Tag: recruiting college football

National Signing Day: 5 Schools That Crushed This Recruiting Season

National Signing Day. Who had a big recruiting 2022 seasons? Here are 5 teams and head coaches that did a fantastic job bouncing back after a mediocre 2021.

Who had the big college football recruiting hauls? Here are 5 programs that did a fantastic job in 2022 after struggling in 2021.

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– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

2022 College Football Schedules: All 130 Teams

The February version of college football National Signing Day doesn’t have the hold on the sport like it used to – it’s the landline phone line in a 5G world – but it closes out the recruiting season.

Sort of.

Some programs were already done recruiting back in December, but everyone is always pitching and holding on to their own guys with the transfer portal a bigger deal now.

Why bother with a whole slew of young prospects when you can go shopping and get the mature guys you need?

But recruiting high school players is still a big deal for your base.

No, not everyone is going to transfer, and no, you can’t live off of getting guys through the portal. You need the cake to put the transfer portal frosting on.

Texas A&M destroyed it this recruiting season. Shock of shocks, Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, Penn State – the normal big guys did big recruiting things. But you knew that.

What teams off the normal recruiting radar crushed it this season? More to the point, which schools and coaching staffs bounced back massive after a mediocre 2021?

5. Stanford Cardinal

It certainly helped a wee bit that USC and Oregon are in a transitional period and need a year or so to get back up to speed in the high-end recruiting world, but it’s not like Stanford is competing for the same guys as the rest of the Pac-12.

David Shaw’s 2020 class wasn’t bad, but the 2021 haul was a bit lacking.

There were a few nice parts, and the Cardinal always gets a star lineman or two, but it missed the WOW factor for a program that started to fall off. After a 3-9 season coming off a four-win 2020 – granted, there were only six games – and 4-8 2019, the reciting class needed guys.

Shaw hasn’t done a whole lot in the transfer portal, but he did what he must for the program and got the right guys from across the country for the right spots.

When Stanford rocks, its lines are dominant and the running game works. In come the infrastructure players with both lines improving, Sam Roush out of Tennessee is a top tight end, and he’s got two terrific-looking offensive tackles in Lucas Heyer and Fisher Anderson.

Again, it’s different because some programs aren’t quite there yet, but Stanford had one of the best recruiting runs in the Pac-12.

NEXT: Michigan State Spartans

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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

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

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

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

How did all of the SEC 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.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews

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2021 SEC Recruiting Rankings, Breakdown

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

SEC East

1. Georgia Bulldogs

The bar is set at a ridiculously high level for Georgia recruiting, and Kirby Smart and his staff hit it. There’s the normal array of four and five-star guys with a little bit of something for every spot, but it’s all about Brock Vandagriff. If he’s not the best quarterback recruit of the 2021 season, he’s close. As long as he’s close to being as good as advertised, this is a class to keep the program’s national title expectations high.
– 2021 Schedule Analysis, Best & Worst Scenarios

2. Florida Gators

It’s not as good a class as the last few, but it’s close enough. No, this isn’t as strong as what Alabama and Georgia brought in, but it’s more than fine for what it needed to do. There isn’t a superstar quarterback signing – Carlos Del Rio is a good prospect, though – and there isn’t a ton for the skills spots, but the defense is loading up with a slew of excellent defensive backs to throw at the pass D problem.
– 2021 Schedule Analysis, Best & Worst Scenarios

3. Tennessee Volunteers

It’s not nearly the class of 2020, but considering all the craziness, all of the changes, and all of the uncertainty, it’s a terrific group coming in. Josh Heupel didn’t get a chance to do much of anything, but the former staff got the job done to load up with a slew of strong offensive talents who should thrive under the new regime.
– 2021 Schedule Analysis, Best & Worst Scenarios

