College football recruiting tracker: 2023 National Signing Day live updates
The traditional National Signing Day for the 2023 class takes center stage as the college football recruiting calendar moves to February.
And with it, schools and coaches are making one last pitch to the top uncommitted high school players in the country.
This year, as happens in recent years, most of the action actually took place back in the Early Signing Period, when more than 80 percent of FBS scholarship players sign their National Letter of Intent.
But we came into the formal National Signing Day with a few choice prospects yet to make it official on where they will play in college.
Where things stand: College football recruiting rankings for 2023 updated
Here are all the most important updates surrounding the best prospects and the biggest schools that will most influence what next season looks like.
College football recruiting tracker: 2023 National Signing Day live updates
Keeping up with the college football recruiting updates
National Signing Day 2023 schedule, updates
Cormani McClain makes it official: The No. 1 cornerback made news by spurning Miami in favor of Colorado and Deion Sanders and on Signing Day he put his name on the NLI for the Buffaloes.
That makes it two straight years that Sanders has flipped the top corner in a class after signing Travis Hunter at Jackson State in 2022. Hunter transferred to CU to stay with Prime and he'll join McClain in a new-look secondary going forward.
ATH Nyckoles Harbor to the SEC: The top uncommitted 5-star prospect made it official by choosing South Carolina over finalists LSU, Oregon, and others. The No. 1 athlete and No. 15 overall player nationally, according to 247Sports, boasts elite athletic traits with "excellent body control" who has "huge upside because of development possibilities," per recruiting analyst Brian Dohn.
South Carolina has recruited well in the 2023 cycle, emerging as a top 20 program nationally in most team rankings this offseason. No. 1 defensive lineman and No. 4 national player Elijah Davis also pledged to the Gamecocks, among five at his position to choose the school, in addition to five wide receivers.
4-star TE picks Trojans. Walker Lyons, one of the top remaining four-star prospects on the board in 2023, announced his commitment to USC, something of a surprise after many analysts forecasted he would pick Georgia.
But there will be a delay in Lyons — a one-time Stanford pledge who reversed course after David Shaw stepped down there — arriving in LA as he's currently on a Mormon mission in Europe. He's expected to join USC in 2024.
Jaden Rashada saga ends. Arizona State wins the Rashada sweepstakes after the QB made it official on Signing Day.
Named the No. 7 quarterback in the country, Rashada initially pledged to Miami before flipping to Florida, and he signed his NLI with the Gators on Early Signing Day, but a reported clash over a mega NIL deal moved the quarterback to back out of his Florida pledge, going back on the market. Now he heads to the desert to play for rookie coach Kenny Dillingham.
CB Rodrick Pleasant to the Ducks: The No. 100 prospect on the ESPN rankings announced his commitment to Oregon, choosing the Ducks over finalists USC and UCLA, among others.
Four-star TE picks Hogs. Shamar Easter, a consensus top 10 tight end nationally, signed with Arkansas early on National Signing Day, picking the Razorbacks over Auburn, Florida State, and others.
Duce Robinson delays decision. The top tight end in the 2023 recruiting class is not expected to sign his letter of intent on Signing Day as he decides whether to begin his college football career or head to the MLB Draft instead. Among his two dozen football offers are Georgia, USC, and Alabama, with UGA emerging as the likely favorite.
