College Football National Signing Day Closing In ; Important Recruiting Storylines

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10 football recruiting storylines you need to know with three months until national signing day​

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With roughly three months until the early signing period, we have seen 254 ESPN 300 prospects announce commitments and some interesting storylines emerge as we move closer to December.

That includes one of the most highly-sought-after quarterbacks, Arch Manning, who was wined and dined by Texas and is now helping the Longhorns recruit. We've seen new coaches set unprecedented marks in their first full recruiting classes, some surprise teams in the top-25 and we've already seen a few conferences leading the way in the rankings.

As it stands now, the SEC is leading all conferences with 96 ESPN 300 recruits, followed by the ACC with 55, the Big Ten with 36, the Big 12, which has 34, and the Pac-12 with just 27 ESPN 300 commitments.

Although there aren't many ESPN 300 recruits left uncommitted, it doesn't mean it won't be an interesting few months. To get you caught up, here are 10 storylines -- from uncommitted five-stars to the impact of the coaching carousel -- that have unfolded and will continue to play out as December approaches.

Four five-stars still on the board​

This class has 13 total five-stars, led by quarterbacks Malachi Nelson (USC), Arch Manning (Texas) and Dante Moore (Oregon).



Corner Cormani McClain is the next highest-ranked recruit at No. 4 overall and the top uncommitted prospect. He recently visited Florida and will also visit Alabama. Both schools, along with Georgia and Miami, are on his top list, with the Gators having a real shot at landing him.

After McClain are linebacker Jaquavious Russaw (No. 8 overall) and defensive tackle James Smith (No. 11). Smith released his six top schools in August: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Ohio State. He doesn't have a commitment date set yet and is still taking visits.

Offensive tackle Samson Okunlola is the final uncommitted five-star at No. 12 in the rankings. Okunlola calls himself "Pancake Honcho," a fitting nickname for an offensive lineman, and is still considering Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State and a few others.

The other six five-star recruits already verbally committed:

• Offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa (No. 5) -- Miami
• Wide receiver Zachariah Branch (No. 6) -- USC
• Linebacker Anthony Hill (No. 7) -- Texas A&M
• Defensive tackle Peter Woods (No. 9) -- Clemson
• Offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor (No. 10) -- Iowa
• Quarterback Eli Holstein (No. 13) -- Alabama

Classes filling up quickly​

At this point last year, there were 82 uncommitted ESPN 300 prospects. As of now, only 46 ranked recruits are uncommitted.

In part, that is because players in the 2023 class didn't have as many interruptions to their recruitments as 2022 prospects, whose process was paused early on when the NCAA implemented a dead period from March 2020 to May 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. While many 2022 recruits needed time to catch up, 2023 prospects had more time to take visits and build relationships in person.

The 2023 class is also ahead of the 2021 class, when there were 63 uncommitted ESPN 300 recruits as of Aug. 20, 2020.

There are still eight uncommitted ESPN 300 cornerbacks and eight uncommitted defensive ends, led by No. 24-ranked Keon Keeley. He was committed to Notre Dame but decommitted in August and is now seriously considering Alabama and Ohio State, among a few others.

There are still seven uncommitted ESPN 300 wide receivers, led by No. 22-ranked Hykeem Williams. He is still considering Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Pitt and Texas A&M. He is announcing his commitment on Friday.

Outside of those position groups, there are six uncommitted ESPN 300 athletes, five offensive linemen, three defensive tackles, three safeties, three linebackers, two running backs and one tight end.

All 19 ESPN 300 quarterbacks have announced their commitments.

Arch Manning: Texas' ace recruiter​

No recruitment was watched more closely than Manning's, as the nephew of Peyton and Eli and the grandson of Archie Manning. The younger Manning is the No. 2 prospect overall, a five-star, and went through the whole recruiting process while keeping his opinions close to the vest.

After visiting Georgia and Alabama, Manning visited Texas, and coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff made Manning a priority. The staff reportedly spent $280,000 for the weekend Manning and other recruits visited -- not just because of Manning's talent and the school, despite bringing in former No. 1 recruit Quinn Ewers via the transfer portal, needing a quarterback -- but because adding such a high-profile name can influence recruiting.

Manning committed to Texas on June 23, and since his commitment, the Longhorns have landed three ESPN 300 skill players in the 2023 class and one in 2024. In 2023, receiver Jonah Wilson committed three days after Manning, receiver Johntay Cook II committed six days after Manning and running back Cedric Baxter Jr. committed in August.

