With Wednesday’s early signing deadline for the 2023 college football recruitment cycle set to grab everyone’s attention, there’s a wealth of major storylines as top programs across the country scramble to fill their classes. Some of these storylines are the same every year.
Alabama, Georgia and the state of Ohio routinely recruit at a level above many others. A bold, up and coming program goes a little beyond its coverage and grabs everyone’s attention – like Texas A&M last year and Miami this year. Then we have the player who decides to set Signing Day on fire by dodging the experts and embarking on a surprise school (check out what you started, Travis Hunter!).
It may be 90% of the top 100 recruits from the board as we move into the early signing phase, but there’s still some drama for fans to keep in mind. Can anyone catch Alabama for the top spot? Will Miami solidify as this year’s Texas A&M? Will there be a seismic shift like Travis Hunter? Stay tuned because there is a lot to see.
Join us for Signing Day Live on the 247Sports YouTube channel on Wednesday, December 21 at 9:00am ET (starting at 11:00am on CBS Sports HQ) as our 247Sports experts discuss all the ins and outs report early in the contract period. From live signings to updated class leaderboards and everything in between, Signing Day Live is your one-stop destination for live coverage as the nation’s top programs sign the Class of 2023.
Storylines will follow on National Signing Day
1. Is Colorado… ready to make a big entrance?
Deion Sanders and Travis Hunter shocked the world a year ago when the No. 1 recruit in the class announced he was turning his pledge from Sanders’ alma mater, Florida State, to sign with Jackson State. Coach Prime practiced his last game at Jackson State at the Celebration Bowl while preparing to take over in Colorado, so all attention will now be on the Buffs program.
Sanders is already making waves. He flipped former Notre Dame running back Dylan Edwards, and this weekend he had elite edge rusher Tausili Akana, No. 1 in Utah, for a surprise unofficial visit. Also visiting was Nebraska’s #1 prospect, Malachi Coleman, who was once involved with the Cornhuskers but has now piqued the interest of the buffs. Vicari Swain, a Top 247 athlete from Georgia, was also in town.
In fact, the Buffs had almost 20 visitors last weekend, some of them Portal players (not counting the Jackson State players who are expected to follow Sanders). There were also plenty of top prospects for 2024 and 2025. Colorado is cool once again, and with the way Coach Prime has recruited in Jackson State, we shouldn’t expect a Hunter-like surprise this week.
2. Alabama back at the top of the recruiting leaderboard
The race for the top spot is essentially over as Alabama makes its triumphant return. After Texas A&M signed its generation class in 2022 and Alabama finished second, the Crimson Tide are back on the recruiting mountain.
From the looks of it, The Tide has received commitments from 11 of the top 100 players and six more in the top 247. In fact, a staggering 17 of their 25 commits are in the top 247. And just for fun, Nick Saban has also secured acceptances from the top two junior college prospects in the class.
Alabama has three other top-25 prospects visiting over the weekend and will also be waiting to see if it can flip the nation’s No. 1 Kadyn Proctor, of Iowa. The Tide won’t win the national championship this season, but they’re running away with the recruiting title.
3. Welcome back to Florida’s Big Three
The Sunshine State is better when all three schools — Florida, Florida State, and Miami — are good. All three are recruiting well at the moment, especially compared to the past few years. Success may not be as high as it was in the 1990s or 2000s when all three were perennial national title contenders, but it’s better than it has been in recent years.
It also extends beyond the state’s borders, and for proof you can look no further than the head-to-head fight that took place between Miami and Florida over California quarterback Jaden Rashada. Miami got its acceptance in June, but drama unfolded in November when the Gators flipped the five-star signal caller from the ‘Canes. Meanwhile, Florida believed it had favored Massachusetts lineman Samson Okunlola, but ultimately chose Miami.
Then there’s Florida State, who are enjoying one of their best seasons on the field in recent years. While the Seminoles rank lower in recruit rankings than Miami and Florida, they rank higher on the field as coach Mike Norvell continues to lead the program in a positive direction during its rebuild.
Many domestic recruitment battles have unfolded between the Florida Big Three. The more things change in college football, the more they stay the same.
4. NIL puts the spotlight on the coaching carousel
The biggest buzz in the early signing phase last December was a coaching carousel that included some mind-blowing moves like Lincoln Riley to USC, Brian Kelly to LSU and Mario Cristobal to Miami. There have not been any major coaching changes of this magnitude this year, but even if there were, the excitement would still be about name, image and likeness. Or more specifically, how NIL has shaped recruitment courses.
It was murmured in last year’s cycle when some schools performed better than expected on recruitment, but this year it was by far the most dominant storyline. It blew up as each recruiting battle lost was quickly followed by shouts of “NIL, NIL, NIL!”
It’s stupid to bury your head in the sand and pretend that NIL doesn’t play a role in recruitment. And it’s not going anywhere either.