College football’s 2nd signing day: Who ended up with the top classes in the Big Ten and nation?

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What used to be the biggest day of the year in college football recruiting has become an afterthought.

With more than 80% of FBS prospects now signing during the three-day early period in December — and an even higher percentage of blue-chip recruits doing so — the first Wednesday of February has taken on the feel of hitting the stores the day after Christmas to hunt for bargains.

Still, there was some activity on the traditional national signing day. A handful of top national and local prospects announced their decisions, some teams put finishing touches on their classes and recruiting crowns were handed out.

Here’s a wrap-up of the final class lists and rankings for Notre Dame, Illinois, Northwestern and Northern Illinois, plus the Big Ten rankings, top 25 national classes and where the country’s consensus five-star recruits and the state’s top 50 are headed.

All rankings are based on the 247Sports composite — which aggregates ratings from the major services — as of 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

*-already enrolled

Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman throws beads to his teammates after being named MVP of the Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 23, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (Chris OMeara / AP)

Signees: 24.

Ranking: 10th nationally.

The Irish signed their entire class in December, and coach Marcus Freeman and his staff are already well into the 2024 cycle with seven commitments.

Notre Dame’s biggest splash in January came in the transfer portal, where it landed Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman — the ACC record holder for career touchdown passes — Oklahoma State safety Thomas Harper and Ohio State edge rusher Javontae Jean-Baptiste.

An oddity of the Irish newcomers: two wide receivers named Kaleb Smith (a three-star high school recruit from Texas and a transfer from Virginia Tech).

Sullivan Absher, OL, Belmont, N.C.
*Jaiden Ausberry, LB, Baton Rouge, La.
Micah Bell, CB, Houston
*Drayk Bowen, LB, Merrillville, Ind.
Cooper Flanagan, TE, Pleasant Hill, Calif.
*Rico Flores, WR, Folsom, Calif.
*Christian Gray, CB, St. Louis
*Jaden Greathouse, WR, Austin, Texas
Brandyn Hillman, ATH, Portsmouth, Va.
*Devan Houstan, DL, Toronto
Charles Jagusah, OL, Rock Island Alleman
*Braylon James, WR, Austin, Texas
Jeremiyah Love, RB, St. Louis
*Kenny Minchey, QB, Hendersonville, Tenn.
*Ben Minich, S, Cincinnati
Armel Mukam, DL, Montreal
Joe Otting, OL, Topeka, Kan.
*Sam Pendleton, OL, Pfafftown, N.C.
*Adon Shuler, S, Irvington, N.J.
Kaleb Smith, WR, Frisco, Texas
Chris Terek, OL, Glenbard West
Boubacar Traore, DL, Boston
Brenan Vernon, DL, Mentor, Ohio
*Preston Zinter, LB, Lawrence, Mass.

Transfers

Javontae Jean-Baptiste, DL, Ohio State
Thomas Harper, S, Oklahoma State
Sam Hartman, QB, Wake Forest
Spencer Shrader, K, South Florida
Kaleb Smith, WR, Virginia Tech

Simeon wide receiver Malik Elzy has a laugh as he lines up against Taft in the Chicago Public League championship game Nov. 19, 2022, at Gately Stadium. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Signees: 23.

Ranking: 42nd nationally, 8th in Big Ten.

The Illini added Spring Valley Hall safety Mac Resetich to the group that signed in December — which included four-star Simeon wide receiver Malik Elzy, who didn’t announce his decision until the Jan. 7 Adidas All-American Bowl.

[ [Don’t miss] How Simeon wide receiver Malik Elzy became one of the state’s top football recruits ]

Illinois was a finalist for Marist defensive tackle Jamel Howard, who recommitted to Wisconsin on Wednesday.

Coach Bret Bielema’s most important addition since the early signing period, at least in the short term, was landing former Ole Miss quarterback Luke Altmyer in the transfer portal. The former four-star recruit has three years of eligibility remaining and is expected to succeed Tommy DeVito as the Illini starter.

