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ESPN staff
National signing day is here, with college football‘s early signing period kicking off Wednesday and lasting through Friday. High school recruits are able to sign their national letters of intent to lock them into the colleges of their choice.
It already has been a busy start to the week, with two five-star recruits in the 2023 ESPN 300 flipping their commitments. Quarterback Dante Moore discarded Oregon in favor of UCLA, while offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor spurned Iowa for Alabama. There could be a few more surprises Wednesday.
This is the sixth year in which the NCAA has held an early signing period for college football recruits, and and it has become the dominant session, with most schools securing the majority of their class during this stretch. If a prospect doesn’t sign a national letter of intent this week, the next national signing day for this cycle begins Feb. 1, 2023.
We’re tracking the latest news, analysis, class rankings movement and more throughout Wednesday. Check out the “College Football Live: Signing Day Special” at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
coverage:
Updated class rankings: Top 50 schools
Oregon started the day ranked 14th, but the Ducks have been incredibly active, flipping five-star safety Peyton Bowen from Notre Dame and four-star quarterback Austin Novosad from Baylor, among others.
Meanwhile, Alabama, Georgia and Miami have been holding strong at the top of the class rankings. View the full top 50 here.
ESPN 300 cornerback Kayin Lee flipped his commitment from Ohio State to Auburn on Wednesday. Lee is the the No. 184 recruit overall and held offers from several high-profile schools, including Oregon, Notre Dame and Georgia.
Oregon is on a roll
A good day for the Ducks got even better with the additions of defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei, the No. 65 prospect in the ESPN 300, and cornerback Daylen Austin, the No. 142 prospect.
Uiagalelei is the brother of former Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, who is in the transfer portal. Austin was previously committed to LSU. Oregon flipped five-star safety Peyton Bowen earlier in the day. It now has 13 ESPN 300 recruits and is moving up the class rankings.
The Bulldogs landed ESPN 300 recruit Isaac Smith, who is ranked 107th overall and is the No. 9 safety. Smith is their second ESPN 300 commitment after quarterback Chris Parson.
Auburn closing strong with big addition
The Tigers flipped ESPN 300 defensive end Keldric Faulk from Florida State. New coach Hugh Freeze has four ESPN 300 commits.
💥💥 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐑 💥💥
Welcome to Auburn, @FaulkKeldric! pic.twitter.com/bAPOp08aNN
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) December 21, 2022
Buckeyes add to impressive haul
ESPN 300 defensive end Joshua Mickens committed to Ohio State on Wednesday. Mickens gives the Buckeyes 13 ESPN 300 commits and 16 four-star recruits in the class.
Another big flip for Oregon
Five-star safety Peyton Bowen announced he is flipping his commitment from Notre Dame to Oregon. The No. 15 overall recruit in the ESPN 300 is a huge get for the Ducks.
Nebraska is reeling in top prospects
ESPN 300 athlete Malachi Coleman has committed to Nebraska. He’s the second ESPN 300 commit for Matt Rhule and his staff.
No. 1 recruit officially headed to USC
It’s not a surprise that quarterback Malachi Nelson, the top-ranked recruit in the country, is headed to USC, but the Trojans made it official with style:
Guys like these are very, very tough to come by.
He’s the #1 QB in the nation and joins QBU and Heisman U… 👀
Welcome home, @Malachi 😤✌️ pic.twitter.com/B9MeSroiT0
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) December 21, 2022
Deion signs first big recruit at Colorado
Four-star Dylan Edwards signed to Colorado, giving coach Deion Sanders his first big name this recruiting cycle. The running back out of Kansas is ranked No. 156 in the ESPN 300 .
Ready to 𝙧𝙪𝙣 🦬@dylan_edwards02 x @Coach_Fella23 pic.twitter.com/9oISL0drj8
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) December 21, 2022
Michigan lands top-100 WR
Michigan has won on the field by reaching the College Football Playoff for the second straight season. The Wolverines are winning in the transfer portal by landing several impact contributors for next year. And they are winning on the recruiting trail as well.
Coach Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines landed Karmello English, a wide receiver ranked No. 82 in the ESPN 300, on Wednesday. Michigan entered the day ranked No. 21 in the class rankings.
UCF adds flip from Florida
ESPN 300 defensive end Isaiah Nixon announced he won’t be a Florida Gator after all, but he’s not going far as he flipped to UCF.
HOMETOWN HERO🖤⚔️ #ChargeOn pic.twitter.com/2Gv0DIIAJr
— Isaiah Nixon (@IsaiahNixon06) December 21, 2022
Still committed … but not signed yet
Despite holding a commitment to Miami, five-star cornerback Cormani McClain will not sign his national letter of intent on Wednesday, according to his mother, Tikisha White. The No. 1-ranked corner has been committed to the Hurricanes since June, and while he won’t sign on Wednesday, there is no update as to whether he will sign in this early period or wait until February.
Arch Manning, nation’s No. 2 recruit, officially signs with Texas
Manning — nephew of Eli and Peyton Manning, grandson of Archie Manning, and son of former Ole Miss wide receiver Cooper Manning — is officially a Longhorn. He committed to Texas in June.
