Tag: early signing day

USC football 2024 signing day tracker

Get the full Class of 2024 #USC signees here.

It’s that time of year. ‘Tis the season for signing recruits. You have known for some time which players USC football is bringing into the 2024 class, but signing day marks the jump from a verbal commitment to an official signing, locking in these players at USC for the 2024 season. These players will be involved in spring practice and will be part of a new approach from head coach Lincoln Riley in which defense and toughness will be more central to USC’s operations. The deficiencies and imbalances of past seasons have led Riley in a different direction. Now we will see how serious Riley is about implementing that stated approach, and how competent Riley is in executing that plan.

These new recruits will also receive the distinction of being USC’s first Big Ten recruiting class. Every game they play for USC will be part of the Trojans’ Big Ten era.

Without further ado, here is USC’s signing day tracker for the Class of 2024. All players listed below have officially signed with USC, and we’ll update the list with each new signing:

5 Alabama football early signees who are being undervalued

These five signees are being undervalued by most

Wednesday’s early signing day brought a lot of drama for fans around the country, but for the most part, it was business as usual for [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Most of Alabama’s signees were already committed to the Tide before signing day, but the flips of running back Kevin Riley and athlete Aeryn Hampton were pleasant surprises for Alabama fans.

As the dust settles from Wednesday’s excitement, we now have a clear look at the freshman class for the Crimson Tide. While quarterback Julian Sayin and athlete Jaylen Mbakwe will steal most of the attention, there are a handful of signees who are being undervalued by most.

Here are a few that stand out:

Where does the Aggies’ 2024 recruiting class rank in the SEC and nationally?

As the Early Signing Day period comes to a close for 2023, it’s time to see where the Aggies’ 2024 class ranks among SEC foes and nationally.

As the Early Signing Day period comes to a close for 2023, it’s time to see where Texas A&M‘s 2024 class ranks among Southeastern Conference rivals and nationally.

After having the No. 1 recruiting class in 2022, Mike Elko has set the bar high for his first haul of prospects as Aggies head coach. Texas A&M ranks in the top 20 nationally according to the three most prominent college sports media and data companies.

The highest nationwide ranking comes from On3 Sports, which has the Aggies slotted at No. 12 in the country. 247Sports has Texas A&M at No. 17 and Rivals ranks the Aggies at No. 19 nationally. Among SEC foes, On3 and Rivals have Texas A&M ranked No. 7 while 247 slotted the Aggies at No. 9.

Texas A&M has signed 16 total recruits, most of which are four-star prospects. The list of signees includes Papa Ahfua, Ernest Campbell, Myles Davis, Dealyn Evans, Ashton Funk, Blake Ivy, Kendall Jackson, Tristan Jernigan, Eric Karner, Jordan Lockhart, Miles O’Neill, Jordan Pride, Izaiah Williams and Solomon Williams.

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2024 4-star DL Dealyn Evans signs with Texas A&M over Texas and Florida

Evans verbally committed to the Aggies on July 31, 2022. He was primarily recruited by Elijah Robinson, who is departing soon for Syracuse.

Patience is a virtue and a prominent Texas A&M recruit emphasized that point across Instagram Live on Friday night.

4-star defensive lineman Dealyn Evans told the world that he would be making his decision on where to play college football on Friday at 5 p.m. CT. With over a thousand people tuned in, Evans pulled off the ultimate troll move, all in good fun, of course.

“It’s been a tough decision, but I feel like some things just need to wait,” Evans initially said on Instagram, indicating that he would be waiting until Feb. 7 to officially sign somewhere.

Minutes later, Evans officially revealed his decision to those still tuned in, announcing that he would be signing with the Aggies over The University of Texas and Florida among others.

Evans verbally committed to play at Texas A&M on July 31, 2022. He was primarily recruited by Elijah Robinson, who is departing after the Texas Bowl to become defensive coordinator at Syracuse, which left his signing status up in the air.

The 6-foot-4 1/2, 260-pound prospect had major interest in the Longhorns program and visited three other universities: Alabama, Florida and TCU. During his Gainsville visit with the Gators, he was recruited by Sean Spencer, who recently became the Aggies’ new defensive line coach.

