Recruiting 2021: 5 Things That Matter After National Signing Day

5 observations and things that matter after the 2021 recruiting season and National Signing Day are over.

5 observations and things that matter after the 2021 recruiting season and National Signing Day are over.


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

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Now that it’s all over, what mattered about National Signing Day 2021 and the entire recruiting period coming off the weirdest possible season?

Here are five observations and things that matter – especially if you don’t care about recruiting.

5. Yes, National Signing Day was last Wednesday

You can be forgiven if you didn’t notice that the first Wednesday in February passed without you noticing any sizable changes in your world.

There used to be a time when that date meant something to college football fans looking for something to care about in the middle of a random weeks, and was a national holiday for the fetish crowd that gets WAYYYYYYY to into the college whims of teenage guys.

But that’s all changed, and it’s good thing.

As a friend of mine put it, now it goes Early Signing Period > Transfer Portal > National Signing Day.

And that was what made the 2021 recruiting season so strange. The Early Signing Period in late December has destroyed the February National Signing Day, mainly because everyone signs on as soon as they’re able to.


2021 Recruiting
Coaching Changes & 2021 Recruiting
New Schools In The Mix | The Top Position
Alabama Dunked On Your Recruiting Class
Big Ten | Big 12 | SEC


(Why the superstar recruits don’t hold out until the last possible second as the value goes up and the “offers” become more tasty is beyond me – but that’s for another day.)

This year, though, late December meant something beyond the random bowl games, which meant that college football fans had to care about how the extended season ended, which meant that random interest in recruiting was next to nothing.

Coaches and recruiters couldn’t work like normal in the COVID year, there wasn’t a Terrelle Pryor or Justin Fields or Rashan Gary or Jadeveon Clowney who captured the recruiting world’s imagination, and there’s the one big aspect that has totally killed interest in recruiting …

Who cares about a bunch of questionable prospects who may or may not be worth the trouble when you can go get the guys you need in the transfer portal?

But recruiting still matters, especially at the highest level. Now, it’s a strength in numbers game considering so many players will be off to the transfer portal the second they see where they are on the depth chart. Obviously, the more great recruits you get, the more chances that a few will work out.

At the end of the day, whether recruiting has lost its mojo or not, you still need the guys.

Coaching Changes & 2021 Recruiting
New Schools In The Mix | The Top Position
Alabama Dunked On Your Recruiting Class

NEXT: The coaching changes in this weird year

Recruiting 2021: 5 Teams Crushing It This Recruiting Season

Who’s having a big recruiting season? Here are five teams and head coaches doing a fantastic job in 2021 after a mediocre 2020.

Who’s having a big recruiting season? Here are five teams and head coaches doing a fantastic job in 2021 after a mediocre 2020.


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

You know who has the top 2021 recruiting classes without even looking.

If you guessed Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, and a whole slew of SEC schools, you’re right. But there are always schools who surprise in the process and come up with big, important classes that can shape a program and future conference races.

Sometimes the class looks good because of bulk signings, sometimes it’s talent, and sometimes it’s a good blend of both.

Here are five programs bringing in somewhat surprising classes to be among the best – even if they aren’t pushing Alabama – of the 2021 recruiting season.

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5. Pitt Panthers

The ACC is Clemson’s show and everyone else is a guest – especially with Florida State having a rough time getting this recruiting thing going again – but North Carolina has been excellent with Mack Brown back and Miami is putting together a fantastic 2021 haul.

Suddenly, Pitt is right there knocking on the door with a potential top 5 – or better – ACC class.

Pitt usually comes up with decent classes, but it almost never gets the top tier talents who have their choice of any program. However, when you have one of the most devastating pass rushes in college football over the last few years, top defensive linemen will notice you.

2021 Pitt Schedule Analysis, Best & Worst Scenarios

It helps to pump up that Pitt is Aaron Donald’s school, and it doesn’t hurt a class when his nephew – Elliot Donald – signs on. He’s not alone with a few other fantastic prospects coming in for the D line to go along with talent for the offensive front.

Depth and bulk play a factor here. Pitt needed to load up on recruits, but there’s quality to go along with the quantity.

And, yeah, it got another Donald at defensive tackle.

NEXT: Missouri Tigers

Recruiting 2021: 5 Teams Crushing It This Recruiting Season

Who’s having a big recruiting season? Here are five teams and head coaches doing a fantastic job in 2021 after a mediocre 2020.

Who’s having a big recruiting season? Here are five teams and head coaches doing a fantastic job in 2021 after a mediocre 2020.


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

You know who has the top 2021 recruiting classes without even looking.

If you guessed Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, and a whole slew of SEC schools, you’re right. But there are always schools who surprise in the process and come up with big, important classes that can shape a program and future conference races.

Sometimes the class looks good because of bulk signings, sometimes it’s talent, and sometimes it’s a good blend of both.

Here are five programs bringing in somewhat surprising classes to be among the best – even if they aren’t pushing Alabama – of the 2021 recruiting season.

[jwplayer cmV7bq8V]

5. Pitt Panthers

The ACC is Clemson’s show and everyone else is a guest – especially with Florida State having a rough time getting this recruiting thing going again – but North Carolina has been excellent with Mack Brown back and Miami is putting together a fantastic 2021 haul.

Suddenly, Pitt is right there knocking on the door with a potential top 5 – or better – ACC class.

Pitt usually comes up with decent classes, but it almost never gets the top tier talents who have their choice of any program. However, when you have one of the most devastating pass rushes in college football over the last few years, top defensive linemen will notice you.

2021 Pitt Schedule Analysis, Best & Worst Scenarios

It helps to pump up that Pitt is Aaron Donald’s school, and it doesn’t hurt a class when his nephew – Elliot Donald – signs on. He’s not alone with a few other fantastic prospects coming in for the D line to go along with talent for the offensive front.

Depth and bulk play a factor here. Pitt needed to load up on recruits, but there’s quality to go along with the quantity.

And, yeah, it got another Donald at defensive tackle.

NEXT: Missouri Tigers