Signing Day Central: Live Updates on the Future of College Football
The college football coaching carousel dust has yet to settle, but the future of every college football roster hangs in the balance anyway as the Early Signing Period kicks off Wednesday.
The de facto National Signing Day over the last five years could be in jeopardy of change, as many attribute early firings and swift hiring in the sport to the December period. This could even be the last one, per SI's Ross Dellenger, and if so it won't be one to soon forget based on the movement expected Wednesday and throughout the week.
Alabama enters the period with the top recruiting class with SEC foes Georgia and Texas A&M on its heels in what should be a photo finish between the three for the nation's top class. The Crimson Tide enters the day with the most SI99 recruits, with nine verbally committed, followed by UGA and TAMU with eight apiece.
It won't just be about the top of the recruiting mountain, though, as new coaching staffs look to hit the ground running and programs down on the field push to add instant-impact talent to bounce back next fall. As the first day of the Early Signing Period kicks off, Sports Illustrated will track the biggest recruiting news all in one place while each signature allows for the class of 2022 takes shape.
We will update this live blog throughout Wednesday with recruiting scoop, breaking news, analysis and more en route to crowning an ESP champion this evening.
(All times eastern)
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9:20 pm - Beyond the rankings, here are the winners and losers from National Signing Day.
7:45 pm - SI is ready to call it. Alabama tops the class of 2022 rankings after a wild National Signing Day Wednesday.
6:20 pm - The last big decision of the day, among those expected, has come in for Florida. Shemar James, SI99 linebacker out of Mobile (Ala.) Faith Academy, picks Florida over Alabama and Georgia.
5:33 pm - Another top pass rusher is headed to College Station. Enai White, of Philadelphia (Pa.) Imhotep, just announced for A&M.
5:27 pm - Former Texas wide receiver commitment Armani Winfield is off the board to Baylor.
5:20 pm - SI99 offensive lineman Kiyaunta Goodwin is sticking with Kentucky over Michigan State. Alabama, Florida State and Michigan were also among those in the race but Stoops caps a strong signing day in holding onto his top commitment.
4:42 pm - SI99 Earl Little Jr. is another future Crimson Tide defensive back. The Tide now have more SI99 recruits than they did in the 2021 cycle, with 13.
4:38 pm - Marvin Jones Jr. spurns FSU for UGA. The Seminole legacy is one of the top pass rushers in the class, checking in as a top 10 overall recruit in America. Two visits to UGA sealed the deal here.
4:31 pm - DJ Wesolak is off the board to Missouri. A strong, defensive line from a program used to production at the position. Top 25 class in for the Tigers.
4:20 pm - The SI99 decisions roll on and IMG Academy pass rusher Jihaad Campbell, a former Clemson commitment, is off the board to Alabama.
4:19 pm - SI99 offensive lineman Kam Dewberry continues the big day and cycle for Fisher and Texas A&M.
4:10 pm - The top defensive recruit is sticking with Texas A&M. Walter Nolen's Letter of Intent is officially in.
4:02 pm - Kamari Wilson, SI99 safety from Florida, made a public pick for Florida over Georgia and Texas A&M. Napier's staff got him on campus over the weekend despite not being in his top group and they land his signature just three days later.
3:50 pm - LSU keeps another prospect home in late target Jordan Allen, over Miami, Ole Miss and others. The Tigers got Allen on campus over the weekend, adding an offer from Brian Kelly's staff in the process.
3:34 pm - SI99 defensive lineman Anthony Lucas picks Texas A&M over LSU, Alabama and others. The Arizona native is the 10th SI99 addition for Jimbo Fisher and company. The race for No. 1 gets that much closer...
3:20 pm - USC has another SI99 addition under Lincoln Riley, edging Ohio State and others for Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman safety Zion Branch. The Trojans have a small class, but there is star power headed to L.A.
3:08 pm - SI99 WR Shazz Preston, the top receiver in Louisiana, announced his commitment to Alabama over LSU. The Crimson Tide has 11 SI99 members on board after signing 12 last cycle.
3:03 pm - Darrius Clemons, a one-time Oregon lock, announces a commitment to Michigan over Auburn and others. The Wolverines have picked up several pledges today but needed another pass catching weapon in the class.
2:53 pm - Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Dillard defensive end Nyjalik Kelly commits to Mario Cristobal and Miami over Florida State, where he was once committed. It's the first banner get for Cristobal while at The U.
2:50 pm - Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Dillard wide receiver Devin Mortimer flips his pledge from Florida State to Louisville Wednesday afternoon. The explosive slot receiver had been on board with Mike Norvell and company since March.
