Signing Day 2011 news wire

247Sports.com's recruiting experts will provide live updates throughout Signing Day. All times are ET.

2:19 p.m. -- WVU bounces back on the RB front: Trinity Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.) running back Andrew Buie announced moments ago he is signing with West Virginia.

The signing of Buie is a big one for WVU, which lost one-time verbal commitment JerMichael Selders -- a running back from Houston -- to Baylor earlier in the day.

Buie had seven offers from SEC schools and more than 25 overall.

1:57 p.m. -- License plate steers DT Peat to Nebraska:Todd Peat Jr., a defensive tackle from Corona Del Sol High School in Tempe, Ariz., chose Nebraska over Arizona State this morning. His official announcement will come later today at his elementary school.

"I was down to ASU and Nebraska," Peat told 247Sports. "I was pretty much going to choose ASU, but was driving home last night and saw a Nebraska license plate, something I'd never seen before and took it as a sign that I should become a Cornhusker."

Peat, Jr., is 6 feet 3 and weighs 295 pounds.

1:17 p.m. -- Yet another huge commitment for Clemson: In what has become a good day for Clemson recruiting, the Tigers picked up a commitment from linebacker Stephone Anthony.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder picked the Tigers over Virginia Tech and North Carolina. He announced his decision at an 11:30 a.m. gathering in the school's library.

Anthony's addition gives Clemson three of the nation's top 12 prospects as ranked by 247Sports.

Anthony, who is rated No. 10 overall, is believed to have favored Florida early in his recruitment.

1:01 p.m. -- Auburn lands America's top offensive lineman Kouandjio: In a bit of a signing day coup Auburn landed the nation's top offensive tackle prospect.

Cyrus Kouandjio, the brother of Alabama offensive tackle Arie Kouandjio, was considered a virtual lock for the Crimson Tide through most of the recruiting process. But Auburn made a late charge and convinced him to play against his brother.

Kouandjio, 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds from DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md., is rated the nation's No. 1 offensive tackle and No. 2 player overall by 247Sports. He is also one of two prospects designated as "franchise players" in the 2011 class by 247Sports.

12:51 p.m. -- Arizona nabs surprise deep threat: Inglewood (Calif.) High School wide receiver Patrick Onwuasor surprised some recruiting fans when he chose Arizona over Miami and Arizona State at a morning news conference.

The 6-4, 194-pounder has good speed and could be a deep threat on the outside for the Wildcats.

12:32 p.m. -- DT Jones switches from N.C. State to Illinois: Jacksonville (Fla.) Raines defensive tackle Chris Jones has switched his commitment from North Carolina State to Illinois.

"I loved my visit to Illinois. I had a wonderful time," the 6-foot-5, 285-pounder said. "I just felt real comfortable while I was at Illinois."

Jones built a special bond over the years with Illinois linebacker coach Dan Disch.

Jones picked Illinois over offers from North Carolina State, North Carolina and East Carolina.

12:07 p.m. -- LB Turene chooses Georgia:Kent Turene of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has chosen to play his college football at Georgia. He becomes the 24th member of the 2011 recruiting class for the Bulldogs.

The Boyd Anderson High School product is four-star linebacker who is 6-foot-2 and weighs 225 pounds.

Turene had been committed to USC for months up until last week, when he publically decommitted from the Trojans. Turene told 247Sports last week his final four choices were Texas Tech, Georgia, USC and Nebraska.

11:36 a.m. -- Surprise commitment for Notre Dame:Notre Dame got a bit of a surprise commitment from defensive end Troy Niklas.

Niklas, a 6-foot-6, 242-pounder from Anaheim, Calif., chose the Fighting Irish over USC.

"Troy can play a number of positions," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said.

11:08 a.m. -- USC hauls in Kentucky's Mr. Football: Danville (Ky.) Boyle County linebacker Lamar Dawson, who says he didn't come to a final decision until Tuesday night, chose the USC Trojans over Kentucky andTennessee.

"Sometimes you got to go away from home to be successful," Dawson said. "I thought hard about it and that's where I want to be. I like all the coaches, I like the players, the incoming recruits and the campus is beautiful. I just thought USC had the best opportunity for me."

Dawson (6-2, 230) is the reigning Mr. Football in the state of Kentucky.