Zach Aamland, OL, South Brunswick, N.J.
Alex Bray, DL, Chesterfield, Mo.
Jaheim Clarke, DB, Fort Myers, Fla.
Collin Dixon, WR, Tallmadge, Ohio
*Declan Duley, P, El Paso, Ill.
Malik Elzy, WR, Simeon
Pat Farrell, OLB, St. Rita
*Kaden Feagin, RB, Atwood, Ill.
*Nate Guinn, TE, Vero Beach, Fla.
*Jojo Hayden, LB, East St. Louis, Ill.
*Brandon Henderson, OL, East St. Louis, Ill.
Saboor Karriem, DB, West Orange, N.J.
*TJ McMillen, OL, Wheaton St. Francis
Mason Muragin, DL, Macomb, Mich.
*David Olano, K, Naperville North
*Kaleb Patterson, DB, Pearl River (Miss.) CC
Mac Resetich, DB, Spring Valley, Ill.
Dezmond Schuster, OL, Hutchinson (Kan.) CC
*Trey Smith, OLB, Ocoee, Fla.
*Cal Swanson, QB, Ardmore, Okla.
*Zach Tobe, DB, Ocoee, Fla.
Jeremiah Warren, DL, Belleville, Mich.
*Kenari Wilcher, ATH, Clewiston, Fla.

Transfers

Luke Altmyer, QB, Mississippi
Tanner Arkin, TE, Colorado State
Denzel Daxon, DL, Ohio
Nicario Harper, DB, Louisville
John Paddock, QB, Ball State

Arizona State wide receiver Cam Johnson (7) is tackled by Washington State defensive back Armani Marsh on Nov. 12, 2022, in Pullman, Wash. (Young Kwak/AP)

Signees: 20.

Ranking: 45th nationally, 10th in Big Ten.

The Wildcats didn’t add any high school recruits to the 20 they announced in December, though coach Pat Fitzgerald did reach into the transfer portal last month for former Vanderbilt and Arizona State wide receiver Cam Johnson.

With new defensive coordinator David Braun and defensive line coach Christian Smith in place, Northwestern might look during the next transfer window in May for some help up front, where it lost three players to the portal.

Ricky Ahumaraeze, WR, Liberty, Mo.
Anthony Birsa, OL, Joliet Catholic
*Frank Covey, WR, Prospect
Juice Cryer, LB, Katy, Texas
Alexander Doost, OL, Phoenix
Jack Fitzgerald, TE, Loyola
Joshua Fussell, DB, West Chester, Ohio
Tyler Gant, DL, St. Louis
Nigel Glover, LB, Clayton, Ohio
Aidan Gray, QB, Naperville North
Chico Holt, TE, Houston
Michael Kilbane, DL, Lakewood, Ohio
*Jordan Knox, OL, Rock Hill, S.C.
Caleb Komolafe, RB, Katy, Texas
J.J. Lewis, DB, Lawndale, Calif.
*Camp Magee, TE, Orlando, Fla.
Dylan Roberts, DL, Phoenix
*Dylan Senda, OL, Livonia, Mich.
Cole Shivers, DB, Scottsdale, Ariz.
*Damon Walters, DB, Bolingbrook

Transfers

Cam Johnson, WR, Arizona State

Iowa running back Gavin Williams carries the ball against Nevada on Sept. 17, 2022, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall/AP)

Signees: 28.

Ranking: 97th nationally, 5th in the MAC.

The Huskies added nine signees to their 2023 haul Wednesday, including six in-state recruits: Rockford Jefferson tight end Tyler Gaines, Rochelle running back Garrett Gensler, Oak Forest defensive back Tyler Gentile, Richards wide receiver James Smith Jr., DeKalb defensive back Ethan Tierney and Lake Zurich kicker Danny Vuckovic.

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Coach Thomas Hammock also announced last month the addition of five transfers, including former Iowa running back Gavin Williams and Tyler Jackson, an all-conference linebacker at Lamar.

