College Football Recruiting

Much of the focus in the college football world is on bowl season and the upcoming College Football Playoff, but future championships could be won and lost before that on the recruiting trail.

This year's early National Signing period is from Dec. 21 through Dec. 23, and there are still a number of top options on the board as teams look to solidify their 2023 classes.

With that in mind, here is a look at the announcement schedules for some of the top unsigned players, per 247Sports.

• Damon Wilson, 5-star edge rusher: Dec. 21 at 12 p.m. ET
• James Smith, 5-star defensive lineman: Dec. 21 at 12 p.m. ET
• Qua Russaw, 5-star edge rusher: Dec. 21 at 12 p.m. ET
  
• Desmond Ricks, 5-star cornerback: Dec. 22 at 5:30 p.m. ET
  

One of the most interesting recruiting battles is for edge-rusher Damon Wilson considering it appears to be between Ohio State and Georgia. That those two teams will face each other in the CFP adds another layer to the recruitment.

In October, Peter Warren of On3 Sports suggested the Buckeyes held a "big lead," but On3's Chad Simmons said in December that Georgia was "the team to beat."

It is notable that the two crystal-ball selections on 247Sports are in favor of the Buckeyes.

The prediction here is Ohio State leans on legendary defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who has coached the likes of Nick Bosa, Joey Bosa, Chase Young and others, and lands a major recruiting win.

It's not all bad news for the SEC, though, as cornerback Desmond Ricks will end up at LSU.

Ricks visited the Tigers for the Alabama game, which ended up being an electric atmosphere and one of the most memorable contests of the entire college football season. LSU earned the dramatic 32-31 win in overtime when head coach Brian Kelly elected to go for the two-point conversion following his team's touchdown.

It surely made an impression, and the two crystal-ball predictions on 247Sports are in favor of the Tigers.

It likely doesn't hurt LSU's cause that other commits have done their best to recruit Ricks using social media.

Kelly has plenty of momentum on his side after winning the SEC West in his first season as the head coach at LSU and now has the opportunity to bring in a top-five recruiting class with a strong push.

Adding Ricks would help him do just that.

The holiday season is upon us, with college football giving its fans a special gift when early national signing day begins on Dec. 21.

The three-day signing period gives schools an opportunity to start solidifying their 2023 recruiting class, as well as hope their pitches to players who are either on the fence or decommitted from another program pay off.

A number of the best players in the 2023 class are already off the board. Fourteen of the top 15 players in 247Sports' composite rankings have committed, led by Texas landing Arch Manning.

2022 Early National Signing Day Announcement Schedule

Damon Wilson (5-star Edge): Dec. 21 at 12 p.m. ET

James Smith (5-star DL): Dec. 21 at 12 p.m. ET

Anthony Hill (5-star LB): Dec. 21 at 12 p.m. ET

Qua Russaw (5-star Edge): Dec. 21 at 12 p.m. ET

Jordan Hall (5-star DL): Dec. 22 at 2:30 p.m. ET

Desmond Ricks (5-star CB): Dec. 22 at 5:30 p.m. ET

Announcement schedule and recruit rankings via 247Sports.com.

Preview

What once seemed like a fairly standard recruiting season was shaken up on Dec. 4 when Deion Sanders was named head coach at the University of Colorado.

Even though a two-week timeframe would seem too short in recruiting, the Buffaloes seem poised to make a lot of noise.

Dylan Edwards, a 4-star running back who verbally committed to Notre Dame in August, opened up his recruiting on Dec. 8. He gave Sanders and Colorado a commitment two days later.

Sanders hasn't been shy about using social media in an attempt to land recruits, both those committing out of high school and anyone entering the transfer portal:

Malachi Coleman, a 4-star athlete and No. 63 overall prospect on 247Sports' rankings, has long been regarded as a safe bet to end up at Nebraska. He is from Lincoln and attends high school at Lincoln East.

On Dec. 1, Coleman announced he was decommitting from the Cornhuskers and opening up his recruiting. He tweeted on Tuesday he was taking an official visit to Colorado this weekend after previously scheduling a trip to Michigan.

While it remains to be seen just how much of an impact Sanders can make right out of the gate at Colorado, the top of the recruiting rankings are once again shaping to be a battle of SEC superpowers.

Per 247Sports' composite rankings, Alabama has the No. 1 class with 25 total commits. Safety Caleb Downs and edge Keon Keeley are the prize players, ranking in the top 10 among all players in the 2023 class.

Georgia is running second in the class rankings with 20 commits from players rated as 4-star recruits or better.

Despite losing Edwards to Colorado, Marcus Freeman is off to an excellent start in his first full recruiting cycle as Notre Dame's head coach. The Fighting Irish have 26 total commits, including 5-star safety Peyton Bowen and 21 4-star players.

