Tag: national signing day

5-star athlete sticks with Texas A&M, signs with Aggies

5-star Texas A&M sticks with commitment, signs with Aggies

One of the nation’s premier players in the 2024 class regardless of position, Terry Bussey has made a final decision as to where he will play collegiately this upcoming fall, signing with the in-state Texas A&M Aggies during National Signing Day on Wednesday.

Bussey, a five-star prospect out of Timpson High School in Texas, had been previously committed to Texas A&M since September of 2023 but made a decision Wednesday between the Aggies, Georgia, and LSU.

A highly-touted athlete, Bussey is ranked as the nation’s No. 11 overall prospect according to the 247Sports Composite, as well as the No. 3 player in the state of Texas. Bussey, who played multiple different positions during his high school career, is also considered the nation’s No. 1 overall athlete for the 2024 cycle.

An accomplished high school prospect, Bussey now remains the Aggies’ top recruit in their 2024 class and is a big win for new Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko to keep the five-star in-state. Bussey should be an impact player very early for the Aggies in 2024 as well, as he will be one of the most electrifying playmakers on the Texas A&M roster from day one.

Top 5 recruiting wins for Alabama in the 2024 recruiting class

Here are some of Alabama football’s biggest wins from the 2024 recruiting class.

It took quite a bit of work for Alabama to hold on to some of the top recruits in the country for the 2024 recruiting class. After a coaching change, the general belief would be that numerous signees and current players on the roster would transfer or de-commit. That was not the case in a broader sense.

Alabama lost one signee from the 2024 recruiting class. Outside of that, the new coaching staff was able to sell the other signees on their futures as well as the future of the football program.

While the new coaching staff was not a factor in early national signing day, there were some key wins on the recruiting trail.

Roll Tide Wire takes a look at the top five recruiting wins in the  2024 recruiting class for the Alabama football program.

Everything Steve Sarkisian said to the media on national signing day

“We didn’t sign one player today, which is indicative of how college football has changed and evolved.”

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian spoke with the media on national signing day. Continue reading “Everything Steve Sarkisian said to the media on national signing day”

4-star WR Ashton Bethel-Roman signs with Texas A&M after de-committing from Arkansas

Bethel-Roman signed a national letter of intent to play for the Arkansas Razorbacks on Dec. 20 but he was released from the NLI on Feb. 1.

With national signing day underway, many prospects around the country have been choosing their future homes and Texas A&M signed a big-time playmaker today.

4-star wide receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman chose to continue his football career in Bryan College Station with the Aggies. On3 Sports national recruiting expert Sam Spiegelman predicted the signing on Tuesday and nailed it.

Bethel-Roman signed a national letter of intent to play for Arkansas on Dec. 20. However, he was released from the NLI agreement on Feb. 1 and immediately re-opened his recruitment.

The talented wideout stands at just over 6 feet and weighs 170 pounds. He is a future graduate of Ridge Point High School in Missouri City, Texas.

Bethel-Roman had 23 total offers and took four visits. He visited Aggieland on Dec. 15 and was primarily recruited by wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins. He took three respective visits in June to the Razorbacks, Oregon and Texas Tech.

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Georgia football adds commitment from elite WR Jeremy Bell Jr.

Three-star Clinch County wide receiver Jeremy Bell Jr. commits to Georgia football after receiving a late offer from the Bulldogs

The Georgia Bulldogs have a late addition to their No. 1 recruiting class. The Bulldogs have gained a commitment from three-star wide receiver recruit Jeremy Bell Jr., who will reportedly join the Dawgs as a preferred walk-on.

Bell played high school football for Clinch County High School in Homerville, Georgia. The three-star is ranked as the nation’s No. 1,230 recruit and the No. 135 recruit in Georgia. Bell is the No. 161 wide receiver in the country, per 247Sports.

Georgia offered Bell very late in the recruiting process. In fact, the Bulldogs offered the explosive athlete on Jan. 28 just a few days ahead of national signing day.