Evans is set to graduate in the spring from Pine Tree High School in Longview, Texas. He had 23 total offers and other notable schools include Auburn, Baylor, Houston, LSU, Michigan, Oregon, SMU, UTSA, USC and Washington.

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SEC football recruiting rankings following early signing day

Updated SEC football recruiting rankings following early signing day

Early signing day has come and gone and Wednesday delivered some intense moments for coaches, fans, and analysis around the country awaiting the decisions of some of the top prospects for the 2024 recruiting cycle.

The SEC once again flexed its muscles with 13 of the 16 schools finishing inside the top 25 of the 247Sports Composite Team Rankings.

For [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and the Alabama Crimson Tide, it was business as usual as Saban and his staff once again hauled in one of the nation’s top classes.

Now that the dust has settled, let’s take a look at the SEC football recruiting rankings following early signing day.

4-star WR Izaiah Williams flips from Florida and signs with Texas A&M

4-star wide receiver Izaiah Williams announced today on Instagram his decision to flip his commitment from Florida to sign with the Aggies.

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko held a press conference on Wednesday evening to recap what had been an eventful first day of the early signing period for Class of 2024 recruits.

Elko was a couple of minutes late to the 5 p.m. CT gathering because he was glued to his phone, tuned in on Instagram Live. To say his time was well spent is an understatement.

Elko and thousands of others tuned in to hear 4-star wide receiver Izaiah Williams announce his decision to flip his commitment from Florida and sign with Texas A&M.

“What really stood out to me with Texas A&M is the vision they have,” Williams told Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports. “I feel my skill set best aligns with their program to be successful. They have key components that will help develop me not only as a player but as a person as well.”

Williams is listed at 6-foot and 175 pounds from Carrollwood Day High School in Zephyrhills, Fla. Zephyrhills is a suburb of Tampa and Izaiah is 1-of-2 prospects from the Tampa area with the Williams last name to sign with the Aggies on Wednesday, joining 4-star edge rusher Solomon Williams.

Izaiah originally committed to the Gators program Cinco de Mayo but received an official offer from Texas A&M on Oct. 20. The rest, as they say, is history.

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4-star OL Blake Ivy signs with Texas A&M over LSU and Texas

Aggies head coach Mike Elko has ensured in recent days that no matter who starts under center at QB next year, they will be well-protected.

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko has ensured in recent days that no matter who starts under center for the Aggies next season, they will be well-protected.

Freshman All-SEC offensive lineman Chase Bisontis withdrew his name from the NCAA Transfer Portal on Tuesday. The early signing period opened Wednesday and three 4-star offensive linemen put pen to paper and committed to Texas A&M, beginning with Ashton Funk and Papa Ahfua.

The third pass protector to sign his name on the dotted line is Blake Ivy. The 6-foot-3 1/2, 280-pound offensive tackle hails from Clear Springs High School in League City, Texas.

Ivy verbally committed to the Aggies on Aug. 19. He had 18 total offers and took respective visits to Texas A&M, LSU and Texas.

“I appreciate everyone coming out and supporting me today. I know it’s early and you had a lot of things you could do but y’all are here, so I appreciate that,” Ivy said in August. “I would like to first start by giving thanks to God for blessing me with the ability and talents to take this game and use it as a tool to better my future. To my family, for all the unconditional love and support throughout my life and my football journey. To my mom, for bringing me into this world and raising me to be the man I am today. Even though it always wasn’t easy, for believing in me, seeing the best in me and sacrificing to get things that we need and want, even though it wasn’t always easy.

“To my dad for stepping into my life, when my biological father didn’t want to be there. For showing me what a real man looks like protecting and providing for his family and for teaching me valuable lessons that I will take with me in my next chapter in life. Thank you to all the coaches and teammates for bringing the best out of me every day and helping me get to where I am today. I want to thank all the college coaches who saw something in me, giving me a chance to play for their team and be a part of their family.

“With that being said, I will be attending Texas A&M University.”

https://www.youtube.com/live/8IRdy7hkHBw?si=o2Zl_6xk4DtamgUf&t=1260

Other notable schools that offered Ivy include Baylor, Florida, Houston, Missouri, Ole Miss, SMU, TCU, Texas Tech, UTSA and Vanderbilt.