2:45 pm - Big trench battles in the junior college ranks and Mississippi State won a big Egg Bowl battle for Percy Lewis. The former Oregon commitment is helping Mike Leach and company finish up well on Wednesday. Don't expect Lewis to sit long in Starkville.
2:10 pm - Arizona State did indeed land quarterback Bennett Meredith, as the morning's intel suggested. ASU won out over Maryland.
1:50 pm - The Letter of Intent appears to have come into JSU's office. Travis Hunter's flip is officially official.
1:14 pm - Here comes Alabama. SI99 pass rusher Khurtiss Perry inks with Alabama after a tough battle with Auburn, Clemson and others. Massive SI99 get for UA.
12:20 pm - The noon hour felt like college football stopping, and that sound one heard was change on the way. Deion Sanders and Travis Hunter actually did it. A commitment of America's top recruit to Jackson State may have broken the internet.
11:10 am - Many pledges in the last 10 minutes. JUCO DB Decarlos Nicholson flipped from Kentucky to Mississippi State, QB Alex Orji flipped from Virginia Tech to Michigan and JUCO cornerback Keionte Scott is off the board to Auburn. Alabama held off a late LSU charge for former commit Aaron Anderson, too.
11:00 am - Expected to sign "first thing this morning," per a source, it's been rather quiet in the camp of No. 1 recruit Travis Hunter. Committed to Florida State since March of 2020, he took visits to Georgia and Jackson State as well as to Tallahassee during the 2021 season. Chatter has increased within the industry as well as on the ground in the Atlanta area around a potential flip to Deion Sanders and JSU. Nothing appears imminent at this time.
10:43 am - Michigan is up and down but the biggest recruit the program is in on just picked the Wolverines. Former Clemson defensive back commitment Keon Sabb, who was in Ann Arbor late in the cycle, makes it official in picking UM.
10:34 am - Michigan offensive lineman Deone Walker, considering Michigan, Georgia and Kentucky, just came off the board to Kentucky. It's a tough loss up front with a semi-local prospect for UM, especially having gotten the last visit. Wolverines miss out on two top trench prospects in Walker and Goodwin, who will pick UK or Michigan State at a later time.
10:20 am - LSU picked up a new commitment last night with an in-stater in Landon Ibieta and now another native is on board in defensive lineman Quincy Wiggins.
10:08 am - Michigan lost a commit to Texas but just flipped a recruit of their own in Louisiana native Amarion Walker. The big wide receiver changed his commitment after being on board for Notre Dame since March.
10:00 am - A third Texas flip is in as Terrance Brooks, the No. 1 nickel projection in the class, just announced a flip to the Longhorns over Ohio State. Ryan Day's staff had the Lone Stare State native committed to the Buckeyes since June 30.
9:35 am - One of the late-rising quarterbacks available will indeed sign on Wednesday. Communication with Texas created a potential pause for Hoover (Ala.) High School QB Bennett Meredith, but offers and visits to Arizona State and Maryland each played well. We hear a bit more buzz for Herm Edwards and company at this time.
9:28 am - Another flip! This time Texas works local edge rusher Ethan Burke away from their commitment list. The Longhorns are rolling right now.
9:19 am - In-state Georgia commitment Tyre West has announced a destination of Tennessee. The Vols got the big defensive lineman on campus during the final weekend of the cycle and the staff completes the flip.
9:05 am - One of the late risers in the state of Alabama, All-Star defensive lineman Trevon McAlpine, is off the board to Texas Tech. Oklahoma State was trending earlier this month, but Joey McGuire and company pick up a versatile interior defensive lineman.
8:42 am - A Texas flip just came in and it may not be the last of the day for Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns. Xavion Brice just announced a commitment to UT after being committed to Oklahoma since July.
8:39 am - Cam East, a former Mississippi State commitment who said he was likely to sign in February, just signed with Ole Miss. The Louisiana native is a long and lean athlete who the Rebels have been working to flip for some time.
8:25 am - Maryland already has its second flip of the day. In-state linebacker Jaishawn Barham committed to South Carolina on December 11 but he signs with the Terps anyway.
8:15 am - One of the top offensive line recruits in the country and an SI99 member, Kiyaunta Goodwin, announces a top two of Michigan State and Kentucky. He may not sign a letter this week as he mulls a decision. Goodwin has been committed to Mark Stoops and Kentucky for some time.
8:12 am - SI99 tight end Jake Johnson, a recent LSU decommitment, just announced for Texas A&M. Now tied with Alabama at nine SI99 recruits on board at this moment, the versatile tight end is the son of former NFL quarterback Brad Johnson.
