of the best high school football players I’ve ever seen. He’s a legitimate five-star talent at receiver and corner. It’s stunning.”
UGA 4-star EDGE commit Darris Smith will sign in February
11:57 a.m. — The expectation was that Baxley (Ga.) Appling County four-star EDGE Darris Smith would sign his National Letter of Intent on Wednesday to Georgia.
That will not be the case. Smith announced Wednesday he is going to be signing during the regular signing period in February so he will get the opportunity to sign with some of his teammates.
Travis Hunter set to shock college football
11:40 a.m. — Five-Star Plus+ Suwanee (Ga.) Collins Hill athlete Travis Hunter is reportedly pulling off one of the biggest recruiting shockers ever on National Signing Day.
Hunter is flipping from Florida State, where he has been committed for more than 20 months, to FCS Jackson State and head coach Deion Sanders. Yahoo! national college football writer Pete Thamel reported that the Florida State staff has been informed Hunter is going to Jackson State.
“The smoke is real,” On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons said. “It would be game-changing to see Jackson State come in and land one of the premier players I’ve ever covered. Hunter should be an instant star whenever he goes. He would put a lot of eyes on Jackson State and that football program.”
5-star Travis Hunter considering flip to Deion Sanders, Jackson State
11:20 a.m. —Five-Star Plus+ Suwanee (Ga.) Collins Hill athlete Travis Hunter is rumored to be pulling off one of the biggest recruiting shockers ever on National Signing Day.
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Multiple reports state that Hunter is leaning toward flipping from Florida State, where he has been committed for more than 20 months, to FCS Jackson State and head coach Deion Sanders. 247Sports’ Steve Wilftong and On3’s Jeremy Johnson are two that have reported these rumblings.
Hunter is the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
4-star LB Robert Woodyard flips to Auburn
11:18 a.m. — On3 Consensus four-star linebacker Robert Woodyard has flipped his commitment from Alabama to Auburn, according to Auburn Live’s Jeffrey Lee.
“I feel like Auburn is home for me,” Woodyard said. “I love it there. I love the coaches and what Coach (Bryan) Harsin is doing. I appreciate everything Alabama has done for me. They have great coaches and a great program, but I need to do what is best for me.”
4-star EDGE Dante Anderson commits to Florida State
11:05 a.m. — Homestead (Fla.) four-star EDGE Dante Anderson committed during National Signing Day on Wednesday to Florida State.
“First off I would like to thank my family — God, too — my coaches for this long, long journey,” Anderson said during his commitment ceremony. “It’s a blessing to be here.”
Former Clemson pledge Keon Sabb commits to Michigan
10:47 a.m. — Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star safety Keon Sabb has committed to Michigan, he tells On3. Sabb was previously committed to Clemson but decommitted the day after Brent Venables was hired by Oklahoma. Read more about the Signing Day switch.
Kentucky wins for 4-star DL Deone Walker
10:40 a.m. — Kentucky has landed four-star defensive lineman Deone Walker from out of the Detroit area. The main competition for Walker was Michigan. It’s a significant recruiting victory for the Wildcats and only bolsters’ their top 15 recruiting class. Read more on the commitment.
Huge in-state get for Brian Kelly, LSU
10:25 a.m. — Four-star Baton Rouge (La.) Madison Prep four-star defensive lineman Quency Wiggins has committed to LSU, he announced Wednesday on National Signing Day.
Wiggins is the No. 77 prospect in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He ranks as the nation’s No. 10 defensive lineman and the No. 7 prospect in Louisiana.
This is a major recruiting win for new LSU coach Brian Kelly, according to On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons.
“It’s a huge start for Brian Kelly,” Simmons said. “Wiggins wanted to stay home, and he loved what the new head coach in Baton Rouge had to say over the weekend.”
Michigan lands Louisiana 4-star WR
10:20 a.m. — Four-star WR Amorion Walker of Ponchatoula, La., has flipped his commitment from Notre Dame to Michigan. The 6-foot-2, 160-pound Walker has been trending toward the Wolverines over the past few days. The Wolverine has much more on Walker’s flip.
Clemson commit Jaren Kanak waiting?
10:15 a.m. — Four-star linebacker and longtime Clemson commitment Jaren Kanak appears to be having second thoughts. Clemson has announced 12 of its 13 commitments Wednesday morning, and Kanak is the only one missing.
Intel indicates that Kanak is having second thoughts and could end up with the Oklahoma Sooners.
Kanak was heavily recruited by former Clemson defensive coordinator and new OU head coach Brent Venables. He cited his relationship with Venables as the key reason behind his original commitment to the Tigers.