10:49 a.m. -- Virginia lands seventh four-star player: Gilman (Va.) athlete Darius Jennings announced that he has committed to Virginia.

The 6-foot, 180-pound playmaker chose the Cavaliers over his other two finalists, Wake Forest and Ohio State.

Jennings, the seventh four-star player to commit to UVa in the 2011 recruiting class, is the reigning Gatorade Player of the Year for Maryland.

As a senior, he amassed 1,592 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns on 165 carries, five kickoff returns for 220 yards and two touchdowns, and was 29-for-50 passing for 425 yards and three touchdowns.

10:43 a.m. -- LB Cooper signs with South Carolina: Linebacker Cedrick Cooper (Lithonia, Ga.) has signed with South Carolina. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder faxed his letter-of-intent to the Gamecocks early this morning. He picked South Carolina over Ole Miss and Arkansas.

Cooper is commitment No. 33 for the Gamecocks in the 2011 class. He was recruited to the Gamecocks by defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward.

Cooper plans to make public comments about his decision at 2 p.m. in Roswell, Ga.

10:33 a.m. -- Tennessee continues to roll:Tennessee's recent momentum in recruiting has carried over into the early hours of National Signing Day.

Nashville tackle Antonio Richardson, the state's No. 2 overall prospect, announced Wednesday morning during a ceremony at Pearl-Cohn High School that he will sign with the Volunteers.

The 6-foot-6, 310-pound Richardson chose UT over Auburn, Georgia and LSU.

Richardson, who became the Vols' 27th public commitment, was considered one of Tennessee's top priorities for the 2011 class.

Richardson was considered for months to be leaning toward UT before taking official visits to Georgia and Auburn the past two weekends.

He became the fourth player to announce a commitment to the Vols in a span of 36 hours. Junior-college defensive back Byron Moore announced his commitment to UT late Monday night, and Memphis tight end Cameron Clear and defensive end/linebacker Curt Maggitt of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., followed suit Tuesday.

10:28 a.m. -- Top DE Pagan finally settles on Alabama:Jeoffrey Pagan of Asheville, N.C., has chosen to play his college football at Alabama.

Pagan, a 6-foot-4, 255-pound defensive end has a four-star ranking on 247Sports.

Pagan had committed to Florida and Clemson during the recruiting process, but had narrowed it down to Alabama and Georgia before making his decision today. Pagan was encouraging other prospects to consider Georgia in recent days, but looks like he changed his mind again late in the process.

10:08 a.m. -- Clemson lands major coup in Steward:Clemson picked up one of the top linebackers in the country when Tony Steward (St. Augustine, Fla./Menendez) picked the Tigers over Florida State and dozens of scholarship offers from across the country.

Steward appeared to go back and forth between the Tigers and Seminoles in the days leading to National Signing Day. Most national projections had him signing with the in-state Seminoles. Clemson is expecting a commitment from another five-star linebacker, Stephone Anthony (Wadesboro, N.C./Anson) later today. Two other top Florida prospects, five-star receiver Sammy Watkins (South Fort Myers, Fla.) and and Top100 running back Mike Bellamy (Punta Gorda, Fla./Charlotte), signed with Clemson early this morning. This pick-up, combined with the expected addition of Anthony, should vault the Tigers toward the top 10 of the 247Sports team rankings later today.

9:54 a.m. -- Glenville teammates make decisions: Cleveland Glenville quarterback Cardale Jones signed with Ohio State. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Jones picked the Buckeyes over schools like Iowa, LSU, Michigan, Illinois, Cincinnati, Penn State, Michigan State, West Virginia and others.

Glenville assistant coach Tony Overton also confirmed Wednesday morning Aundrey Walker has committed to USC over Ohio State, and receiver Shane Wynn will sign with Indiana.

9:26 a.m. -- Good news for the Gators:Florida got a good piece of news on Wednesday morning as cornerback Marcus Roberson (6-1, 175, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) sent in his letter of intent to play for the Gators next fall.

"It was just a decision that my family -- mainly my mom -- felt comfortable with," Roberson told 247Sports.

Despite committing to Texas Tech and Auburn in the last two weeks, Roberson said the back-and-forth between colleges was not meant to be malicious. Rather, it was more about a tough decision to be made, and how close of a decision it proved to be for Roberson between his four finalists -- Auburn, Florida, Texas Tech and USC.