8:02 am - One time West Virginia running back commitment Justin Williams, who is from Georgia and admitted he wanted to play in the SEC, picks Tennessee over Auburn. Josh Heupel and company should close well this week. Williams broke down the move with VR2:
7:52 am - Ole Miss just flipped Miami offensive tackle commitment Falentha Carswell, a towering tackle with a basketball background at 6'7". He took an Oxford official visit late in the process and the Rebel offensive line haul is quietly one of the best in the country. Lane Kiffin and company should have a rock solid day.
7:47 am - 247Sports is reporting Florida State offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham will accept the same position on Dan Lanning's staff at Oregon. What timing as FSU looks to compete for a top 10 recruiting class.
7:42 am - A signing day flip is in. Baltimore native and defensive lineman Andre Roye was committed to Penn State but just signed with in-state Maryland, per the Terps.
7:40 am - The first undecided SI99 recruit to make a decision is Naples (Fla.) High School star defensive back Devin Moore. A rangy ball-hawk who started on varsity for four years, he was committed to Notre Dame for some time but just became the early prize in Billy Napier's first class at Florida. The Gators just started what could be a big day relative to what it came into signing day with.
7:15 am - The first (sort of) flip of the day is in. Xavier Townsend, who decommitted from Iowa State of late, signed with Gus Malzahn and UCF. The Tampa native burst onto the scene as a junior and caught national attention in dominating a game televised by ESPN against New Orleans (La.) Isidore Newman and Arch Manning in which he totaled 334 yards and five touchdowns from scrimmage.
7:06 am - The first SI99 National Letter of Intent to be seen is that of Jaeden Gould, the defensive back out of New Jersey who committed to Nebraska on Tuesday and signed first thing Wednesday morning. Gould went in-depth on the decision.
7:00 am - The biggest shift in momentum leading up to signing day may lie with Billy Napier and the Florida Gators. Entering the day with just seven verbal commitments, the staff has hit the ground running and is in play for many big names over the course of the day, including flip candidates at Georgia (Shone Washington, Julian Humphrey), SI99 linebacker Shemar James and No. 1 safety Kamari Wilson, among others. Late Tuesday evening, a source told SI to expect a strong first impression at UF.
"Don't be surprised if there are several flips to UF," the source said.
6:45 am - After a big weekend on the offensive line, adding three verbal commitment including SI99 recruit Kelvin Banks, Texas continues to trend in the right direction. Steve Sarkisian and company are in the mix for multiple elite recruits Wednesday and could be on the verge of a top five recruiting class by day's end. There is even some chatter on keeping elite in-state defensive back recruit Terrance Brooks, the No. 1 nickel in America, within state lines despite a longstanding pledge to Ohio State.
6:30 am - Miami could surprise on Wednesday beyond being in the running for several prospects it previously sat on the outside looking in for. Local pass rusher Nyjalik Kelly is the first big Miami domino to eye and he is expected to make the call between UM, Florida State and others shortly after 10:00 am. The nation's No. 1 slot receiver, Kevin Coleman, will make a similar call between the Canes and Seminoles, but it won't likely be revealed until the All-American Bowl in January.
4:00 am - One of the transition coaching staffs expecting to lock in a headlining recruit is Duke's under Mike Elko. One of the later hires in the wild coaching carousel, the program has only suffered a pair of decommitments since transitioning from David Cutcliffe. The veteran coach's biggest get in the 2022 cycle, Bronx (N.Y.) Cardinal Hayes quarterback Henry Belin, was considering not signing this week in order to look into other programs reaching out like Ole Miss, Syracuse and Rutgers, but communication with Elko has changed his plan. Expect him to sign Wednesday morning.
"I've talked to Coach Elko pretty much every day since the night he got signed," Belin said. "I am gonna go ahead and sign. I’m confident in Coach Elko and what he’s gonna do with the program."
Midnight - LSU has landed the first commitment of the Brian Kelly era. In-state wide receiver Landon Ibieta, a longtime commitment to Miami, picked up a Tiger offer within the last week and was in Baton Rouge over the weekend before announcing his commitment Tuesday evening. It may not be a banner day relative to normal recruiting expectations, but multiple uncommitted Louisianans are expected to ink with the Tigers Wednesday.
Overnight - The European prospects have begun signing National Letters of Intent, as those with the opportunity to sign can begin doing so at 7:00 am local time. Players from Denmark, Germany and Sweden are among those officially on board to kick off their respective program's signatures. Of course, Australia is nearly 16 hours ahead of America on the clock, so specialists from the nation were first in the door.