Terrance Brooks flips from Ohio State to Texas
10:10 a.m. — Four-star cornerback Terrance Brooks of Little Elm, Texas, spent most of the recruiting process as a longtime Ohio State commitment. But when it came time to put his name on the letter of intent, he ended up going in a different direction. Brooks becomes one of the center-piece defenders in the Texas Longhorns’ top-10 recruiting class. The decision by Brooks pushes Texas’ class to the No. 5 spot in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rank.
Kiyaunta Goodwin will sign after all?
10:05 a.m. — Five-star offensive tackle Kiyaunta Goodwin of Charlestown (Ind.) High originally announced Wednesday he will not be signing with anybody. However, according to a report from 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong, Goodwin will announce between Michigan State and Kentucky at 3:30 p.m. You can read more on this developing story at this link.
Huskers lose longtime commitment
10 a.m. — Grant Page, a longtime Nebraska Cornhusker commitment, flipped to in-state Colorado on Signing Day. The No. 4 player in Colorado, Page originally committed to Nebraska and had remained on board since June. The decision puts Nebraska with 10 commits on Signing Day. The move puts CU with the No. 58 class in the country and ninth in the Pac 12.
NC State starts day with 4-star signing
9:41 a.m. — NC State started Signing Day off with some major news — On3 four-star offensive lineman Jacarrius Peak announced he was signing with the Wolfpack. The Wolfpacker has insight into why Peak is a major get for NC State.
Vols land 4-star DL Tyre West
9:35 a.m. — On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons said in his latest intel that it was happening and it did. Four-star defensive lineman Tyre West has flipped his commitment from Georgia to Tennessee. This is a major defensive line get for the Vols, Simmons said.
Simmons said the Vols “closed great on this one late.” Florida State previously had the momentum with West.
Updated top 15 team recruiting ranking
9:30 a.m. — Moves are happening all across the country that are impacting the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking. Here is the latest updated top 15 as of 9:30 a.m.
- Texas A&M
- Georgia
- Alabama
- Ohio State
- Notre Dame
- Texas
- Penn State
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- Clemson
- Florida State
- Michigan
- Missouri
- Kentucky
- Oregon
Devin Brown gives Ohio State confident 2022 quarterback
9:20 a.m. — A year-and-a-half of recruiting twists and turns led Ohio State to quarterback Devin Brown. Brown, a big-time quarterback talent with a unique tie to former Buckeyes quarterback Joe Germaine, is now officially in the 2022 recruiting class for Ryan Day.
Lettermen Row’s Jeremy Birmingham has a great look at the Buckeyes’ star quarterback signing.
More good news on way for Texas?
9:15 a.m. — On3 National Recruiting Analyst Gerry Hamilton says he’s getting intel the Texas Longhorns could flip two more players that are committed to other programs today. The report comes after the Longhorns got three-star CB Xavion Brice to flip his pledge from Oklahoma on Wednesday.
Austin Westlake EDGE Ethan Burke flips from Michigan to Texas
9 a.m. — After a late intense push from the hometown Texas Longhorns, Austin Westlake EDGE Ethan Burke flipped from Michigan to UT on early National Signing Day on Wednesday. Hudson Standish of Inside Texas has more on the four-star flip.
Nation’s No. 1 QB Cade Klubnik signs with Clemson
8:55 a.m. — It is officially, official. The Clemson Tigers have signed the nation’s top quarterback Cade Klubnik of Austin (Texas) Westlake. The five-star signal-caller is also a serious candidate for the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect in the final rankings update from On3.
When speaking with Clemson Sports a few weeks ago, Klubnik had the following to say about becoming a Tiger at the next level.
“I’d say I’m thankful for a lot of things when it comes to Clemson,” Klubnik said. “But the thing I’m most thankful for is that during the transition of having to move from Texas where all my family and friends are, and move to South Carolina, I couldn’t be more at peace knowing I’m moving into the most loving, family-like atmosphere of any college team in the nation.”
Texas A&M passes UGA, Alabama for No. 1
8:55 a.m. — The addition of four-star tight end Jake Johnson of Bogart (Ga.) Oconee County on Wednesday morning pushed the Texas A&M recruiting class into the No. 1 spot in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking.
The Aggies entered Wednesday No. 3 behind Georgia and Alabama. But the gap was narrow enough that one piece to the class was able to push A&M to the top spot overall.
The Aggies don’t appear to be done either. On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons shared the latest intel on top uncommitted recruits that are expected to sign today and it’s news that A&M fans will like with some top targets.
