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.


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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

Big Ten College Football Recruiting: Team Rankings, Top Players, Biggest Strengths, What’s Missing

How did all of the Big Ten teams do in the 2021 recruiting season? The Big Ten recruiting rankings, stars, top players, biggest strengths.

How did all of the Big Ten teams do this recruiting season? Here are the recruiting rankings for the conference, along with the stars for each team, top players, and biggest strengths.


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2021 Big Ten Recruiting Rankings, Breakdown

No, really. How good were the Big Ten classes this 2021 recruiting season?

Big Ten East

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

It might not be the nation’s best recruiting class, but in a horseshoes-and-hand-grenades sort of way, it’s in the discussion with the Alabamas, Georgias and Oregons of the world – that’s all that matters. As always, the Buckeyes are getting a slew of guys making a stop-over in Columbus on their way to the NFL.

If Emeka Egbuka isn’t the nation’s best receiver prospect, he’s close. If Jack Sawyer isn’t the best defensive end, if Donovan Jackson isn’t the best offensive guard, and if Kyle McCord isn’t the best quarterback – and on and on – they’re all close.

2. Michigan Wolverines

Dog Jim Harbaugh and his era all you want, but recruiting hasn’t been an issue. Yeah, on the field and in the recruiting game, Michigan isn’t Ohio State, but that’s not quite a fair comparison even though beating that program is what matters. The Wolverines got their stars for the backfield in QB JJ McCarthy and RB Donovan Edwards, the O line gets were excellent, and it’s a strong overall class full of depth, versatility and talent.

3. Penn State Nittany Lions

Flip a coin or the third spot between Penn State and Maryland. The Terps got more quantity to go along with a few top-shelf parts, but Penn State got a few more big-time prospects. There isn’t a Micah Parsons or Devyn Ford type of elite guys, but there are a few who are close enough to be All-Big Ten difference-makers.


2021 Big Ten Recruiting
Big Ten West Rankings | Every Team’s Star
Class Strengths | What’s Missing
2021 All-Big Ten Recruiting Team


4. Maryland Terrapins

There were a few pickups for the offensive side, but this class is about defense, defense and defense. Head coach Mike Locksley was known for being a top-shelf recruiter when Maryland hired him, and he’s starting to change the talent level with a strong class last year and a fantastic one this season. He and his staff went hard after the star linebackers – getting Terrence Lewis and Branden Jennings out of Florida was massive.

5. Michigan State Spartans

Ehhhh, okay. It’s a recruiting class – no more, no less. Michigan State always went with a recruit-to-a-type thing under Mark Dantonio, and it all worked out just fine. Can Mel Tucker start to get the bigger prospects as he goes forward? The problem isn’t getting the guys to compete with Ohio State and Michigan – it’s getting the guys to compete with what Maryland is bringing in.

6. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

It’s not a stretch to call this the program’s best recruiting class in at least ten years, maybe more. It helps that it’s a big class full of commitments, but Greg Schiano is getting some real, live talents, too. He didn’t exactly put a fence around New Jersey, but he landed nine in-state players – getting LB Khayri Banton was big – but it’s not about getting a lot of local guys, it’s about getting the right ones.

7. Indiana Hoosiers

Even with the recent success, Indiana is never going to battle with Ohio State  and Michigan for the star recruits. However, there isn’t any one area that’s all that special – except for, potentially, receiver – and there aren’t a whole lot of stars. If Donaven McCulley really is the next great quarterback, then the class works, but there’s not a lot for the lines to build around.

Big Ten West Rankings
Every Team’s Star Recruit
Recruiting Class Strengths
What’s Missing From Each Recruiting Class
2021 All-Big Ten Recruiting Team

NEXT: Big Ten West Recruiting Rankings