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

4. Missouri Tigers

It might not quite be the best recruiting class since Missouri joined the SEC, but it’s not all that far off after Eliah Drinkwitz got a full year to hit the recruiting trail. The pass rush got the most help with a tremendous group of ends, the secondary got more bodies, and Tyler Macon is a dangerous dual-threat quarterback who should be a perfect fit for what the coaching staff wants to do.
– 2021 Schedule Analysis, Best & Worst Scenarios

5. Kentucky Wildcats

It’s okay. Kentucky never lands the elite of the elite talents, and it’s good at succeeding in a recruit-to-a-type sort of way, but this isn’t as strong as the 2020 class and there are a few holes. The 2022 class has to focus more on the defensive line and offensive backfield, but that’s being a bit nitpicky. The receivers are nice, the defensive backs are sneaky-solid, and for what UK does, it’s a fine group.
– 2021 Schedule Analysis, Best & Worst Scenarios

6. Vanderbilt Commodores

Who comes up with a strong recruiting class after a coaching change? Most of the work was done by Derek Mason and the former staff and new head man Clark Lea picked up from there. It’s a big class that might be the program’s best in several years starting with a whole lot of very good prospects for the defense. WR Quincy Skinner is one of the stars of the class, but this group is put together to lock down the other side of the ball.
– 2021 Schedule Analysis, Best & Worst Scenarios

7. South Carolina Gamecocks

It’s a rough class mostly because of 1) the midseason coaching change and 2) the bigger classes in the previous years. The hope is for QB Colten Gauthier to make this small group great – if you can find a strong SEC starting quarterback, the class is made – but there’s no real star power. The other odd thing? There’s not a lot from South Carolina with just three in-state players signing.
– 2021 Schedule Analysis, Best & Worst Scenarios

– Every Team’s Star Recruit
– Recruiting Class Strengths
– What’s Missing From Each Recruiting Class
– 2021 All-SEC Recruiting Team

NEXT: SEC West Recruiting Rankings

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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.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews

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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

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Big 12 College Football Recruiting: Team Rankings, Top Players, Biggest Strengths, What’s Missing

How did all of the Big 12 teams do in the 2021 recruiting season? The Big 12 recruiting rankings, the stars, top players, biggest strengths.

How did all of the Big 12 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.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews

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2021 Big 12 Recruiting Rankings, Breakdown

No, really. How good were the Big 12 classes this 2021 recruiting season?

1. Oklahoma

Once again, Oklahoma dominated the conference recruiting by a mile helped by the coaching uncertainty at Texas throughout the process and with the rest of the Big 12 being the rest of the Big 12. There’s more for the already-great passing game, more pass rushers, and more talent with the top ten Sooner signings stronger than anything the rest of the Big 12 – maybe without Texas – can put together combined.

2. Texas

It’s fine. Compared to the rest of the Big 12 it’s great, compared to Oklahoma it’s just okay, and considering the coaching uncertainty, it’s a solid class. It’s not nearly as huge as the 2019 version, and last year’s class cranked up the speed and talent level, but this one has a whole lot of athletes, a lot for the defense backfield and receiver, and the lines will be left for future classes.

3. West Virginia

The first class under Neal Brown was mostly about infrastructure, but this one is going after the future stars for the skill spots with good running backs, a few nice tight ends, and the pass rushers to be more disruptive. No, the Mountaineers aren’t going to compete with Oklahoma and Texas for talent, but they got enough great prospects to be among the best of the league’s other eight teams.

4. Oklahoma State

The secondary got enough talent to see a decent upgrade going forward, and there were a whole lot of receiver prospects. There’s not a ton of high-end talent, but the program never gets the big-time five-star types and it still does more than fine. It’s a very good class, but it’s not close to what Oklahoma was able to get and it doesn’t have high-end talent of Texas.

5. Kansas

The recruiting has been building. Les Miles upgraded the talent level in last year’s class, and this one takes things up a few notches with a whole slew of defensive backs who could’ve played anywhere in the Big 12, and with a nod to the passing game with a few quarterbacks to develop along with some good-looking receivers.

