Early Signing Day winners and losers
Who set their program up for success and who missed out on Early Signing Day?
Perhaps the most overlooked important date on the college football calendar is Early Signing Day. It’s been overshadowed by portal entry dates, bowl games, Selection Sunday, and others, but Early Signing Day is just as important to a program’s health as any of the above. It’s the day that high school athletes and JUCO players are finally able to put pen to paper and commit to a school. It makes up the majority of the early enrollees, who spend their spring enrolled at their new school, learning the system.
Early Signing Day came and went Wednesday, but who came out on top? And who are we worried about? Let’s break down three winners and three losers of Early Signing Day and see what the future holds for each program.
Winner - Nebraska
One of the most surprising flips came when Matt Rhule brought his quarterback of the future to Lincoln, Nebraska in Dylan Raiola. Raiola was recruited by his father, Donovan Raiola, who starred at Nebraska on the defensive line.
What does Raiola bring to the program? He’s got a big, Big 10 frame at 6-3, 225 lbs., and a big arm. He’s not a dual-threat, but can make plays out of the pocket. He’s also done a fantastic job limiting turnovers, with one interception every 62.8 throws across his sophomore and junior seasons. Raiola has NFL talent, but can he put it together to help bring Nebraska back to the promised land?
He’s not the only top member of the 23rd rated class, per 247 Sports. Rhule has brought in four other four-star prospects in tight end Carter Nelson, tackle Grant Brix, secondary athlete Roger Gradney, and interior offensive lineman Preston Taumua. It’s not the most impressive class, but the Huskers are building what seems to be a strong program under Rhule.
Loser - Colorado
Deion Sanders has said that he prioritized the portal, and we’ve seen that so far. But relying on immediate eligibility from a court order isn’t the best practice for recruiting.
Sanders does have a commitment from five-star tackle Jordan Seaton from IMG Academy in his back pocket, but that’s about it. All told, the Buffaloes signed five prospects in this Early Signing Period. Five.
Three are four-stars in wideout Drelon Miller, two-way athlete Kamron Mikell and defensive lineman Brandon Davis-Swain. The remaining two signees are three-stars defensive lineman Eric Brantley and running back Micah Welch.
For a coach with the recruiting chops of Sanders (see: Travis Hunter at Jackson State), this class is immensely disappointing. Especially when the Buffs limped to a 4-8 record after starting 3-0 and losing dynamic offensive coordinator Sean Lewis. The future in Boulder isn’t looking the best.
Winner - Miami
The ACC might be on its last legs, but Mario Cristobal is flexing the Canes’ recruiting muscles. Miami claims 247’s number three spot in recruiting composite and fourth spot when adding in transfers, mostly on the backs of this freshman class.
Miami signed 27 student-athletes, headlined by five-star defensive lineman Justin Scott. The Canes brought in four other prospects who earned a 95 grade or higher in defensive lineman Armondo Blount, athlete Zaquan Patterson, edge rusher Marquise Lightfoot and wideout Ny Carr.
They also flipped four-star linebacker Adarius Hayes away rom Florida in one of the state’s most ruthless recruiting days.
This class shows that Cristobal is serious in the trenches, especially on the defensive side. There’s a ton of quality players at non-shiny positions that’ll help build up this Canes team for the future.
Loser - Kansas
Lance Leipold is still leading the Jayhawks, but a 48th ranked class isn’t where they want to be.
Kansas seems to have gone for quantity over quality, signing 17 prospects. Among that group are only two blue-chips with grades over 90 in edge rushers Deshawn Warner and Dakyus Brinkley.
The rest of the class is filled with three-stars that Leipold has traditionally done a lot with, but still, this class is lacking. The Jayhawks have been right on the precipice of competing in the Big 12 under Leipold, but this class isn’t going to move the needle much. Even the transfer class hasn’t been impressive.
If the Jayhawks truly want to compete in the new Big 12, they’ll need to step up their recruiting game.
Winner - Auburn
Hugh Freeze’s first class at Auburn couldn’t have gone much better. Sure, they still sit below Alabama, but you can’t compare yourself to Nick Saban unless you’re Kirby Smart.
The Tigers sit seventh in the nation with 20 signees, headlined by a five-star wideout duo of Cam Coleman and Perry Thompson. Both have big, lean frames at 6-3 and rank as top 10 prospects at their positions.
There’s a ton of skill position players in this class, which should help improve how explosive the Auburn offense is next season. That explosiveness is a hallmark of Freeze’s scheme, and was sorely missed in 2023.
One name to keep an eye on: four-star quarterback Walker White. He likely won’t see the field early with Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford still at Auburn, but he’s continuously improved throughout high school. He’s a gunslinger, but the risks have paid off so far with an All-American Bowl trip this season. He’s got great arm strength and dual-threat ability that plays well in Freeze’s scheme. The Tigers might have their quarterback of the future.
Loser - Oregon State
Not much was expected in Corvallis, especially without a stable conference or head coach Jonathan Smith. But a 75th ranking shows the Beavers are back on hard times.
Oregon State only has 10 signees, ranking 112th in high school composite recruiting. All 10 are three-stars and come at a variety of positions. Their transfer class isn’t the most impressive, with not many major contributors coming in and many leaving.
It’s unfortunate to see that a school like Oregon State got gutted by realignment, and this recruiting class shows just how hard it is for the PAC-2. With Smith gone, it feels like all hope has seeped out of Corvallis.