And... exhale.
Another Signing Day is in the books. Did you get everything you wanted? How’d the press conference go? Wait, let me guess. There was probably a “We really feel like we addressed our needs” or a “I think this might be our best class ever.” Maybe there was a disgruntled “We’re not about the star system here. I’m more concerned about how we do on the field in the fall.”
Anyway, there was a lot happening as recruits from around the country faxed in (for probably the first and only time in their lives) their national letter of intent. Below are some highlights from today. We’ll also have final class rankings later tonight when they become available, so stay tuned.
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Rebels with a cause
Ole Miss may not have had the top signing class in 2013 -- Rivals.com says that distinction technically belongs to Alabama for now -- but it’s difficult to imagine any one program having a bigger day than the Rebels. Hugh Freeze and his coaching staff managed to pull in the No. 1 overall recruit, Robert Nkemdiche; the No. 1 wide receiver Laquon Treadwell; and the No. 1 offensive lineman, Laremy Tunsil. All three are five-star prospects. Of course, this doesn’t mean Ole Miss is automatically an SEC West contender, but it’s hard not to be impressed with the pieces Freeze is putting into place.
Don’t forget about the champs, though
Yeah, Ole Miss had a banner day on the recruiting trail, but Alabama did pretty well today too. Win three out of four BCS championships and getting the best high school athletes in the country becomes a lot easier. And weirder, for that matter. Tide offensive line commit A’Shawn Robinson had a man in an elephant costume at his Signing Day press conference. Here’s the link to the picture (Warning: nightmare fuel).
It’s all about the [SWAG] U
While appearing on ESPNU’s coverage of Signing Day, Miami coach Al Golden spoke about the difficulty of recruiting with the NCAA’s investigation of the program lingering in the background -- even with the Association completely botching said investigation. Still, the Hurricanes were able to land four-star wide receiver Stacy Coley. Upon making his announcement, Coley pulled out an orange and green “SWAG” hat -- SWAG of course standing for “Stuff We All Get” -- as everyone watching nearly died from the irony.
For whom the recruiting Bell tolls
Most of the Big Ten may be struggling to land top recruits, but Michigan and Ohio State certainly aren’t. In fact, Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer managed to flip a couple of recruits from SEC territory: highly-touted safety, Vonn Bell, previously a Tennessee commit; and four-star receiver, James Clark, who was previously “in good shape” to sign with Florida. That’s some B1G crootin’ right there.
Vander-does is better than Vander-doesn’t
Notre Dame signed three five-star recruits on Wednesday, including 310-pound defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes. It’s weird to think the Irish could quietly have one of the best classes this year, but this is a top-five group that could rise another spot or two tonight before the final rankings are called.
Is that you, Landon Collins’ mom?
Watch out, Alex Collins’ mother is apparently on the loose with her son’s letter of intent in hand. The four-star running back committed to Arkansas Monday night, but it sounds like his mother has other plans. Collins is still expected to sign with the Hogs, but yikes.
Randy Edsall’s high speed chase: more exciting than Maryland football
Speaking of weird recruiting stories, this one from Maryland coach Randy Edsall doesn’t get much stranger. Calling 911 and getting chased out of a neighborhood by a mysterious truck was involved. Thankfully, no quarterbacks were harmed in the process.
It’s not the size that matters
USC had one of the smallest classes today with 12 commitments, but had more five-star signees (five) than any other program. Rivals.com has the Trojans as the team with the highest star average with 4.42.
Unfamiliar territory
While Oklahoma and Texas had top-20 classes, neither had a five-star commitment. The last time either program went without a five-star commit was in 2010 and 2008, respectively.