Bell is a versatile athlete that plays football, basketball, tennis, and runs track. Bell has scored over 1,000 points in his high school basketball career. The Clinch County star’s speed is evident when watching his highlights. Bell  has an impressive combination of body control, explosiveness and balance.

What should Georgia fans know about Bell?

BREAKING: 5-star prospect Terry Bussey officially signs with Texas A&M

National Signing Day 2024 got off to a huge start on Wednesday morning as 5-star athlete recruit Terry Bussey officially put pen to paper and picked his next home.

National Signing Day 2024 got off to a huge start on Wednesday morning as 5-star athlete recruit Terry Bussey formally put pen to paper and picked his next home.

Just after 9 a.m. Bussey selected Texas A&M over LSU and Georgia as his official choice. He received 30 offers and had taken a total of five visits respectively to Aggieland, Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma and Texas.

The 5-foot-10.5, 180-pound playmaker from Timpson High School in Texas committed to the Aggies way back on Sept. 28, during the previous regime under Jimbo Fisher. Despite the change in leadership, Bussey has remained committed to Aggieland.

“I’ve been getting to know the new staff,” Bussey told On3 earlier this month. “It’s been great building a relationship with coach Elko, coach (Ishmael Aristide) and I’m building relationships with other coaches they already have on staff. They’re great guys, great people, they know a lot about football and they’re great football-minded people.”

National Signing Day: Wisconsin football’s class of 2024 by position

Impressed with Luke Fickell’s first class?

Wisconsin’s class of 2024 reached its official conclusion Wednesday: national signing day across college football.

Those three words don’t mean nearly as much as they used to. Nowadays, the early signing period sees much of the recruiting movement with national signing day becoming more of a procedural day.

Related: Where each Wisconsin Badgers signee finished in final class of 2024 recruiting rankings

The Badgers class was fully signed months ago; eight of the 22 commits are already enrolled for the offseason program.

The class finished the cycle ranked No. 23 nationally and No. 7 in the new 18-team Big Ten. Its blue chip percentage improved to 50% this week with a commit gaining a fourth star, crossing an important threshold for the first time in program history.

Related: Power ranking all 18 Big Ten football programs after the 2023 season

I’d call Luke Fickell’s first full recruiting cycle as Wisconsin head coach a success.

Here is how the finalized class breaks down by position:

Wisconsin’s class of 2024 just crossed an important threshold

Was Luke Fickell’s first full class a success?

Wednesday marks the official end of the 2024 recruiting cycle, meaning the conclusion of Luke Fickell’s first full recruiting cycle as head coach at Wisconsin.

The Badgers’ 2024 group finishes the cycle ranked 23rd in the nation and seventh in the new-look Big Ten. It is a clear step forward after years of recruiting stagnation under former head coach Paul Chryst.

The group has been known for months. It is headlined by top-100 offensive tackle Kevin Haywood, four-star running back Dilin Jones, four-star interior offensive lineman Emerson Mandell and four-star defensive lineman Ernest Willor. However, there was an update worth noting this week.

Related: Where each Wisconsin Badgers signee finished in final class of 2024 recruiting rankings

Linebacker Thomas Heiberger picked up a fourth star on 247Sports.com, giving the Badgers 11 four-star recruits in the class. That means 11 blue-chippers were among the 22 signees.

For those interested in the importance of that detail, Bud Elliott breaks it down. No team with a full roster talent composite under the 50% threshold has ever won the national championship.

Some have come close (TCU in 2022 and Washington in 2023), but none has done it.

Does this mean Wisconsin will start competing for national championships? Likely not. The roster still has a ways to go before it cracks the 50% threshold.

But this was Fickell’s first full cycle in Madison. This group offers the promise that better classes might be on the horizon, classes that hopefully begin to crack the nation’s top 15. That would mean a sizable increase of talent on the roster and the possibility that Wisconsin enters the territory Michigan was in last year, which was good enough to win it all.

Much must go right for Fickell and his staff on and off the field. But I’ve talked endlessly about the importance of the blue chip percentage and Wisconsin’s need for more star talent on the roster. I’d be foolish to not point out the Badgers just hit the 50% threshold in a class for the first time.