Best prospects in 2023 recruiting cycle
10. Caleb Downs (5-11, 197). The safety is the No. 1 ranked prospect at the position and in the state of Georgia. Where he's headed: Alabama
9. Cormani McClain (6-2, 165). The cornerback is the No. 1 ranked prospect at the position and the No. 3 player from the state of Florida. Where he's headed: Colorado
8. Nico Iamaleava (6-5, 195). The quarterback is the No. 4 ranked prospect at the position and the No. 2 player from California. Where he's headed: Tennessee
7. Zachariah Branch (5-10, 172). The wide receiver is the No. 1 player at his position and from the state of Nevada. Where he's headed: USC
6. Arch Manning (6-4, 215). The quarterback is our No. 3 ranked player at the position and the No. 1 prospect from Louisiana. Where he's headed: Texas
5. Francis Mauigoa (6-5, 330). The offensive tackle is the No. 2 ranked player at his position and from the state of Florida. Where he's headed: Miami
4. Kadyn Proctor (6-7, 330). The offensive tackle is the No. 1 player from the state of Iowa and at his position nationally. Where he's headed: Alabama
3. Keon Keeley (6-5, 242). The edge rusher is the No. 1 player both from the state of Florida and at his position in 2023. Where he's headed: Alabama
2. Malachi Nelson (6-3, 182). The quarterback is the No. 1 prospect from California and the No. 2 player at his position. Where he's headed: USC
Related: High profile QB flips from Oregon
1. Dante Moore (6-3, 185). The quarterback is the No. 1 player from Michigan and the No. 1 player at the position. Where he's headed: UCLA
More: Where the top 25 college football recruits in 2023 have signed
Updates from 2023 Early Signing Period
Peyton Bowen flips to OU from Oregon from Notre Dame. The five-star safety turned heads on Signing Day when he flipped from the Irish to the Ducks, but then the next day made another jump, for the Sooners.
Bowen hails from Denton (Tex.) Guyer and was a long-time OU target back when he pledged to ND and the school never gave up on him. He ranks as the No. 2 safety in America, according to On3, an important building block as Brent Venables renovates his team's defense.
Oregon adds 5-star wide receiver. Jurrion Dickey, the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder is the No. 22 overall prospect, 2nd ranked player from California, and No. 2 wide receiver in the 2023 class, according to the On3 Recruiting Consensus. Dickey had pledged to the Ducks back in May, but made it official by signing his NLI.
Coveted EDGE picks Georgia over Ohio State. Damon Wilson, a gifted edge rusher named the No. 6 player at his position nationally, made waves by spurning the Buckeyes in favor of Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs. Wilson, who stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 230 pounds, compiled nine sacks this past season at Venice (Fla.) and also logged snaps at tight end. He joins Samuel M'Pemba and Gabriel Harris as Georgia's third edge pickup.
Alabama signs 5-star teammates. Nick Saban got a pair of commits in defensive lineman James Smith and edge rusher Qua Russaw, teammates at Montgomery (Ala.) Carver. Smith is the 18th ranked overall player and No. 2 D-lineman on the 247 board, while Russaw earned a No. 22 overall ranking as the No. 3 edge rusher. That put Bama in front nationally with six 5-star prospects.
Oregon gains 5-star lineman. Matayo Uiagalelei committed to the Ducks over finalists Ohio State and USC thanks in large part to the efforts of defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Tosh Lupoi, who led the charge for the the player from St. John Bosco (Calif.) listed as a top 35 player nationally by 247, part of what emerged as a huge day for Oregon overall.
USC adds two 5-star receivers. Zachariah Branch, the No. 1 ranked wideout in the 2023 class, and Makai Lemon, the No. 3 at the position, both signed with the Trojans, clinching two elite targets for the team's major 2023 quarterback gain.
Top quarterbacks sign their NLI. Many of the premier quarterback talents in the 2023 college football recruiting class have made their pledges official, including:
- Malachi Nelson: Ranked as the No. 1 player in California and the 2nd best quarterback and overall prospect, Nelson officially signed with USC.
- Nico Iamaleava: The No. 10 player and No. 5 quarterback on the board signed his letter with Tennessee.
- Jackson Arnold: The No. 2 player from Texas and No. 8 quarterback recruit signed with Oklahoma.
- Christopher Vizzina: The 6-4, 205-pound prospect from Birmingham signed his letter of intent with Clemson.
- Avery Johnson: The top player in Kansas is staying home as he signed his NLI with reigning Big 12 champion Kansas State.
- Dylan Lonergan: A top 150 player nationally and top 10 prospect from Georgia signed his letter with Alabama.
5-star RB rolls with the Tide. Justice Haynes, the No. 2 player from Georgia and top 30 player nationally, stuck with Alabama despite overtures from UGA and Ohio State. He ran for 1,695 yards and 23 touchdowns this past season at Buford Roswell.