4-star EDGE DeSean Brown commits to Oklahoma State
8:50 a.m. — Four-star Choctaw (Okla.) EDGE DeSean Brown has committed to Oklahoma State, he announced on Wednesday.
Brown is the No. 376 prospect in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is ranked as the nation’s No. 32 EDGE and the No. 10 player in the state of Oklahoma. On3’s own rankings peg Brown as the nation’s No. 215 prospect, No. 21 EDGE and No. 7 player in Oklahoma.
Xavion Brice flips from OU to Texas
8:45 a.m. — Arlington (Texas) Seguin four-star cornerback Xavion Brice is signing with the Texas Longhorns instead of the Oklahoma Sooners on Wednesday. The On3 Consensus three-star cornerback originally committed to the Sooners on July 4. But with the coaching change in Norman and a new focus from the Longhorns, he decided to pick Texas on Wednesday.
Miami keeps major target Chris Graves
8:40 a.m. — Mario Cristobal had numerous recruits on campus over the weekend and one of those was four-star cornerback Chris Graves. The 6-foot, 173-pounder has been committed to Miami since July, but with the coaching change, he entered the visit thinking he would not sign early. Coming out of the visit, Graves is feeling differently.
“I will be signing Wednesday at my high school,” Graves told On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons. “I loved the visit with coach Cristobal. He is a real dude and all he knows is winning.
Read more about this important Miami signing at this link.
4-star LB Jaishawn Barham flips from South Carolina to Maryland
8:32 a.m. — Maryland has flipped On3 Consensus four-star linebacker, Jaishawn Barham of District Heights (Md.), St. Frances Academy four days after he announced an original commitment to South Carolina.
Barham ranks as the No. 3 player in Maryland, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 160 player overall.
New information on Tyre West
8:30 a.m. — On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons shared the latest intel on top uncommitted recruits that are expected to sign today. One of the more interesting developments is with Tyre West.
Simmons reported that an SEC program has “closed this one late.” Florida State previously had the momentum with the Georgia defensive line commitment.
You can read the latest intel from Simmons by going to this link.
Kiyaunta Goodwin not ready to sign
8:25 a.m. — Five-star offensive tackle Kiyaunta Goodwin of Charlestown (Ind.) High announced Wednesday that he will not be signing with anybody. He said his two finalists are Michigan State and Kentucky. Goodwin has been committed to the Wildcats since April. You can read more on this developing story at this link.
Aggies land elite TE Jake Johnson
8:20 a.m. — Texas A&M is expected to sign a historic class this cycle, and one player most did not expect to be in it a few days ago was Jake Johnson.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound four-star tight end out of Bogart (Ga.) Oconee County was a longtime LSU commitment before reopening his recruitment on December 7.
Johnson quietly explored his options and the No. 69 prospect in the On3 Consensus and has committed to Aggies on Signing Day.
Read more about the Aggies’ major Signing Day commitment here at this link.
Simmons drops scoop on Marvin Jones Jr., Anthony Lucas
8:15 a.m. — Early Wednesday morning, On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons shared the latest intel on top uncommitted recruits that are expected to sign today.
The headliner in Simmons’ scoop was five-star EDGE and On3’s No. 1 player Marvin Jones Jr. Simmons said he put in a UGA prediction for Jones at 50%, even though Florida State and Alabama have not gone away.
Simmons also said he feels good about A&M’s chances with five-star defensive lineman Anthony Lucas.
He also has new intel on Deyon Bouie, Denver Harris and big developments on five-star offensive tackle Kiyaunta Goodwin.
You can read the latest intel from Simmons by going to this link.
Quinn Ewers officially a Longhorn
8 a.m. — As reported this past weekend, the Texas Longhorns have added five-star quarterback Quinn Ewers as a transfer from Ohio State. Ewers announced his transfer to the Forty Acres two days ago, and it helped spark a big run for offensive linemen in the Longhorns’ 2022 recruiting class. Ewers was the No. 1 recruit in the 2021 recruiting cycle after reclassifying from the 2022 class this past fall.
Florida Gators land 4-star safety Devin Moore
7:50 a.m. — Naples (Fla.) safety Devin Moore has committed to Florida, he announced Wednesday morning in a ceremony at his high school.
Moore is the No. 186 prospect in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He ranks as the nation’s No. 13 safety and the No. 24 prospect in Florida.
Moore chose the Gators over Notre Dame, who he decommitted from two weeks ago following Brian Kelly’s departure to LSU.
On3’s Keegan Pope has more about the big get for the Gators at this link.
Key pieces already in for Ohio State, UGA
7:45 a.m. — More five stars have made it official as Ohio State announces linebacker that C.J. Hicks is on board. Hicks is a major part of Ohio State’s fourth-ranked recruiting class.
