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3 things to watch as early signing period begins

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Although the curtain has closed on the college football regular season, the early signing period is already upon us.

Wednesday morning represents the first opportunity for prospects in the 2022 class to turn commitments into official signings.

Here are three things to watch when the early signing period kicks off.

*All player and class rankings according to ESPN

Major coaching turnover

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A truckload of dynamite was added to the early signing period thanks to a coaching carousel unlike any we've seen. Wednesday arrives with eight programs in the top 12 of ESPN's class rankings having undergone massive coaching turnover in the past few weeks.

No. 2 Georgia: Lost coordinator Dan Lanning to Oregon
No. 3 Penn State: Lost coordinator Brent Pry to Virginia Tech
No. 4 Oklahoma: Lost head coach Lincoln Riley to USC
No. 5 Notre Dame: Lost head coach Brian Kelly to LSU
No. 6 Texas A&M: Lost coordinator Mike Elko to Duke
No. 9 Oregon: Lost head coach Mario Cristobal to Miami
No. 11 Clemson: Lost coordinators Brent Venables to Oklahoma, Tony Elliott to Virginia
No. 12 LSU: Hired Kelly from Notre Dame as head coach

The reverberations from the moves have already been felt at Oklahoma, as Riley's fourth-ranked class suffered major departures when the head coach left for USC. The Sooners are sure to plummet down the rankings after at least six players in the 2022 class decommitted. Highly touted running back Raleek Brown headlines that group, as the California native has already committed to Riley at USC. The 2023 class at Oklahoma also took a major hit with the country's second-ranked quarterback Malachi Nelson deciding to join the Trojans as well.

Georgia and Penn State should be able to handle the losses of their defensive coordinators, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Notre Dame's and Oregon's class dip with the departures of Brian Kelly and Mario Cristobal, respectively. Kelly's ability to close at LSU will be something to watch after securing the nation's top quarterback, Walker Howard, in an incredibly awkward dancing video.

Uncommitted players in top 50

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While most of the top 50 players in the country have committed, there will likely be a few flips on signing day due to coaching turnover. Add the fact there are still 14 players in the top 50 who haven't committed, and the remainder of the recruiting cycle has the potential to be explosive.

No. 3 - DE Shemar Stewart
No. 5 - OLB Harold Perkins
No. 6 - CB Domani Jackson
No. 9 - OT Devon Campbell
No. 14 - S Kamari Wilson
No. 15 - WR Shazz Preston
No. 22 - CB Denver Harris
No. 23 - DE Derrick Moore
No. 26 - DE Omari Abor
No. 28 - OT Josh Conerly Jr.
No. 33 - OT Kelvin Banks
No. 37 - DE Enai White
No. 43 - CB Daylen Everette
No. 47 - S Jacoby Mathews

Can anyone knock Alabama off No. 1?

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Alabama once again sits atop the class rankings heading into Wednesday. Nick Saban's reputation as a dogged recruiter is certainly well deserved, as the legendary coach has delivered the top class in the country for the Crimson Tide in seven of the past 11 years.

Saban currently has 16 players committed in the ESPN 300, with five-star offensive tackle Tyler Booker and second-ranked defensive end Jeremiah Alexander leading the way. Highly touted wideout Shazz Preston is considering Alabama, as is five-star offensive tackle Devon Campbell and No. 2 cornerback Domani Jackson.

Georgia is right on the heels of their conference rival. Kirby Smart has 13 different players committed from the ESPN 300 heading into Wednesday and is considered a major player for those who are uncommitted in the top 50.

Expect some fireworks out of the Lone Star State before the recruiting cycle is finished, as both Texas A&M and Texas should rise in the rankings with big names hopping aboard.

The Aggies already have a commitment from the top player in the country, defensive tackle Walter Nolen, and added fourth-ranked prospect Gabe Brownlow-Dindy after he decommitted from Oklahoma following Riley's departure.

The biggest addition first-year head coach Steve Sarkisian has made for the Longhorns wasn't from the high school level, adding five-star quarterback Quinn Ewers as a transfer from Ohio State. Texas also added a commitment from four-star offensive tackle Kelvin Banks following his decommitment from Oregon.

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