2021 Big 12 Recruiting
Every Team’s Star | Class Strengths
What’s Missing | 2021 All-Big 12 Recruiting Team

6. Iowa State

It’s another class of solid Iowa State prospects without a whole slew of superstars, but there are just enough good players to develop into what the program does. RB Eli Sanders is more of a quick back than the usual pounder, and the few offensive linemen brought in are good.

7. TCU

If the 2019 class was about quantity, and the 2002 class was about quality, this one is in the middle. There’s enough skill talent to add to the mix to build around for the near future, and as always under Gary Patterson, write the positions for the prospects in pencil – they’ll be moved around where they’ll fit best.

8. Kansas State

Lsat year was about getting bodies and building things up under head coach Chris Klieman, but this time around the class is looking to do more to upgrade the overall talent level. QB Jake Rubley is the main man for the near future and the star to build around, but the defense got the most bulk talent.

9. Texas Tech

You never want to rely on two players to make a recruiting class, but it’s all about QB Behren Morton and RB Cam’Ron Vadez. They’re the two high-end talents who could’ve gone almost anywhere, and they’re what take this class from okay to potentially strong.

10. Baylor

The class a few years ago was strong, there wasn’t any time for Dave Aranda to work in 2020, and now this season’s class is just sort of okay. The hope was for the full season to load up would lead to something big, but it’s a smallish haul of prospects without any sure-thing superstars.

– Every Team’s Star Recruit
– Recruiting Class Strengths
– What’s Missing From Each Recruiting Class
– 2021 All-Big 12 Recruiting Team

NEXT: Every Big 12 Team’s Star Recruit

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Big 12 College Football Recruiting: Team Rankings, Top Players, Biggest Strengths, What’s Missing

How did all of the Big 12 teams do in the 2021 recruiting season? The Big 12 recruiting rankings, the stars, top players, biggest strengths.

How did all of the Big 12 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.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews

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2021 Big 12 Recruiting Rankings, Breakdown

No, really. How good were the Big 12 classes this 2021 recruiting season?

1. Oklahoma

Once again, Oklahoma dominated the conference recruiting by a mile helped by the coaching uncertainty at Texas throughout the process and with the rest of the Big 12 being the rest of the Big 12. There’s more for the already-great passing game, more pass rushers, and more talent with the top ten Sooner signings stronger than anything the rest of the Big 12 – maybe without Texas – can put together combined.

2. Texas

It’s fine. Compared to the rest of the Big 12 it’s great, compared to Oklahoma it’s just okay, and considering the coaching uncertainty, it’s a solid class. It’s not nearly as huge as the 2019 version, and last year’s class cranked up the speed and talent level, but this one has a whole lot of athletes, a lot for the defense backfield and receiver, and the lines will be left for future classes.

3. West Virginia

The first class under Neal Brown was mostly about infrastructure, but this one is going after the future stars for the skill spots with good running backs, a few nice tight ends, and the pass rushers to be more disruptive. No, the Mountaineers aren’t going to compete with Oklahoma and Texas for talent, but they got enough great prospects to be among the best of the league’s other eight teams.

4. Oklahoma State

The secondary got enough talent to see a decent upgrade going forward, and there were a whole lot of receiver prospects. There’s not a ton of high-end talent, but the program never gets the big-time five-star types and it still does more than fine. It’s a very good class, but it’s not close to what Oklahoma was able to get and it doesn’t have high-end talent of Texas.

5. Kansas

The recruiting has been building. Les Miles upgraded the talent level in last year’s class, and this one takes things up a few notches with a whole slew of defensive backs who could’ve played anywhere in the Big 12, and with a nod to the passing game with a few quarterbacks to develop along with some good-looking receivers.

2021 Big 12 Recruiting
Every Team’s Star | Class Strengths
What’s Missing | 2021 All-Big 12 Recruiting Team

6. Iowa State

It’s another class of solid Iowa State prospects without a whole slew of superstars, but there are just enough good players to develop into what the program does. RB Eli Sanders is more of a quick back than the usual pounder, and the few offensive linemen brought in are good.