USC flips blue-chip 2024 defensive line commit on eve of national signing day

USC beats out Utah for a defensive lineman who decommitted from Washington.

On Tuesday, Ratumana Bulabalavu took to social media to announce his commitment to play football at USC. Defensive line coaches Shaun Nua and Eric Henderson closed in on the Carlsbad, California, four-star lineman after he decommitted from the University of Washington on January 24.

USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn has made it no secret that he values versatile linemen who can allow the defense to have multiple fronts without the need to substitute. Bulabalavu is big and athletic. He’s currently listed at 6-4 and 260 pounds, but he has the frame to add significant weight and become an even bigger force.

The multi-sport standout at Army and Navy Academy also starred in rugby and on the track team, where he competed in the discus, shot put, triple jump, and the 110-meter hurdles.  His size, strength and athleticism will allow him to play multiple positions on the line when he has a year or two in a collegiate strength and conditioning program.

In an interview with 247Sports, Bulabalavu shared his thoughts behind his decision:

“I like the scheme fit as well,” he said. “They see me as a combo, outside/inside player. They want a dynamic defensive line that is both athletic but also very heavy up front to compete in the Big Ten, so I’ll move around from tackle to edge.”

Explaining his choice for the Trojans over the Utah Utes, Bulabalavu highlighted the coaching staff’s potential. He added, “I’m completely bought in to being a part of the first class they develop and cultivate into an NFL talent.”

Bulabalavu becomes the sixth player added to the Trojans’ defensive line in the offseason, one more example of Lincoln Riley’s pledge to prioritize the defense. USC currently has the No. 17 recruiting class in the country, and Jadyn Walker is expected to flip his commitment from Michigan State to USC on national signing day.

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Texas A&M coach Mike Elko has quickly revamped the football program’s roster with 32 additions

Coach Mike Elko got countless 4-star prospects to commit in December and then capped it off by recruiting the No. 1 rated transfer class.

The days of Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M are long gone.

Head coach Mike Elko returned to Aggieland in November guns a blazing. He has brought in 32 total players, 23 from the NCAA Transfer Portal and nine high school enrollees.

Elko started by filling out his coaching staff, got countless 4-star prospects to commit on National Early Signing Day and then capped it off by recruiting the No. 1 rated class from the portal.

The full list of 23 transfer portal commits include CB Dezz Ricks from Alabama (4-star), TE Tre Watson (3) from Washington, IOL Dorian Hinton (3) from FAU, LB Scooby Williams (4) & CB Jaydon Hill (3) from Florida, CB BJ Mayes (3) from UAB, IOL Ar-maj Reed-Adams (3) from Kansas, WR Jabre Barber (3) & IOL Derrick Graham (3) from Temple, EDGE Nic Scourton (4) & TE Garrett Miller (3) from Purdue, EDGE Cashius Howell (4) from Bowling Green, DL Rodas Johnson (3) from Wisconsin, S Trey Jones (3) from Central Michigan, K Jared Zirkel (2) from Georgia, LB Alex Howard (3) from YSU, S De’Rickey Wright (3) from Vanderbilt, CB Will Lee III (4) & WR Wesley Watson (3) from Kansas State, WR Cyrus Allen (4) from LA Tech, CB Donovan Saunders (4) from Cal Poly, S Marcus Ratcliffe (4) from San Diego State and RB E.J. Smith (3) from Stanford.

The recruiting class of 2024 prospects include enrollees OT Blake Ivy (4), EDGE Solomon Williams (4), WR Izaiah Williams (4), LB Tristan Jernigan (4), S Myles Davis (4), DL Kendall Jackson (3), OT Ashton Funk (3), S Jordan Pride (3) and LB Jordan Lockhart (3).

Five players have signed their letter of intent: DL Dealyn Evans (4), IOL Isendre Ahfua (4), WR Ernest Campbell (3), TE Eric Karner (3) and QB Miles O’Neill (3). Two prospects are hard commits: CB Terry Bussey (5) and OT Robert Bourdon (3).

The Maroon & White spring game is scheduled for April 20.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.