Manning is one of 11 ESPN 300 commits for Texas, which has the No. 7-ranked class in the country. Manning was a four-year starter at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, throwing for 8,599 yards and 115 touchdowns with 20 interceptions while rushing for 1,155 yards and 25 scores. He broke Eli’s school record for school passing yards (7,268) and Peyton’s for TDs (93).
Utah State lands ESPN 300 recruit
Four star OT Taliafi Taala, ranked No. 203 in the ESPN 300, is staying local as he committed to the Aggies.
— Taliafi Taala (@TaliafiTaala) December 21, 2022
Georgia pushing for No. 1 class
Not only is Georgia seeking its seventh consecutive top-three class but the Bulldogs, who enter signing day at No. 2, trailing only Alabama, are aiming for the top spot.
On Wednesday, Kirby Smart’s loaded defense got stronger with the addition of ESPN 300 cornerback Daniel Harris, who is ranked No. 157 overall.
Commited 1000% . pic.twitter.com/J0mHoMAAhC
— Daniel Harris (@h9rrisdaniel) December 21, 2022
Oregon flips a top QB recruit
Two days after the Ducks lost a pledge from No. 3 prospect Dante Moore, who is headed to UCLA, they flipped an ESPN 300 quarterback of their own, landing Austin Novosad, a four-star signal-caller who had previously been committed to Baylor.
Novosad is Oregon’s 10th ESPN 300 commit for the 2023 class.
First big flip of the day, ESPN 300 quarterback Austin Novosad flips from Baylor to Oregon.
The Oregon staff was able to get a big QB after Dante Moore flipped to UCLA.#Oregon #ScoDucks https://t.co/Ote7cBiSK6
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) December 21, 2022
Announcements to watch: Today’s schedule
Our “College Football Live: Signing Day Special” will air from 2-5 p.m. ET on ESPN2, featuring analysis from our insiders and scouts, as well as announcements from some of the top recruits in the country. Here’s who will be announcing their commitments later today:
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Who: LB Jaquavious Russaw (No. 7 overall recruit) and DT James Smith (No. 11)
When: 2:10 p.m. ET
Choosing between: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia and Alabama State -
Who: CB Damari Brown (No. 112)
When: 3:15 p.m. ET
Choosing between: Alabama, Clemson, Florida State and Miami -
Who: DE Damon Wilson (No. 31)
When: 3:45 p.m. ET
Choosing between: Alabama, Georgia, Miami and Ohio State -
Who: CB Jyaire Hill (No. 239)
When: 4:15 p.m. ET
Choosing between: Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Illinois, Michigan and Washington
Longhorn Network kicks off signing day coverage with a “Texas Football National Signing Day” special from 8-10:30 a.m. ET.
SEC Network will air hourly updates beginning at 9 a.m. ET and host a three-hour “SEC Now: Signing Day Special” at noon.
ACC Network will host “ACC Huddle: Signing Day Special” from 3-6:30 p.m.
Schools with clever announcements
Clemson, Ole Miss and Syracuse were among the teams that took different routes in announcing the players they signed.
🥞🥞🥞@Fl6pjack x #We2Deep23 pic.twitter.com/YCScFvrg4L
— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) December 21, 2022
Welcome to Myers Island 🏝️ @BraxtonMyers23 | #ComeToTheSip pic.twitter.com/cX9jSXvW1U
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) December 21, 2022
Adding to the trenches!
Welcome to ‘Cuse, @Jayden_Bass pic.twitter.com/k1ZVqUIh59
— Syracuse Football (@CuseFootball) December 21, 2022
Where the class rankings stand now
Here are the top three schools in our class rankings, which go all the way to 50:
Notre Dame, Oklahoma, LSU and Texas are all vying for a top-five finish as well.
Two five-star recruits make seismic flips
Right before the early signing period, two top-10 recruits decided to flip their commitments. On Monday, quarterback Dante Moore, ranked No. 3 in the class, decommitted from Oregon and announced his commitment to UCLA.
The next day, offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, the No. 10 recruit overall, flipped from in-state Iowa to join Alabama.
What will happen Wednesday?
Who are the best prospects this cycle?
Each recruiting cycle, the best recruits in the country are ranked in the ESPN 300. Entering signing day, 270 of the top 300 prospects this cycle are committed. including nine of the top 10 recruits.
The top 10 goes as follows:
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Malachi Nelson, QB (USC)
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Arch Manning, QB (Texas)
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Dante Moore, QB (UCLA)
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Cormani McClain, CB (Miami)
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Francis Mauigoa, OT (Miami)
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Zachariah Branch, WR (USC)
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Jaquavious Russaw, OLB (uncommitted)
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Jackson Arnold, QB (Oklahoma)
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Peter Woods, DT (Clemson)
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Kadyn Proctor, OT (Alabama)
See the full ESPN 300 rankings here »
Breaking down the 2023 recruiting cycle
We broke down the 2023 recruiting cycle in many different ways. We analyzed the strengths of the recruits who are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 at each position.
Craig Haubert and Tom Luginbill also went pick-by-pick in trying to draft the best all-22 team of 2023 recruits. See who got picked and vote which team is better.
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