7. TCU

If the 2019 class was about quantity, and the 2002 class was about quality, this one is in the middle. There’s enough skill talent to add to the mix to build around for the near future, and as always under Gary Patterson, write the positions for the prospects in pencil – they’ll be moved around where they’ll fit best.

8. Kansas State

Lsat year was about getting bodies and building things up under head coach Chris Klieman, but this time around the class is looking to do more to upgrade the overall talent level. QB Jake Rubley is the main man for the near future and the star to build around, but the defense got the most bulk talent.

9. Texas Tech

You never want to rely on two players to make a recruiting class, but it’s all about QB Behren Morton and RB Cam’Ron Vadez. They’re the two high-end talents who could’ve gone almost anywhere, and they’re what take this class from okay to potentially strong.

10. Baylor

The class a few years ago was strong, there wasn’t any time for Dave Aranda to work in 2020, and now this season’s class is just sort of okay. The hope was for the full season to load up would lead to something big, but it’s a smallish haul of prospects without any sure-thing superstars.

– Every Team’s Star Recruit
– Recruiting Class Strengths
– What’s Missing From Each Recruiting Class
– 2021 All-Big 12 Recruiting Team

NEXT: Every Big 12 Team’s Star Recruit

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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

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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

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Recruiting 2020: 5 Things That Matter After National Signing Day

5 observations and things that matter after the 2020 recruiting season and National Signing Day are over.

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5 observations and things that matter after the 2020 recruiting season and National Signing Day are over.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

2020 Recruiting Analysis, Team Rankings, Top Players 
AAC | ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC

There are still a few storylines in the 2020 recruiting season – like RB Zachary Evans not deciding on a school yet – even though National Signing Day came and went, but for the most part, it’s on to 2021.

Here are five observations and things that matter now that it’s over.

5. National Signing Day is Blockbuster …

And the Early Signing Period is Netflix.

I used to hate National Signing Day.

The lead-up required weeks and weeks of research and discussion and speculation all for one silly day when older men made a really big deal about where a bunch of kids were going to college.

The worst part about it all was the lack of a true payoff. It was all speculation about how good the undeveloped talents could be three or more years – for the most part – after they signed.

NSD took on a life of its own outside of the normal college football world. It became an occasionally creepy time with message board threats, genuine anger, and a whole lot of pressure. It was also a celebration.

And I sort of miss it.

The first Wednesday in February used to be the one big day of the college football offseason.

The NBA has its free agency period and trade deadline, the NFL has its draft, and baseball has its hot stove league. National Signing Day was a chance for college football fans to look ahead to what might be happening with their respective programs, and it was a time to talk college football before settling in for a big snooze over the following six months.

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Now, most top players are all but locked in several months, if not years, in advance. The Early Signing Period in late December is when everyone of note signs on – which totally gets blown off nationally because the bowl season is in full gear – and the transfer portal has become more important than either of the two signing days.

Not all that long ago, National Signing Day was wall-to-wall all-day TV coverage on at least two of the all-sports station. Every major web site treated it like Christmas because of all the page views and traffic, and it was a  major, major thing.

This year? It was an hour-long wrap-up show – if that – on one of the ESPN networks or conference-only channels, because nothing really happened.

Anecdotally, I used to be hit up for at least 15 radio appearances across the country on NSD. This year, I was had the same 15+ requests, but the talk was 95% about Mark Dantonio.

National Signing Day just isn’t a thing anymore. The hype and craziness around recruiting has peaked, and now it’s more business-like and subdued.

It’s just another day in the college football offseason.