Manning might not have been the exact reason they committed, but having a prospect of such notoriety makes it easier to land high-end recruits.

After Manning committed, Texas moved up from No. 16 in the class rankings to No. 10. A week later, following a flurry of other commitments, Texas moved up to No. 3, where it currently stands. The Longhorns could also contend for No. 1, as they are in the running for cornerback Javien Toviano and wide receiver Jalen Hale, both top-50 recruits.

Alabama's grip at No. 1​

The Crimson Tide have been on a roll, adding nine ESPN 300 commitments since the start of July. Running back Richard Young is the highest-ranked prospect who committed during that span at No. 14 overall, followed by No. 16 ranked Caleb Downs, a safety from Hoschton, Georgia, and running back Justice Haynes, who is the No. 18 recruit in the class.

Alabama leads the country with 16 ESPN 300 commits -- one more than Notre Dame, two more than Georgia and three more than Oklahoma, LSU and Florida. Despite starting slow with two ESPN 300 commits before May, the program is already ranked No. 1 and could distance itself even further if the Tide close strong.

Some of the top remaining prospects are still listing Alabama as a top school, including defensive end Keon Keeley, corner Cormani McClain and defensive lineman James Smith.

Texas A&M in uncharted territory​

The Aggies finished the 2022 recruiting cycle with the No. 1-ranked class, adding five five-star recruits, 15 players ranked in the top five of their respective positions and 24 ESPN 300 commits in total.

This cycle, Texas A&M is ranked No. 32 overall with six ESPN 300 recruits, including five-star linebacker Anthony Hill out of Denton, Texas.

Going back to the 2016 class, only one team that had the No. 1-ranked class finished outside the top five in the class rankings the following year, and that was Alabama in 2017, which finished No. 6 overall.

Coach Jimbo Fisher was in this spot at Florida State when he signed 16 ESPN 300 recruits in 2016 en route to the No. 1 ranking. He followed that up with the No. 4 class in 2017, but now out of the top 25, Fisher is in rare territory.

Fisher will have a smaller class in 2023 given how many recruits he landed in 2022, but having just six ESPN 300 commitments, paired with the Aggies' 2-1 start and loss to Appalachian State, means he and his staff need to close strong.

They are still in the mix for ESPN 300 receiver Hykeem Williams, ESPN 300 defensive lineman David Hicks and ESPN 300 running back Jeremiyah Love, among a few others. Adding in their remaining targets would give the coaches a shot at moving toward the top 10, but it's going to be difficult to crack the top five.

Coaching carousel already starting​

Two Power 5 schools are already seeking new permanent coaches after Nebraska fired Scott Frost and Arizona State parted ways with Herm Edwards.

Since Nebraska fired Frost, the team lost a commitment from its highest-ranked recruit, ESPN 300 defensive end Cameron Lenhardt (No. 123) out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

The Huskers fired defensive coordinator Erik Chinander as well, so it will be interesting to see how Nebraska approaches its coaching search.

The program needs someone to come in and start from scratch to create a new team identity. One Big Ten personnel director told ESPN that the Huskers will need someone who has been able to build a culture and develop a program with three-stars and transfers.

Among the names that have been floated as possibilities include Kansas coach Lance Leipold or Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule.

Nebraska potentially has an opportunity to prey on conference realignment as it looks for a new coach. The Big Ten personnel director said the Big 12 is potentially a good place to pluck a coach given the uncertainty around the future of the conference. With Oklahoma and Texas leaving for the SEC, there is a lack of clarity around what the conference will look like after those schools leave and how competitive it will be.

The Big Ten has stability with its new TV rights deal announced and the additions of USC and UCLA, so there might be a good opportunity for Nebraska to get a coach from the conference and sell the stability of the Big Ten.

The Sun Devils, meanwhile, had been struggling in recruiting under Edwards. They finished out of the top 75 last cycle and had just six total commitments prior to his departure. The class has no four-stars or ESPN 300 recruits.

Edwards came in with a pro-style approach to his evaluation process and how he built his program. He had more of a CEO role and delegated down to his assistants, which didn't deliver results on the field.

Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham played at Arizona State and coached in the state of Arizona and at Arizona State, so he could be an option.

However, it could take convincing to bring a coach on board with a looming NCAA investigation over allegations of recruiting improprieties and hosting recruits during the NCAA dead period. Depending on the severity of the case and potential sanctions, it could also limit how many recruits ASU can bring in.