Kobe Askew, WR, Hamilton, Ga.
*Santana Banner, DB, Flint, Mich.
*Grayson Barnes, TE, American River (Calif.) CC
Phillip Baynes, LB, Social Circle, Ga.
*Azhaun Dingle, RB, Butler (Kan.) CC
Tyler Gaines, TE, Rockford Jefferson
Garrett Gensler, RB, Rochelle, Ill.
Tyler Gentile, DB, Oak Forest
*Zach Gordon, K, Lillington, N.C.
Bryce Harrison, TE, Apopka, Fla.
Mark Hensley, DL, Labadie, Mo.
*Ridge Howard, LB, Elkhart, Ind.
Landon Hron, OL, Hartford, Wis.
Chase Hutchinson, LB, West Des Moines, Iowa
Michael Jimmar, OL, Plainfield East
*Mason Kidd, QB, Lawrenceville, Ga.
Thomas Paasch, OL, Green Bay
Jaylen Poe, RB, Dallas, Ga.
RaSean Randall, DL, Detroit
Mahki Rolle, DB, North Miami Beach, Fla.
*Nevaeh Sanders, DL, Iowa Western CC
Luke Skartvedt, OL, Indianapolis
James Smith Jr., WR, Richards
Jay’shon Thomas, TE, Cataula, Ga.
Kyle Thomas, WR, Marian Catholic
Ethan Tierney, DB, DeKalb, Ill.
Danny Vuckovic, K, Lake Zurich
Jacob Welch, OL, Johnsburg, Ill.

Transfers

Gabriel Amegatcher, CB, Nebraska-Kearney
Cam’Ron Dabney, CB, Kansas
Tyler Jackson, LB, Lamar
Davis Patterson, WR, Notre Dame College (Ohio)
Gavin Williams, RB, Iowa

Marist’s Jamel Howard (58) puts pressure on Richards quarterback Joe Mayo (9) on Sept. 2, 2022, in Oak Lawn. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)

Michigan has reigned over the conference for two years now on the field, but Ohio State continued its dominance in the recruiting rankings, signing the Big Ten’s top class for the 12th time in 13 years.

Penn State reeled in one of Wednesday’s biggest prizes in four-star offensive lineman Chimdy Onoh, beating out Michigan State, Ole Miss and Rutgers. And Wisconsin brought Jamel Howard back into the fold after the 320-pound Marist defensive tackle decommitted from the Badgers in November following coach Paul Chryst’s firing.

Ohio State (20 signees)
Penn State (23)
Michigan (24)
Michigan State (16)
Nebraska (28)
Maryland (25)
Iowa (22)
Illinois (23)
Minnesota (21)
Northwestern (20)
Rutgers (19)
Wisconsin (15)
Purdue (16)
Indiana (15)

Team Phantom tight end Nyckoles Harbor runs with the ball during the Under Armour Next All-America Game on Jan. 3, 2023, in Orlando, Fla. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

For the 10th time in 13 years, Alabama is the recruiting champion. (And the Crimson Tide finished with the No. 2 class in two of those years.) Nick Saban signed an astounding nine of the 39 consensus five-star recruits, and Alabama (14) and Georgia (12) combined to land more than a quarter of the nation’s top 100 prospects.

All but three five-stars signed in December. New Colorado coach Deion Sanders flipped cornerback Cormani McClain from Miami last month, and jumbo athlete Nyckoles Harbor picked South Carolina over Oregon on Wednesday. Tight end Duce Robinson announced he’s delaying his decision until late spring as he considers the MLB draft along with Georgia, USC and Texas.

Four-star quarterback Jaden Rashada, who was released from his letter of intent with Florida after an NIL deal with a booster-run collective fell through, signed with Arizona State.

Alabama (28 signees)
Georgia (26)
Texas (24)
Oklahoma (26)
Ohio State (20)
LSU (25)
Miami (25)
Oregon (29)
Tennessee (25)
Notre Dame (24)
Clemson (26)
USC (21)
Penn State (23)
Florida (20)
Texas A&M (19)
South Carolina (24)
Auburn (21)
Michigan (24)
TCU (24)
Florida State (18)
Utah (20)
Arkansas (20)
Michigan State (16)
Nebraska (28)
Mississippi State (27)

Team Phantom running back Cedric Baxter Jr. during the Under Armour Next All-America Game on Jan. 3, 2023, in Orlando, Fla. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)