However, there are parts of this that really do matter, starting with …

NEXT: New coaches get a whole lot of talent to work with

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Pac-12 College Football Recruiting: Team Rankings, Top Players, Biggest Strengths, What’s Missing

How did all of the Pac-12 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. – Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews – Every Team’s Star Recruit – …

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How did all of the Pac-12 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.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews

– Every Team’s Star Recruit
– Recruiting Class Strengths
– What’s Missing From Each Recruiting Class
– 2020 All-Pac-12 Recruiting Team
– Recruiting Team Rankings

Every Pac-12 Team’s Star Recruit

Arizona

QB Will Plummer, 6-2, 205 – He might not be all that big, but he’s a big-time passer with a live arm and the mobility to be what the Kevin Sumlin offense wants.
Key Schools In The Running: Oklahoma State, Colorado, Oregon State

Arizona State

WR Johnny Wilson, 6-6, 230 – An interesting target with the size to grow into a tight end, and the athleticism to be a matchup nightmare as a wideout. Oregon had him, and the Sun Devils flipped him.
Key Schools In The Running: Oregon, USC, Tennessee

Cal

RB Chris Street, 5-9, 195 – Very, very shifty and fast through the hole, he’s a home-run hitter who can be used as a receiver and have plays designed to get the ball in his hands in a variety of ways.
Key Schools In The Running: Arizona State, Utah, USC

Colorado

RB Ashaad Clayton, 6-0, 200 – Really, really fast with the size to bring a little bit of power, he’s more of a home-run hitter than a workhorse. The New Orleans native isn’t just a track guy playing football, though.
Key Schools In The Running: Florida, LSU, Kansas 

Oregon

LB Justin Flowe, 6-3, 225 – And go ahead and add Noah Sewell as the No. 1A star of the Oregon class. Sewell is the big-hitting run-stuffer on the inside, and Flowe is the all-around playmaker on the outside with the hybrid pass-rushing ability to be terror from the start.
Key Schools In The Running: Alabama, Clemson, Georgia

Oregon State

QB Chance Nolan, 6-3, 200 – The JUCO transfer has great size, excellent mobility, and the experience to step in and start right away. However, he has only three years of eligibility.
Key Schools In The Running: Utah, UCLA, Oklahoma State

Stanford

OT Myles Hinton, 6-7, 310 – The son of former NFL star Chris Hinton is going to John Elway’s school – Chris was taken one pick after Elway in the 1983 NFL Draft. Myles is a big-body athlete with the talent and smarts to go along with the frame.
Key Schools In The Running: Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State

UCLA

QB Parker McQuarrie, 6-7, 208 – Is he it? Is he the quarterback who’s going to make the UCLA offense work under Chip Kelly? He’s not a runner, but he’s got the pro-style size and arm.
Key Schools In The Running: Wisconsin, Miami, Minnesota

USC

WR Gary Bryant, 5-11, 165 – A tall, thin target with great hands and the quickness to be used as a runner from time to time. He could be a kick and punt returner if needed, but he’ll mostly be a deep threat receiver.
Key Schools In The Running: Arizona State, Oklahoma, Oregon

Utah

CB Clark Phillips, 5-10, 187 – With a good frame, great quickness, and the ability to attack the ball with the hands to be used as a receiver if needed – he won’t drop picks. After originally choosing Ohio State, Utah plucked him away.
Key Schools In The Running: Ohio State, UCLA, Notre Dame

Washington

DE Sav’ell Smalls, 6-4, 244 – The Huskies landed the superstar. The Washington native has the NFL size to go along with the unstoppable pass rushing ability to instant step in and produce. He’s going to be the main man for the new era of UW football.
Key Schools In The Running: Florida State, Clemson, Georgia

Washington State

QB Jayden De Laura, 6-1, 190 – He signed on when Mike Leach was still the head man, and now the Hawaii native should grow into Nick Rolovich’s quarterback. He might not be all that big, but he’s deadly accurate and can run.
Key Schools In The Running: Ohio State, USC, Hawaii

– Recruiting Class Strengths
– What’s Missing From Each Recruiting Class
– 2020 All-Pac-12 Recruiting Team
– Recruiting Team Rankings

NEXT: Pac-12 Recruiting Strengths

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