National Signing Day: A look ahead

With the collegiate version of the NFL draft — minus the high-dollar contracts.  Unless you attend Southern Cal. (lighten up, it’s a jab.  A poke, if you will.) — fast approaching, the fine folks at NBC Sports.com have asked us to offer up a preview of what to expect when National Signing Day rolls around.

So, we are graciously obliging.  Even as our recruiting expertise is roughly equivalent to Vince Young’s ability to master the Wonderlic.

Regardless, here are just a few of the myriad storylines that might be able to whet your appetite ahead of the day that could go a long way in determining the future success of (insert your school here).

WILL RECRUITNIKS STILL RESPECT FLORIDA IN THE MORNING?The Gators have been universally lauded for having 2010′s top recruiting class.  One recruitnik even goes so far as to state that UF will have the greatest recruiting class in the history of recruiting classes since they started ranking the greatness of recruiting classes.

Florida currently has approximately 197,000 verbal commitments from four- and five-star recruits in their back pockets.  While the number is actually a tad bit smaller than that faux number — it’s in the neighborhood of 15-18, depending on the recruiting service — it’s still an impressive class, made even more impressive by the fact that a “Weekend at Urbie’s” remake was being played out in Gainesville during the last month and a half.

If Urban Meyer can keep this 2010 class together — and it appears he will.  In spades — it will be his greatest achievement as a head coach since, well, hauling in all of that BcS bling.

And he will apparently do it sans the shout outs to The Big Recruiter in the Sky, so he has that going for him, which is good.

TYPICAL BIG MAN, SCARED OF COMMITMENTThe biggest uncommitted fish in the recruiting pool would literally be a huge get for someone — at 6-8, 300+ pounds, Seantrel Henderson would make a helluva bridge abutment if this whole football thing doesn’t work out.

Ranked as the No. 2 player in the country by Rivals.com — and No. 1 overall by both Scout.com and MaxPrep — the Minnesota high school offensive tackle is currently considering Ohio State, Notre Dame, Florida, Miami (Fla.), Minnesota and USC.

We’ve been told that Henderson will ultimately opt for the Buckeyes, although no one outside of Henderson’s inner circle actually has a firm — or knowledgeable — grasp on what the lineman’s intentions will be.

And if the Gators were to somehow steal a commitment from yet another five-star recruit?  The Internet will run out of superlatives to describe UF’s class, and the recruiting arm of the ‘net may cease to exist after imploding on itself.

(Hey, hold your applause.  That’s not very nice.)

One thing to consider: Henderson made a visit to the Hurricanes this past weekend, and sometimes the last impression makes the best one.  Don’t sleep on The U when it comes to this elite prospect.

UNDER CENTER, UNDER SIEGE, UNDERWHELMINGIf you are a fan of a school looking for immediate help at the quarterback position, you might want to consider foregoing holding your breath this year.

According to Rivals.com, Jake Heaps — a BYU commitment — is the top QB in the country.  And he’s just the 63rd player on their Big Board.  The only other QB in the Top 100 is Alabama commit Phillip Sims, and he comes in four spots lower than Heaps.  The next quarterback on their list doesn’t appear until No. 113 — Connor Wood (Texas).

Of course, no one knows for certain how any of the quarterbacks in the Class of 2010 will pan out, so there could be an underrated gem or two or eight scattered amidst the ranking debris.

At least on paper, however, it’s not looking like a good year for signal caller help, either now or in the future.

‘COCK-SURE ON RB COMMITMENTYou hate to say a recruiting class hinges on the whims of one player, a player who might not even be old enough to vote, but that may just be the case when it comes to South Carolina and their pursuit of Marcus Lattimore.

Simply put, this running back is a must get for Steve Spurrier’s football program.  No, Gamecocks football will not cease to exist if they don’t land Lattimore, but they cannot let the top talent in the state bolt.  Especially for a conference rival.

Oh, did we mention that South Carolina’s main — and only — competition is Auburn?

The Gamecocks have two things going in their favor.  One, geography as Lattimore is from the state.  And, two, Auburn already has fellow back Michael Dyer in the fold, and he just happens to be the only RB rated higher than Lattimore.

All the signs point to the Gamecocks, but the USC faithful will not be able to breathe easy until the pen is put to the Letter of Intent.

(UPDATE Feb. 2 @ 6:56 p.m. ET: During an announcement held at his local church, Lattimore did indeed opt to stay in-state and verbally committed to the Gamecocks.  Again, this is a huge get for Steve Spurrier‘s program, which can use all the talented help it can get.)

CAN DOOLEY HOLD IT TOGETHER?Perhaps the biggest fallout in Lane Kiffin’s abrupt and unexpected decision to bolt for Southern Cal was the effect it would have on Tennessee’s 2010 class.

Thus far, and with every available appendage crossed, it’s looking like the Volunteers will still have a Top Ten group heading to Knoxville.  As long as the core of the current class remains intact after Wednesday, the sting of Kiffin’s departure — and the stumbling coaching search that ensued — will be lessened.  And Dooley’s stature will increase exponentially in the eyes of Vols Nation.

POST-BOBBY FSU: REVIVAL… OR FURTHER RELAPSEA good portion of Florida State’s recent on-field troubles have been pinned on Bobby Bowden’s inability to recruit as well as he did during the halcyon days of the eighties and nineties.

With new head coach Jimbo Fisher officially in charge, there’s a sneaking suspicion that Florida State could back-door themselves into the Top Ten once the recruiting dust settles — and snagging safety Demar Dorsey from the Gators certainly wouldn’t hurt that effort.

For FSU to return to relevance, the recruiting efforts need to be ramped up.  Based on the early returns, that’s exactly what Fisher is beginning to accomplish.

THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS BAD PUBLICITYEven as the Boise State’s and TCU’s of the non-automatic qualifying world are still viewed as second-class citizens by the BcS — second-class being defined as “having little shot at a national title under the current cartel” — one of the benefits of the controversy surrounding the current system used to determine a national champion is eyes.

Eyes as in potential recruits seeing the controversy, hearing the names of the schools attached to the debate, and possibly considering a place that, up until a couple of years ago, may not have been on any three-star recruits’ radar, let alone the four- and five-stars that only consider the upper echelon of schools.

Take the Horned Frogs, for example.  From SI.com: “In 2006, TCU landed no four-stars, 10 three-stars and eight two-stars, for a class average of 2.56. Four years later, the Horned Frogs have upgraded to a class that includes three four-stars, 15 three-stars and no two-stars, for an average of 3.17.” p>

The last thing the BcS
wants to do is put these schools on a level playing field.  If the recruiting efforts of programs such as Boise State and TCU continues it’s current trend up in 2010, however, the system will have no choice but to go the inclusion route.  With or without government intervention.

PITY POOR ALABAMAThe last two seasons, Alabama has come out of Signing Day with the top class in the country.

This year, they’ll “only” likely finish at bottom-end of the top five, and that’s provided Keenan Allen decides to remain committed to the Tide and not follow his half-brother — former Buffalo quarterback Zach Maynard — to a place like Clemson.

I guess the Tide will just have to assuage the anguish and grief that would ensue by staring at their national championship rings.  Or the crystal trophy.  Or both.