Five-star defensive lineman Mykel Williams has also already signed with Georgia. The Dawgs have the No. 1 class heading into Signing Day.
No surprises for Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy
7:40 a.m. – Oklahoma fans hoping for a last-minute change of heart had their dreams crushed early on Wednesday, as five-star defensive lineman Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy is officially on board with Texas A&M.
Brownlow-Dindy was originally committed to OU, but he backed away from the Sooners after the coaching change in Norman. Now, Brownlow-Dindy is a huge part of the A&M class that entered Signing Day as the No. 3 class in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking.
Penn State gets its quarterback
7:35 a.m. — The quarterback of the future has officially arrived in Happy Valley. Five-star quarterback Drew Allar of Medina, Ohio, has officially put his name on the Nittany Lion letter of intent.
Allar, who is 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, is the No. 24 player in the county, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He also ranks as the No. 2 quarterback overall and the No. 3 player in Ohio.
Allar owns the Medina (Ohio) County record for career touchdown passes and had a career-high 523 yards in a game during his senior season.
A lot of eyes on Clemson
7:30 a.m. — Because of the massive assistant coaching changes, Signing Day might be a little bit different than normal at Clemson.
Nonetheless, the Tigers enter Wednesday with the No. 10 class in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking and also with a lot of questions to still be answered. Clemson fans can turn to Clemson Sports’ Signing Day Headquarters for all the details about the Tigers’ big day.
Auburn could have big day, too
7:20 a.m. — The Auburn Tigers are in a spot to flip some names and also land some big targets on Signing Day. The Tigers enter Signing Day with the No. 19 class, and it will be interesting to see where they land by the end of the day. Auburn fans can turn to Auburn Live’s wall-to-wall coverage of Signing Day for all the latest details.
Early returns coming in
7:15 a.m. — The signings are already starting to flood in across the Eastern Time Zone. Here’s a sampling of some of the first players to officially join their school’s 2022 class.
Alabama could have big day
6:10 a.m. — Alabama has the No. 2 class heading into Signing Day, and to help to keep Crimson Tide fans covered throughout the day, On3 Fan Site Alabama BCS has wall-to-wall coverage. You can log on to BCS Alabama’s National Signing Day HQ for all the scoop and details throughout the day.
Where is Marvin Jones leaning?
6 a.m. — The battle to land the No. 1 player in the country, according On3, has gotten quite interesting. On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons reports Georgia is a real threat to land five-star EDGE Marvin Jones Jr.
“I am hearing Georgia has the edge as we get ready to enter the early signing period,” Simmons reported. “He has had multiple conversations with the Georgia staff today, including head coach Kirby Smart. Jones has also spoken with Georgia commits about his interest in the Bulldogs.”
But this one doesn’t appear to be a done deal quite yet. Simmons has more details – plus scoop on Cyrus Moss, Kendrick Law, Earnest Greene and DJ Wesolak – in his latest recruiting intel piece from Tuesday evening. You can read it by following this link.
Fake UCLA coach offering recruits ahead of Early Signing Period
1 a.m. — National Signing Day brings some crazy stories across the country with recruits making big-time commitments or flipping from one school to another. However, this one might be the most unreal, and cruel, story of them all.
Jacob Allen, a 2022 outside linebacker out of First Baptist Academy in Naples, Florida, sent out a warning to fellow recruits that there is a fake UCLA Bruins coach sending out offers. He sent out a warning and exposed the number claiming to work for the Bruins.
According to Bruin Report Online, UCLA is “doing what it can to lessen the damage and identify the fake coach perpetrator.
Read more about the fake Bruin coach making offers here at this link.
Georgia enters Signing Day with No. 1 class
12:30 a.m. — Heading into Signing Day, there is some drama as to who will end the day with the top-ranked recruiting class.
As of 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, the Georgia Bulldogs have the No. 1 class with a score of 94.695. The Dawgs’ class is slightly ahead of Alabama at 94.541 and Texas A&M at 94.464.
All of the On3 recruiting analysts agree that it will be one of those three teams that end the day with the No. 1 class. However, as Gerry Hamilton points out, there are still a solid group of targets that are waiting things out.
“What you see now might not be what you see in February,” Hamilton said.
Here’s a look at the current On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rank Top 10:
5-star Kiyaunta Goodwin down to UK, Michigan State
12:15 a.m. — Charlestown (Ind.) five-star offensive tackle and Kentucky commit Kiyaunta Goodwin will be choosing between the Wildcats and Michigan State for his final college decision.