Suntarine Perkins chooses Rebels. Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss had to fend off Alabama to sign the No. 1 player in Mississippi and a top 50 linebacker recruit nationally amid rumors he could flip to the Crimson Tide, but Perkins is staying home in an important gain for the Rebs.
Arch Manning makes it official. The consensus 5-star quarterback and No. 1 overall player according on most services formally signed with Texas, the biggest recruiting get for the Longhorns in this cycle, as the quarterback earned a 0.9999 rating on the 247Sports Composite.
Recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna said that Manning "displays excellent arm talent, showing the ability to make every throw on the field within the pocket. Excels as an intermediate passer. Throws an exceptional deep ball, flashing outstanding touch and ball placement."
Austin Novosad flips to Oregon. A signing day shocker as the 4-star quarterback, who had been committed to Baylor for about a year, but Dante Moore's decision to flip from Oregon to UCLA. New Ducks offensive coordinator Will Stein led the push for Novosad, a consensus top 10 quarterback nationally who averaged 275 passing yards per game in his high school career.
Kadyn Proctor flips to Alabama. The consensus 5-star offensive tackle, named the No. 2 OT and No. 12 overall recruit in 2023 by On3 Sports, and who had received 20 offers before he was 16 years old, was a former Iowa pledge out of Des Moines. The service calls him a "wide, physically-developed tackle who excels as a mauling run blocker. Dominant at the point of attack." Proctor said he always kept the Tide "in my back pocket," and is intrigued to play for a national title contender.
Marcel Reed flips to Texas A&M. The four-star quarterback out of Nashville had been an Ole Miss commit since April, but had been open about looking around recently, taking visits to Auburn and A&M. Reed (6-2, 180) threw for 2,198 yards with 27 TDs while running for 944 yards and 15 more scores as a senior, going 12-1 at Montgomery Bell, going to the DII-AAA state title game.
Dante Moore flips to UCLA. The 5-star was a former Oregon pledge, but the loss of offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham to Arizona State appears to be the inspiration for Moore to think again. Moore is the No. 5 quarterback and the No. 11 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, per 247.
More: Dante Moore flips from Oregon to UCLA
Nebraska adds 4-star EDGE. Princewill Umanmielen became the 8th pickup for first-year coach Matt Rhule and is the current highest-rated player in the Cornhuskers' class, according to 247Sports.
Mark Fletcher picks Miami. The consensus 4-star running back and former Ohio State commitment elected to stay closer to home. The 6-1, 225-pound back is ranked as the 15th best at his position by 247Sports and ran for 1,934 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior at Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage.
Dylan Raiola de-commits from Ohio State. The five-star quarterback and No. 1 overall recruit in the 2024 class announced he was stepping away from his pledge to the Buckeyes, a move that reportedly took Ryan Day and his staff off-guard. Georgia, Nebraska, Alabama, and USC could be in the running for the player.
More: Dylan Raiola, No. 1 prospect in 2024, de-commits from Ohio State
Texas adds Anthony Hill, Jr. The five-star linebacker, and one-time Texas A&M pledge, announced his commitment to what's shaping up to be an elite 2023 recruiting class for the Longhorns. Hill is the No. 1 linebacker and No. 19 overall player in the nation, according to 247Sports, becoming the fourth five-star to choose Texas this year.
Pancake Honcho is headed to Miami. Mario Cristobal has been aggressive on the trail this year, recently adding the 6-foot-5, 305-pound offensive tackle Samson Okunlola, who more than one scout as called the premier player at his position nationally, alongside another earlier pickup in 5-star OL prospect in tackle Francis Mauigoa.
5-star 2024 Miami wideout picks Ohio State. Jeremiah Smith is going with the Buckeyes after emerging as the top overall prospect from South Florida for the '24 class. The 6-3, 185-pounder caught 58 passes for 1,073 yards and 30 touchdowns this past season to lead his school to a 13-0 record, which was highlighted by wins over Fort Lauderdale American Heritage and Miami Northwestern on their way to their fifth state title in six years.
Ohio State lands 2023 quarterback. Four-star prospect Lincoln Kienholz from South Dakota flipped from Washington to the Buckeyes, becoming the scarlet and gray's 20th commitment after a 46 touchdown effort as a senior.
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