A lot of things can—and probably will—change because high-school athletes can be difficult to read, but it's going to make for an interesting recruiting period.

5-star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith announced his intention to play for Ohio State on Wednesday.

"What stood out to me the most was brotherhood and I could see it," Smith told Hayes Fawcett of On3. "It was obvious from the start with the players, with the coaches, and how they ran practice. I knew that there was no place like it and it was special, and it was a great opportunity I couldn't miss out on."

Smith is the nation's top-ranked wide receiver and No. 2 overall player in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He chose the Buckeyes over offers from Miami, USC, Georgia, Florida and Florida State.

The Chaminade-Madonna Prep product is listed at 6'3" and 185 pounds, already giving him the type of frame that should make him an instant impact player at Ohio State. He said the Buckeyes'. recent history of developing first-round talent at the wide receiver position helped make his decision.

"That means a lot to me," Smith said. "It shows me that Coach Hartline is developing guys. I know coach Hartline will develop me to be the best version of myself into becoming a first-round pick like he did with Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave."

Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave were both taken in the first 11 picks of last April's draft, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba could also come off the board in Round 1 next year. Marvin Harrison Jr. is a mortal lock for first-round status whenever he becomes draft eligible in 2024.

The departure of Harrison could open up a hole wide-open for Smith to step in and become the next great Buckeyes wideout. He has the type of top-end speed and athleticism that makes him an ideal fit in Ryan Day's uptempo offense.

Smith is the fourth player to commit to Day in the 2024 class. He joins 5-star quarterback Dylan Raiola, 4-star offensive lineman Ian Moore and 4-star athlete Garrett Stover.

Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall announced on Monday that he is entering the transfer portal.

The three-time defending Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year award winner will be expected to catch the eye of prominent football programs looking to bolster the quarterback position.

McCall, 21, earned his first Player of the Year award after throwing for 2,488 yards, 26 touchdowns and just three interceptions in 2020. He followed that up with nearly identical stats last year (2,873 yards, 27 touchdowns and three picks) before throwing for 2,633 yards, 24 touchdowns and two picks in 2022.

For his career, he's completed an impressive 70.4 percent of his passes. He's also rushed for 1,053 yards and 16 touchdowns at Coastal Carolina.

Suffice to say, he's going to be a major target in the transfer portal:

McCall's former head coach, Jamey Chadwell, agreed to take over as Liberty's head coach on Dec. 4. There will be some speculation, naturally, that McCall might consider following him there.

But the young quarterback might be looking for a higher-profile program to help bolster his NFL draft stock. As Max Olson of The Athletic reported:

"If McCall isn't looking to team up with Chadwell at Liberty, he's going to have a long list of suitors. We know this because McCall was getting approached by Power 5 schools last offseason even though he wasn't in the transfer portal. Notre Dame, Florida, UCLA, Kentucky, Wisconsin, NC State and Missouri are among the many schools believed to be hunting for transfer quarterbacks right now. McCall should get calls from a bunch of them."

Indeed he should. McCall's decision is major news for both this offseason's transfer portal and potentially for the 2024 NFL draft.

Highly touted edge-rusher Keon Keeley committed to Alabama on Monday.

Keeley is the No. 10 overall player and top-ranked talent at his position in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2023 recruiting class. He originally committed to Notre Dame before walking back his decision in August.

The Crimson Tide are on track to finish first in 247Sports' composite team rankings for next year. Keeley is their third 5-star commit, joining safety Caleb Downs and running back Justice Haynes. Head coach Nick Saban already got a commitment from 4-star edge-rusher Yhonzae Pierre as well.

Keeley told On3's Chad Simmons he had narrowed his final candidates to Alabama and Ohio State and explained why the former was his ultimate choice:

I really liked the culture and the coaching staff. It's just a rare opportunity to go to the University of Alabama to play football for such a prestigious coach like Coach Saban. It's a great opportunity to go play, and you look at the track record of the outside linebacker position, they've had a bunch of guys drafted in the past five years. Alabama is Alabama, and I just felt like, 'Why not 'Bama?' It's a rare opportunity, and I'm blessed to be able to have it.

Coincidentally, 247Sports' Andrew Ivins scouted Keeley in May and compared him to former Buckeyes standout, Chase Young:

Has a bit of a natural up-right demeanor to him, but isn't exactly stiff, and has shown time and time again on Friday nights that he can bend and find some leverage. Does a variety of different things well at this stage in his development, but the most promising trait might be his motor and ability to make stops/plays in backside pursuit. Has experience working out of both a two and three-point stance in a 4-3 base defense. Superb snap anticipation allows him to quickly shoot into the backfield and get to work.

Ohio State has seen its fair share of elite pass-rushers cycle through the program in recent years. Young and Nick Bosa were the No. 2 overall picks in 2020 and 2019, respectively, and Joey Bosa was the third overall pick in 2016.