Goodwin took visits to both teams, as well as Alabama, Florida State, Michigan and Texas A&M, during the fall season. On3’s Peter Warren breaks down the latest news with a decision coming at 8:15 a.m. ET.
Keep an eye on Florida for Shemar James
12:05 a.m. — On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons says Florida is a school to keep an eye on with On3 Consensus four-star linebacker Shemar James of Mobile (Ala.) Faith Academy.
“Alabama and Georgia have been thought to be his favorites heading into the early signing period, but I am hearing more and more about the Gators still being in this.”
Simmons has more details in his latest recruiting intel piece from Tuesday evening. You can read it by following this link.
Wild stories the norm on Signing Day
12 a.m. — Many of the stories college football coaches tell about the drama surrounding national Signing Day seem too good to be true. But when dealing with 17- and 18-year-old high school football players, they often are. It’s why Signing Day has become one of the biggest spectacles in college athletics. Fans love every second of it, but coaches have learned to expect the unexpected.
“You show up about 6 in the morning,” former Colorado and Northwestern head coach Gary Barnett said. “You’ll get a letter of intent, and everybody is hooting and hollering. But it’s the ones that don’t come through that make Signing Day one of the most difficult days ever to be a football coach. You just have to prepare yourself to know that anything that could go wrong often does.”
Nothing exemplifies that statement more than the Jonathan Colon recruiting saga that unfolded on Feb. 2, 2000. Before that, recruiting wasn’t as mainstream as it is today. There weren’t websites dedicated to the topic and limitless information on social media. But Colon’s story stoked national interest when he took Florida and Miami fans on a wild ride for two weeks.
The heralded 6-foot-7, 300-pound offensive tackle prospect from Miami Central had committed to Miami on two separate occasions. He also pledged to Florida twice prior to Signing Day. When it came time to sign his letter of intent, Colon signed with both the Hurricanes and the Gators.
The NCAA permits a prospect to sign just one LOI, and in the unique event two are signed, the earlier one is binding. Colon signed Miami’s first and then later signed Florida’s during a news conference.
So, he was a Hurricane, right? Case closed.
Not quite.
Things took a bizarre twist when Colon’s mother, Neida, told the Miami Herald that a woman who called herself “Coach Squeak” and who she assumed represented Miami came to their house the night before with scholarship papers.
Neida was nervous her son might lose his chance at a scholarship if she didn’t sign the papers, so she did, not realizing it was a letter of intent.
It was later revealed that Erica Baker, a coach at Miami Central, brought the papers to the Colon house and faxed them to Miami early on Signing Day. NCAA rules backed then stated a school can only deliver letters of intent by mail. After then-Florida coach Steve Spurrier appealed to the NCAA, the letter to Miami was voided and Colon officially joined the Gators’ 2000 class.
In another first, Alex Collins, then a star running back from South Plantation, Fla., turned Signing Day upside down in 2013 when his mother, Andrea McDonald, refused to sign his letter with Arkansas.
There have been countless situations in which parents or the players themselves have gotten cold feet on Signing Day and reversed course. But in Collins’ case, sources said McDonald ran away with her son’s letter of intent and went missing for hours.
Now retired Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson, who was interviewed on ESPNU after the Collins news broke, snickered when asked if he’d ever experienced something like that before.
“I don’t know if I’ve heard of anyone running away with the papers,” Johnson said. “But certainly, there are some funny stories with recruiting and it’s getting nuttier and nuttier as we go each year.”
Nearly 24 hours later, Collins finally signed with Arkansas with his father, aunt and grandmother at his side. His mother wanted him to stay close to home and sign with Miami, a school he had made an earlier commitment to. But Collins wanted to do his own thing.
“She just wanted to make sure I was making the right decision,” said Collins, who went on to have an excellent career at Arkansas and is now with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL. “She was concerned about me being so far away from home and how I could handle it.”
These situations serve as reminders to coaches to prepare for the unexpected. After all the letters, calls, talks with parents and visits to campus, you can never truly predict what might happen on Signing Day.
So, hold on to your hat, college football fans. It’s time to buckle up for a wild Wednesday.
Georgia gets head start
3:43 p.m. Tuesday — Signing Day got an early start for the Georgia Bulldogs on Tuesday. The Dawg had their first player put pen to paper at 4:43 p.m. ET.
How might you ask? Well, it’s possible if you are signing a player from across the world, and it’s the next day overseas. In Georgia’s case, that would be 2022 punter Brett Thorson out of Melbourne, Australia and Pro Kick Australia. Georgia Football made his signing official with an announcement on Twitter.
DawgsHQ has more details on the signing from the Land Down Under.