National Signing Day: Recruiting Rankings, Transfers, Signees
Early Signing Day in December has become the dominant signing day. Most of the nation's biggest recruits already signed their National Letters of Intent (NLI, not to be confused with Name, Image, Likeness -- NIL). But National Signing Day marks the end of the recruiting cycle and sets rankings in stone.
How did the nation's powerhouses fare in this recruiting cycle? Where did the biggest transfers land? Buckle in– we're going to dissect all of that below.
National Signing Day: The Top Classes
For the rundown on what happened on Early Signing Day, you can read our previous roundup here. Per 247Sports, these are the top 10 classes in the nation. The class rankings take into account transfers, as well.
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Texas A&M Aggies
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Texas Longhorns
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Oklahoma Sooners
- USC Trojans
- LSU Tigers
While Texas A&M signed the highest-ranked recruiting class of all time, Alabama actually tops the list of class rankings. The deciding factor? The Tide hit the proverbial transfer portal jackpot this year with three massive additions. The biggest ones include former Georgia Tech running back Jahmyr Gibbs, former Georgia receiver Jermaine Burton, and former LSU corner Eli Ricks. All three players were ranked among the nation's top 10 transfers.
USC lands inside the top 10 for the same reason. New coach Lincoln Riley brought a lot of Oklahoma talent with him, including star receiver Mario Williams and the nation's top transfer, star quarterback Caleb Williams. Later on, we'll dissect more of the best transfer classes.
Overall, there's no surprises in the top 10. Each school is an annual powerhouse and recruiting factory. However, a handful of schools land inside the top 10 in recruiting rankings that may provide a breath of fresh air: Michigan (8) and North Carolina (9).
The Biggest National Signing Day Decisions
Early Signing Day didn't take all of the nation's talent off the board– three of the top 10 recruits went unsigned. All three will make their decision today. When they do, you can find where they landed here.
DL Shermar Stewart (Opa Locka, FL): Texas A&M
A stud five-star defensive lineman made his commitment to Texas A&M on National Signing Day. He indicated that Miami was a close contender and said "[Miami] will always be home," before picking up the maroon hat. He's the top recruit in Florida, the third-ranked DL recruit, and the 10th-ranked overall recruit.
LB Harold Perkins (Cypress, TX): LSU
The nation's eighth-ranked recruit is heading to Baton Rouge. Perkins is a freak athlete out of Cy Park High School near Houston who recorded a 4.49 40-yard dash as a senior. He chose LSU over Alabama, Texas, and Texas A&M, among others. 247Sports projects Perkins as a future first-round NFL draft pick.
OL Devon Campbell (Arlington Bowie, TX): Texas
Campbell is a violent bully in the best sense of the word. A top-10 national recruit, the offensive lineman's tape shines with tossing opponents left and right. He's powerful and strong, and decided to join the Longhorns in Austin. Campbell weighs in at over 300 pounds, but is also an accomplished basketball player.
National Signing Day: The Biggest Signings
As the day rolls on, major players will sign their NLI. Some players made some surprising decisions. This list will be updated as the biggest players make their decision.
- RB Terrance Gibbs (Winter Park, FL): Four star RB signed with Georgia Southern. He is the first four star to ever sign with the Eagles.
- SAF Myles Rowser (Belleville, MI): Four star SAF signs with Campbell. Becomes the highest-rated recruit ever for the Camels.
- RB TreVonte' Citizen (Lake Charles, LA): Four star RB commits to Miami. Louisiana's 10th-ranked recruit.
- DL Christen Miller (Cedar Grove, GA): Four star DL commits to Georgia. 102nd-ranked recruit in the country.
- RB Jordan James (Murfreesboro, TN): Four star running back signed with Oregon. Was committed to Georgia.
- TE RJ Maryland (Southlake Carroll): Signed with SMU, third-highest recruit to sign with Mustangs.
- OL Deshawn Woods (Omaha, NE): Four star signed with Wyoming. Highest ranked recruit ever for Wyoming.
- DL Caden Story (Lanett, AL): Four star signed with Clemson. 27th DL nationally.
- RB Ajay Allen (Monroe, LA): Signed with Nebraska after decommitting from TCU.
Top Transfers
The transfer portal has become instrumental in the success of college programs. With the one-time rule implemented by the NCAA for 2021, the portal has become a busy place. It's become so prevalent that 247Sports introduced transfer class rankings this year.
The top names to have made moves aren't always the ones who will make the biggest splash. The most impactful recruits include:
QB Caleb Williams: Oklahoma to USC
Williams is the top transfer for a reason. He was a top high school recruit and showed the ability to be a superstar as a freshman at Oklahoma. He'll be an immediate starter in SoCal and, under Lincoln Riley, will be a favorite for the Heisman Trophy.
CB Eli Ricks: LSU to Alabama
Ricks was one of the top cornerbacks in the 2020 recruiting cycle. After a coaching change was made at LSU, he moved on to Alabama. The Tide had a relative deficiency in the defensive secondary this past season. The addition of Ricks immediately improves their unit.
RB Jahmyr Gibbs: Georgia Tech to Alabama
Alabama has been a running back factory for years. However, senior Brian Robinson may have been their least explosive back in some years this past season. Gibbs was a standout at Georgia Tech– a tough thing to do in that offensive void. He'll likely be the Day 1 starter in Tuscaloosa and makes the backfield with Bryce Young twice as dangerous.
EDGE Jared Verse: Albany to Florida State
Verse was the FCS' top transfer. Every school in the nation was interested in adding him to the roster, but Florida State won the sweepstakes. Despite a disappointing season, the Seminoles' defense took a major step forward midseason, likely saving the staff's jobs. Verse is a disruptor and steps right in for a departing Jermaine Johnson.
SAF Brandon Joseph: Northwestern to Notre Dame
Brandon Joseph steps into the perfect situation. Predecessor Kyle Hamilton is expected to be a top-five NFL Draft pick and leaves a major void in the Notre Dame secondary. Joseph is a rangy ballhawk that made throwing long on Northwestern difficult this past year. Though his physique (6' 1") differs from Hamilton's (6' 4"), Joseph will play a similar role.
QB Dillion Gabriel: UCF to Oklahoma
Caleb Williams took his talent to Southern California and Spencer Rattler left for South Carolina. Would Oklahoma finally have to find a new quarterback? Nope– UCF star Dillion Gabriel announced his transfer to Norman this offseason. In 26 games in Orlando, Gabriel threw for over 8,000 yards. To make the math easier, that's 310 yards per game.
OT Miles Frazier: Florida International to LSU
Frazier was one of two major tackle transfers heading to Baton Rouge. LSU revamped their offensive line entirely under Brian Kelly, which was a real issue in 2021. Frazier was one of the most coveted transfers when he announced he would not be returning to FIU. He fills right in as a probable Day-1 starter for the Tigers.
OL Victor Oluwatimi: Virginia to Michigan
Michigan's offensive line won the Jim Moore Award for the top unit in the nation in 2021, but most of those guys are departing. Instead of tearing down and rebuilding, Michigan turned to the transfer portal. Oluwatimi is a stud prospect and will make an immediate impact in Ann Arbor.
Of course, this isn't an exhaustive list and doesn't include every big name.
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