But it's not hard to see why Keeley thought Alabama presented him with a better opportunity.

Will Anderson Jr., who's the top player on Bleacher Report's 2023 big board, is poised to be a top-five selection this spring. He'll join the large list of former Crimson Tide stars along the front seven to come off the board in the first round.

Anderson's departure could potentially open the door for Keeley to carve out a meaningful role on the defense immediately. He'll have stiff competition from Jeremiah Alexander and Jihaad Campbell, who were both 5-star recruits in 2022.

As the cliche goes, pressure makes diamonds. Keeley might be counting on the talent Alabama already has at outside linebacker push him to realize his full potential in college.

DJ Lagway, a 5-star quarterback, announced his intention to attend the University of Florida on Wednesday, choosing the Gators over USC, Clemson, Texas A&M and Baylor.

"I feel they're going to build something special and I definitely want to be part of it," Lagway told Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports. "The coaching staff, I have a really good relationship with those guys. I love the system that they have. Coach Napier has an amazing system and I feel I fit perfectly in there."

Lagway is the No. 24 player and fourth-ranked quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. The Willis High School product is also the fourth-ranked prospect from the state of Texas.

Florida previously landed 4-star linebacker Myles Graham and 4-star running back Chauncey Bowens. Lagway says he hopes to help coach Billy Napier build a stellar recruiting class in Gainesville.

"I'm truly ready to start recruiting," Lagway said. "That's why I wanted to decide early so I can go ahead and start building up that No. 1 class."

Napier went 6-6 in his first season at Florida after coming over from Louisiana. The Gators ranked as high as No. 12 in the country after upsetting Utah in the opening week of the season but struggled with their consistency the rest of the way.

Napier hopes to avoid the program suffering through its second straight losing season when the team travels to play Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl later this month.

Wide receiver Robert Lockhart III, offensive tackle Jordan Hall and defensive back Twan Wilson announced they have decommitted from Jackson State amid news of Deion Sanders taking the head-coaching position at Colorado.

All three players made their announcements on social media:

Sanders closed out an undefeated 2022 season Saturday with a SWAC Championship Game win over Southern and was then almost immediately introduced as Colorado's next coach. The Hall of Fame cornerback went 27-5 over three seasons at Jackson State while bringing national media attention to football at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

The national cache helped Sanders land a number of high-profile recruits who otherwise would have attended FBS powers. 5-star cornerback Travis Hunter committed to Sanders and was dominant in his freshman season at Jackson State. It seems likely Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion's son, will lead a class of players who will follow Coach Prime from Jackson State to Colorado.

Wide receivers Kevin Coleman Jr. and Quaydarius Davis, defensive lineman KaTron Evans and cornerback De'Jahn Warren are among the other high-profile names currently on the Jackson State roster who could become notable transfers.

Sanders had not locked in a single 4-star or better recruit in his 2023 class, but that will likely soon change as he makes the transition to the Pac-12.

Wide receiver Isiah Kendall and linebackers Kofi Taylor-Barrocks and Jace Ward are the top players remaining in Jackson State's 2023 class at the moment.

Oklahoma added one of the top playmakers in the 2023 class in receiver Jaquaize Pettaway, and the 4-star prospect should have a significant impact right away.

The 247Sports' composite rankings considers Pettaway the No. 61 overall prospect in the country and the 10th-best receiver.

The 5'11", 170-pound wideout doesn't have elite size, but he more than makes up for it with his blazing speed. The track star competed in the 100-meter dash, posting a time of 10.41 seconds as a high school junior.

The Houston native uses this speed to his advantage on the football field, making him a threat whenever he gets the ball in his hands. He especially thrives as a deep threat who can also turn screens into long plays.

Pettaway became a hot commodity on the recruiting trail with most of the top teams in the SEC, Big 12 and beyond offering scholarships to the Langham Creek High star, including LSU, Georgia, Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M and Notre Dame.

His commitment to Oklahoma in July gives the program an important piece as it tries to move forward under Brett Venables.

The Sooners (6-6) have been up-and-down offensively in the first season without Lincoln Riley as their head coach, and the passing attack could further suffer if Marvin Mims Jr. declares for the NFL draft. With Drake Stoops graduating, there will be few proven options returning in the receiving corps.

Jalil Farooq and Theo Wease should get an increase in playing time, but Oklahoma should do its best to get Pettaway on the field as soon as possible as a game-changing player with the ball in his hands.

The incoming freshman might need to add strength and refine his route-running before reaching his potential, but he can help the team early even in limited snaps. The coaching staff should create opportunities for him on screens and quick passes, allowing him to use his speed to do the rest.

If he can stay healthy, Pettaway could provide a significant boost in 2023.