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Texas Tech among the big winners of early signing day

Not a bad way to finish out the 2023 season.

It was quite a day for Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire and his staff after they signed a top-25 class. The only class among the best teams in the country for the Big 12.

Paul Myerberg pointed out Texas Tech among the winners which includes Alabama, Nebraska, and Ohio State.

The Red Raiders inked a pretty eye-opening group thanks in large part to five-star wide receiver Micah Hudson, the highest-rated signee in program history. Hudson will be expected to immediately impact a passing game that ranked last in the Big 12 in yards per attempt and interceptions during the regular season. Beyond Hudson, the class is defined by geography: All but one of Texas Tech’s 21 signees as of Wednesday afternoon came from inside the state, with other standouts including offensive lineman Ellis Davis and four-star quarterback Will Hammond.

Hudson was the first-ever five-star player to sign with Texas Tech since ranking prospects started in 2000. He is a dynamic weapon and he will be among the early enrollees along with quarterback Will Hammond.

When discussing the losers of early signing day, Myerberg pointed to the rest of the Big 12.

Texas Tech’s signing class hovered around the top 25 nationally but ranks as the best group in the Big 12, according to 247 with TCU, Central Florida and Kansas coming next. In comparison, the ACC had four, the Big Ten had six and the SEC had a whopping 13 classes ranked in the top 25. The already measurable talent gap between the league and the rest of the Power Four will only grow after signing day.

The Red Raiders capped off the 2023 season with a win over California in the Independence Bowl to finish with a winning record for the second straight season. Something that hasn’t happened since Mike Leach roamed the sidelines in Lubbock, Texas.

After finishing 15-11 in his first two seasons with the Red Raiders, the real test will come in year 3 as Tech looks to take control of the new look Big 12. They will have plenty of competition with Arizona and Utah coming in along with Arizona State and Colorado.

Report: ‘No chance’ of Texas A&M 5-star DL commit Dominick McKinley signing this week

Aggies fans looking forward to seeing Dominick McKinley sign his letter of intent to play at Kyle Field will have to wait a little longer.

Texas A&M fans looking forward to seeing Dominick McKinley sign his letter of intent with the Aggies will have to wait a little bit longer.

According to a report from 247Sports director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong, the 2024 5-star defensive lineman commit will not be signing with Texas A&M — or anyone else for that matter — during the early signing period.

“No chance of that,” McKinley’s mom Angie told 247Sports on Wednesday. “He’s just processing everything and that is why he’s not signing. He’s waiting for February.”

Per the report, McKinley plans to take official visits to LSU and Tennessee in January. He received an in-home visit from Oklahoma head coach Brett Venables and his staff this past Thursday.

McKinley had official visits with the Aggies, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Texas over the summer. Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian spoke with McKinley over FaceTime on Tuesday night, Wiltfong said.

According to TexAgs senior recruiting analyst Jason Howell, the McKinley “family has also been in communication with Texas A&M.” He has 27 total offers and has already taken a visit to LSU as well.

McKinley is 6-foot-5 1/2, 280 pounds and hails from Acadiana High School in Lafayette, La.

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4-star QB Miles O’Neill signs with Texas A&M over Penn State and Michigan State

Former offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino may have departed College Station but his hard work on the recruiting trail wasn’t all for naught.

Former Texas A&M offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino may have departed Bryan-College Station but his hard work on the recruiting trail was not all for naught.

The latest example of that is the Aggies signing of Miles O’Neill, a 4-star quarterback from Hun High School in Princeton, N.J.

O’Neill is listed at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds. He verbally committed to Texas A&M back in June and announced his decision via X.

The versatile quarterback had 14 total offers. He took only two visits, to Kyle Field and the University of Virginia. Other notable schools that he had offers to include Boston College, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan State, Penn State and Pittsburgh.

During his senior year with the Raiders, O’Neill earned New Jersey Prep A Offensive Player of the Year honors. In his final season, O’Neill completed 106-of-147 pass attempts for 2,151 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. O’Neill will graduate from Hun on June 7.

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