College football’s early signing period: Oregon flips 2 Notre Dame commitments, plus a look at where the top national and local recruits are going

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The early signing period for college football opened Wednesday, and in many ways it looked the same as usual.

There were surprising last-minute flips by blue-chip recruits, pick-a-hat commitment ceremonies held at high schools across the country and Alabama signing the nation’s top-ranked class.

Hanging over it all, though, was the impossible-to-quantify but hard-to-ignore influence of NIL money affecting players’ decisions.

This was the second signing class since the NCAA lifted a ban on college athletes being able to earn money for the use of their names, images and likenesses. There still are no clearly defined, detailed and uniform rules regulating how third parties can pay athletes.

“I think there’s major concerns with what’s going on in college football,” said Penn State coach James Franklin, who emphasized he supports athletes being able to cash in on NIL opportunities. “Right now, there’s really no guardrails. There’s not a whole lot of guidance, and there’s not a whole of governance.”

Penn State’s recruiting class is ranked in the top 15 in the country, according to the 247 Sports composite rankings.

It’s still against NCAA rules to use NIL payments as a recruiting inducement or to offer pay-for-play deals. But with money and NIL deals flowing to athletes through booster-funded collectives, it seems nearly impossible for the NCAA to enforce those rules.

“We all want something if we can get it,” said new Nebraska coach Matt Rhule, who returned to the college game after three years in the NFL. “You can see (NIL is) being misused and mishandled in a lot of places.”

While coaches complain about bad actors, nobody names names and NIL is now part of the recruiting conversation, whether coaches like it or not.

“The reality is this day and age you have to make decisions on how you’re going to handle this,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said.

Riley said he believes USC lost recruits to other schools because of NIL deals, but he added that “everybody did.”

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said of NIL deals: “If that’s the only reason they want to come to Notre Dame, we’re not going to be the right place for them.”

The Irish were on the short end of two surprising flips pulled off by Oregon.

The Ducks received commitments from five-star defensive back Peyton Bowen of Texas and four-star running back Jayden Limar from Washington. Both had been committed verbally — and very much nonbinding — to Notre Dame.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff also flipped four-star defensive back Daylen Austin from an LSU pledge and four-star quarterback Austin Novosad from a Baylor commitment.

“It’s great to be in a place where you can be innovative and ahead of the curve, but anybody that really knows college football right now knows there’s a lot more to recruiting than NIL,” Lanning said. “Nobody picks the place just because of those factors. … It goes back to relationships.”

Oregon also signed five-star Matayo Uiagalelei, who picked the Ducks over Ohio State and USC. The California edge rusher is the brother of former Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei.

The Ducks secured the top-ranked class in the Pac-12 — and top 10 in the nation — despite losing out on five-star quarterback Dante Moore earlier in the week. Moore, from Michigan, was a late flip to UCLA.

Not every coach is leaning into NIL.

“We built this program on NIL. We really did,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “It’s probably different than what you’re thinking, though. We built this program on God’s name, image and likeness.”

NIL might be changing recruiting, but the leaderboard of best classes looks familiar.

The Crimson Tide landed two five-star defensive linemen, Qua Russaw and James Smith, from the same Montgomery high school to lock up a class that will challenge the 2022 Texas A&M signing class for the highest score ever generated by the 247 composite.

Alabama also pulled off a late flip, getting five-star offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor from Iowa to renege on a longtime commitment to the Hawkeyes.

At a signing ceremony at his high school, Proctor told reporters he felt as if he was settling with Iowa and that NIL deals were not the deciding factor.

“It’s not about the money because if people knew about the money situation, they wouldn’t be talking about it,” Proctor said, according to the Des Moines Register. “But I wanted to go play football at a prestigious school. (There’s) a lot of competition down there and ultimately it’s going to make me better.”

There’s more recruiting to be done. What used to be the traditional signing day during the first week of February has now become secondary, with a few blue-chippers still on the board and the majority of scholarships already filled.

But Alabama can be declared the recruiting champions for the 10th time in 13 years.

Mario Cristobal’s first season as Miami coach was a 5-7 dud, filled with ugly losses.

That had no effect on the Hurricanes’ first signing class with Cristobal having a full year to recruit. If this is a glimpse of what’s to come, The U might be back soon.

Miami’s class slides in behind Alabama and Georgia in the top five. It’s also right there with Texas, which landed quarterback and No. 1 overall recruit Arch Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning.

Cristobal, the former Miami offensive linemen, signed two five-star offensive tackles in Francis Mauigoa and Samson Okunlola.

“Miami used to dominate the (NFL) draft. Dominate,” Cristobal said. “Signing days result in better draft days.”

Here are the players Notre Dame, Northwestern, Illinois and Northern Illinois signed, plus a look at where the nation’s 35 composite five-star recruits and the top 40 from the state are headed. (All rankings are from the 247 Sports composite.)

Signees: 24.

Ranking: 9th nationally.

• 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, NT, 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, DE, 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

• Spencer Shrader, K, South Florida
• Kaleb Smith, WR, Virginia Tech

Signees: 20.

Ranking: 39th nationally, 8th in Big Ten.

• 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

Signees: 21.

Ranking: 44th nationally, 10th in Big Ten.

• 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.
• 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
• 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

• Tanner Arkin, TE, Colorado State
• Nicario Harper, S, Louisville
• Avery Jones, OL, East Carolina

Signees: 18.

Ranking: 100th nationally, 8th in the MAC.