"It was just the love I had for the school at the time, and then I'd go home and have to think about everything," Roberson said of the recruiting process.

Roberson, the No. 11 cornerback prospect in the country by 247Sports, was an integral part in helping lead St. Thomas Aquinas to a 15-0 record and FHSAA Class 5A state championship last fall. He recorded over 20 tackles and led the team with three interceptions on the season for the Raiders. He could play cornerback or free safety in Gainesville.

9:18 a.m. -- Stud safety picks Auburn: Valley (Ala.) safety Erique Florence, rated the nation's No. 9 safety and No. 141 player overall by 247Sports, announced this morning that he will sign with Auburn. Florence was a longtime Auburn lean before choosing the Tigers over Southern California and Alabama.

"I loved it," Florence said. "All along, Auburn has been in my heart."

Florence played quarterback exclusively as a senior, but he made strong impressions playing in the secondary in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game and the Under Armour All-America game.

8:56 a.m. -- DE Barnes to Penn State: Northeast High School defensive end Deion Barnes is officially a Penn State Nittany Lion.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder from Philadelphia was one of the most dominant players in Pennsylvania in 2010, registering 85 tackles (38 for a loss) and 13 sacks. He was the Philadelphia Public League Player of the Year and a second team Class AAAA all-state selection.

Barnes picked the Nittany Lions over offers from Georgia, Michigan, Pittsburgh, South Carolina and others.

Barnes is rated by 247Sports as a four-star prospect, finishing just outside of the Top247 players in the country. He is the No. 8 prospect in Pennsylvania.

8:25 a.m. -- Five-star LB Williams officially a Seminole: There may have been no bigger catalyst for Florida State's 2011 recruiting class than the commitment of five-star safety recruit Karlos Williams.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Under Armor All-American faxed in his letter of intent to FSU on Wednesday morning.

"It feels good to have signed and have my name down on the paper," Williams said. "I am done with all the interviews, the calling, and all that is pretty much going to stop. It is going to feel like a monkey is off my back and I will finally and officially be a 'Nole."

8:18 a.m. -- 'Canes reload at receiver: Melbourne Central Catholic wide receiver Rashawn Scott officially signed with Miami.

"I just got that good feeling with Miami and I saw the signs that I should go there," Scott said. "They offer a good education, I like the coaching staff and it's close to home -- so all that added up together."

As a senior, Scott had 45 catches for 1072 yards and 11 touchdowns. He added 96 carries for 1008 yards and 12 touchdowns to go with 59 tackles and two interceptions on defense.

8:01 a.m. (Feb. 2) -- OT Fisher picks Oregon over Florida, MSU, Michigan: Traverse City (Mich.) West offensive tackle Jake Fisher signed with Oregon on National Signing Day.

"It felt like if you didn't go there, you'd be losing something that you wouldn't want to pass up," Fisher told 247Sports.

The 6-foot-7, 270-pound Fisher passed on his other finalists -- Florida, Michigan State and Michigan. Fisher originally committed to the Wolverines, but the coaching change following the season led him to reopening the recruiting process.

Fisher said he didn't make his final decision on Oregon until Tuesday.

8:35 p.m. (Feb. 1) -- Aggies land rising LB: Brenham (Texas) defensive end Brandon Alexander called coaches Monday afternoon to inform them that he would be attending Texas A&M next year.

Alexander, who is 6-foot- 6 and weighs 235 pounds, visited Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, TCU and Arkansas.

Alexander was a little-known prospect heading into his senior season. He transferred to Brenham during the summer from his native Louisiana. He is the cousin of former Oklahoma linebacker Rufus Alexander.

2:38 p.m. (Feb. 1) -- Clear becoming a Volunteer: Tight end Cameron Clear, the No. 1 prospect in Tennessee according to 247Sports, chose the in-state Volunteers Tuesday over finalists Duke and Auburn.

Clear, whom many project as an offensive tackle at the next level, cited his relationship with the coaching staff at Tennessee as the main reason for his decision.

"I have a great relationship with all the coaches and it's the place that I feel most comfortable," Clear said. "It's the program that fits all of my needs."