Takeaways from Day 1 of Early Signing Period
The Early Signing Period has replaced National Signing Day for the most dramatic time in the college football recruiting cycle, and the kickoff to the 2021 event Wednesday didn't disappoint.
The vast majority of recruits are now signing in the 72-hour cycle in December instead of waiting for the one-day event in February, and that was the case again this time around.
Here are five takeaways from a memorable Day 1.
Prime Time shocks the world
Deion Sanders promised to "shock the world," and the NFL Hall of Famer did exactly that Wednesday with one of the biggest moves in the history of recruiting. The Jackson State head coach pulled off an absolute stunner in flipping No. 2 overall prospect Travis Hunter to the FCS-level program from his previous commitment to Florida State.
Hunter, a five-star cornerback, becomes the highest-ranked recruit to ever sign with a Historically Black College or University. His commit also marks the second straight year Sanders has delivered Jackson State's highest-ever recruit.
Sanders' impact isn't just being felt on the field, though, as the former star cornerback has also brought the school a ton of exposure since his hire last fall.
In the first week or so of Deion Sanders' hiring at Jackson State last fall, the school estimated that it had received $12 million in media exposure.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 15, 2021
That number will be soaring today.
Hunter's decision could lead to other top recruits joining Sanders at Jackson State this cycle, with the second-year coach looking to build on his debut 11-1 campaign.
Jimbo delivers
Jimbo Fisher offered some very practical reasoning as to why he turned down interest from LSU this offseason to stay at Texas A&M.
"We're going to recruit an unbelievable class this year," Fisher said. "So, I'm either the dumbest human being on God's Earth, who's going to recruit all these guys to A&M so I can go across over here and play against them."
It's pretty clear now that Fisher wasn't overhyping things when he said his class would be "unbelievable." The Aggies have commitments or signatures from 17 players in the ESPN 300, including three five-star prospects in Walter Nolen, Gabe Brownlow-Dindy, and Evan Stewart.
While Nolen gets most of the hype as the No. 1 player in the entire country, highly touted pocket-passer Conner Weigman could become the jewel of the class.
With the Aggies still involved in a number of top players yet to sign, don't be surprised if Fisher finds himself with the No. 1 class in the country.
Harbaugh builds off on-field success
Jim Harbaugh is wasting no time in turning Michigan's on-field success into gains on the recruiting trail. The Wolverines coach delivered a strong performance Wednesday despite preparing for the school's first trip to the College Football Playoff.
William Johnson and Derrick Moore give the Big Ten champions two prospects inside the top 25 in the country, while the additions of Keon Sabb, Tyler Morris, Darrius Clemons, Alex Orji, and Amorion Walker will provide athleticism all over the field.
Michigan enters Thursday sitting on the cusp of a top-10 class. After their recruiting performance Wednesday, the Wolverines could potentially challenge Ohio State and Penn State for No. 1 in the Big Ten.
Florida State loses out
It was a rough day for Mike Norvell and Florida State, headlined by Hunter's decision to join Jackson State over the Seminoles. The star cornerback was committed to Florida State for almost the entire recruiting cycle, so his late flip certainly stings those in Tallahassee.
It wasn't just Hunter that Norvell missed out on, as highly ranked edge rusher Marvin Jones Jr. opted to head to Georgia instead of playing at Florida State as his father did as an All-American linebacker in the early 1990s. The Seminoles also lost out on Kamari Wilson to Florida and Nyjalik Kelly to Miami.
While Norvell did land four-star prospects Sam McCall and A.J. Duffy, only three of the top-20 players in the state of Florida are currently signed by the Seminoles. That will make things tough for the third-year coach to improve on his career 8-13 record at the school.
Texas rises
It wasn't just the transfer market that saw Texas deal a blow to Ohio State, as Steve Sarkisian flipped highly touted defensive back Terrance Brooks from his commitment to the Buckeyes. That move came after the Longhorns landed former Ohio State quarterback Quinn Ewers via transfer.
The Brooks move surprised almost everyone, notably Ohio State coach Ryan Day, and gave Sarkisian 16 total prospects in the ESPN 300.
A clear emphasis was placed on improving the offensive line, with Texas landing some of the top tackles in the country in Kelvin Banks, Neto Umeozulu, and Cameron Williams.
There wasn't a great deal to be excited about on the field in Sarkisian's first season in Austin, but his performance thus far in the recruiting cycle should provide some hope for the Longhorns faithful.