• Santana Banner, DB, Flint, Mich.
• Grayson Barnes, TE, American River (Calif.) CC
• Phillip Baynes, LB, Social Circle, Ga.
• Azhaun Dingle, RB, Butler (Kan.) CC
• Zach Gordon, K, Lillington, N.C.
• Bryce Harrison, TE, Apopka, Fla.
• Mark Hensley, DL, Labadie, Mo.
• 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
• Jay’shon Thomas, TE, Cataula, Ga.
• Kyle Thomas, WR, Marian Catholic
• Jacob Welch, OL, Johnsburg, Ill.

1. Arch Manning, QB, New Orleans — Texas
2. Cormani McClain, CB, Lakeland, Fla. — Miami (delayed signing)
3. Malachi Nelson, QB, Los Alamitos, Calif. — USC
4. Nicholaus Iamaleava, QB, Downey, Calif. — Tennessee
5. Zachariah Branch, WR, Las Vegas — USC
6. Caleb Downs, S, Hoschton, Ga. — Alabama
7. Jackson Arnold, QB, Denton, Texas — Oklahoma
8. Francis Mauigoa, OL, Pago Pago, American Samoa — Miami
9. David Hicks, DL, Katy, Texas — Texas A&M (signing Friday)
10. Keon Keeley, Edge, Tampa, Fla. — Alabama
11. Dante Moore, QB, Detroit — UCLA
12. Kadyn Proctor, OL, Des Moines, Iowa — Alabama
13. Damon Wilson, Edge, Venice, Fla. — Georgia
14. Peyton Bowen, S, Denton, Texas — Oregon
15. Jurrion Dickey, WR, East Palo Alto, Calif. — Oregon
16. Nyckoles Harbor, ATH, Washington — Uncommitted (signing in February)
17. Duce Robinson, TE, Phoenix — Uncommitted (signing in February)
18. James Smith, DL, Montgomery, Ala. — Alabama
19. Anthony Hill, LB, Denton, Texas — Texas
20. Samson Okunlola, OL, Brockton, Mass. — Miami
21. Cedric Baxter Jr., RB, Orlando, Fla. — Texas
22. Qua Russaw, Edge, Montgomery, Ala. — Alabama
23. Desmond Ricks, CB, Chesapeake, Va. — Uncommitted (signing Thursday)
24. Rueben Owens, RB, El Campo, Texas — Texas A&M
25. Justice Haynes, RB, Buford, Ga. — Alabama
26. Adepoju Adebawore, Edge, Kansas City, Mo. — Oklahoma
27. Hykeem Williams, WR, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — Florida State
28. Zalance Heard, OL, Monroe, La. — LSU
29. Brandon Inniss, WR, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — Ohio State
30. J’ven Williams, OL, Reading, Pa. — Penn State
31. Matayo Uiagalelei, Edge, Bellflower, Calif. — Oregon
32. AJ Harris, CB, Phenix City, Ala. — Georgia
33. Peter Woods, DL, Alabaster, Ala. — Clemson
34. Makai Lemon, WR, Los Alamitos, Calif. — USC
35. Johntay Cook II, WR, DeSoto, Texas — Texas

1. Charles Jagusah, OL, Rock Island Alleman — Notre Dame
2. Jyaire Hill, DB, Kankakee — Michigan
3. Miles McVay, OL, East St. Louis — Alabama
4. Malik Elzy, WR, Simeon — Uncommitted
5. Kaden Feagin, RB, ALAH — Illinois
6. Deakon Tonielli, TE, Oswego — Michigan
7. Chris Terek, OL, Glenbard West — Notre Dame
8. Damon Walters, DB, Bolingbrook — Northwestern
9. Trey Pierce, DL, Brother Rice — Michigan
10. Paris Patterson, OL, East St. Louis — Arkansas
11. Kahlil Tate, DB, Kenwood — Iowa
12. Anthony Birsa, OL, Joliet Catholic — Northwestern
13. Brooks Bahr, DL, Loyola — Michigan
14. John Nestor, DB, Marist — Iowa
15. Frank Covey, WR, Prospect — Northwestern
16. Nicholas Deloach, DB, Cahokia — Missouri
17. Justin Taylor, DB, Nazareth — Wisconsin
18. Brandon Henderson, OL, East St. Louis — Illinois
19. Tyler Jansey, LB, Batavia — Wisconsin
20. Jojo Hayden, LB, East St. Louis — Illinois
21. Austin Barrett, OL, St. Charles East — Indiana
22. K’Vion Thunderbird, LB, Kenwood — Uncommitted
23. TJ McMillen, OL, Wheaton St. Francis — Illinois
24. Aidan Gray, QB, Naperville North — Northwestern
25. Jamel Howard, DL, Marist — Uncommitted
26. Jack Sadowsky, LB, Batavia — Iowa State
27. Pat Farrell, OLB, St. Rita — Illinois
28. Pierce Walsh, TE, Benet — Minnesota
29. Cannon Leonard, OL, Iroquois West — Iowa
30. Cooper Starks, OL, Girard — Vanderbilt
31. Teegan Davis, DB, Princeton — Iowa
32. Logan Lester, WR, Kenwood — Western Michigan
33. Matt Kingsbury, LB, St. Rita — Minnesota
34. Christian McKinney, LB, Homewood-Flossmoor — Miami (Ohio)
35. Anthony Cunningham, DL, Belleville East — Iowa State
36. Kiwaun Davis, DB, Kenwood — Washington State
37. Asher Tomaszewski, DL, Mount Carmel — Kansas State
38. Michael Jimmar, OL, Plainfield East — Northern Illinois
39. Jailen Duffie, DB, Warren — North Dakota State
40. Ryan Sims, WR, Marist — Miami (Ohio)