First-year coaches are recruiting abnormally well​

Five teams with first-year coaches find themselves in the top 10 of the class rankings. That number is staggering, considering only four first-year coaches finished in the top 10 of the class rankings in the past four recruiting cycles combined.

Texas and Steve Sarkisian finished No. 5 in the 2022 cycle, Ryan Day led Ohio State to the No. 5 class in 2020, Jimbo Fisher signed the No. 3 class at Texas A&M in 2019 and Mario Cristobal had the No. 6 class at Oregon in the same year.

Notre Dame

In this class, Notre Dame, which had spent most of the cycle atop the rankings, is now No. 2. Marcus Freeman has helped navigate the Irish recruiting class with only a few hiccups, including losing a commitment from ESPN 300 defensive end Keon Keeley.

Freeman, previously the Irish's defensive coordinator, is young, energetic and a former player himself, which helped him relate to recruits and their families. His familiarity with the program helped him land safety Peyton Bowen, linebacker Jaiden Ausberry and receiver Braylon James.

Oklahoma

Brent Venables, formerly the longtime defensive coordinator at Clemson, was no stranger to recruiting elite prospects and hasn't skipped a beat since taking over at Oklahoma.

With 13 ESPN 300 commits, including No. 2 defensive end Derrick LeBlanc, Oklahoma ranks at No. 5 overall, second in the Big 12 behind Texas.

Venables' defensive prowess, paired with offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby's exciting offense, has already made for a good match on the field this season and is paying dividends on the recruiting trail in the form of No. 1 dual-threat quarterback Jackson Arnold and No. 7 wide receiver Jaquaize Pettaway.

LSU

While Brian Kelly and LSU hit the transfer portal hard prior to the 2022 season, they are balancing it out with the No. 6-ranked recruiting class in 2023.

Kelly targeted offensive playmakers and got them. Among the 13 ESPN 300 commits include the No. 6 wide receiver in Shelton Sampson Jr., the No. 12 wideout in Jalen Brown and two ESPN 300 running backs in Kaleb Jackson and Trey Holly, plus quarterback Rickie Collins. The additions at the skill positions, especially at receiver, will help the Tigers reload and add consistency once they all arrive on campus.

Miami

Mario Cristobal was already familiar with Miami, having been a Hurricane and having coached there from 2004 to 2006. He seemed like a perfect fit and has already reaped the benefits of establishing a program identity on the recruiting trail.

Cristobal has Miami ranked No. 8 overall thanks to nine ESPN 300 commitments, seven of which are ranked inside the top 150. Cristobal has a balanced class but has focused up front, landing five-star offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa, four-star guard Antonio Tripp and three three-stars.

Florida

Billy Napier and Florida are supplementing their transfer portal efforts with the ninth-ranked recruiting class.

Of the 13 ESPN 300 commitments, five are defensive linemen: Kelby Collins, Will Norman, T.J. Searcy, Isaiah Nixon and Gavin Hill, not to mention unranked four-star defensive end Kamran James.

Napier inherited a defensive line that lost Zach Carter, Antonio Valentino, Daquan Newkirk and Tyrone Truesdell, among others. The Gators' line is relatively young with sophomores Princely Umanmielen and Gervon Dexter Sr., so adding depth up front was essential.

They also focused on the secondary, bringing in ESPN 300 safety Jordan Castell and corners Sharif Denson and Ja'Keem Jackson.

A murky future for the Pac-12​

Conference realignment has led to USC and UCLA announcing their eventual departure to the Big Ten. Oregon and Stanford have been rumored to leave the Pac-12 as well, and future conference realignment would drastically change the league's trajectory.

The conference currently has the fewest number of ESPN 300 commitments of all the Power 5 conferences with 27 compared to the SEC (96), ACC (55), Big Ten (36) and Big 12 (34).

Among the 27 top-300 commitments, 19 are from Oregon, Stanford and USC. The Ducks have 10 alone. The conference's three five-star commits, the most of any conference, are headed to USC and Oregon.

If the start of the season and the start of this recruiting cycle are any indication of the future, Lincoln Riley is going to have a lot of success at USC. Without that firepower in the conference, plus the threat of a school such as Oregon leaving, there are a lot of questions about what the Pac-12 could look like going forward.

Tennessee's balanced, underrated class​

Tennessee currently has the No. 14-ranked class overall with seven ESPN 300 commitments. That puts the Vols fifth among all SEC schools in the class rankings, but the staff has put together a well-balanced and talented group of prospects.

Sixth-ranked pocket-passing quarterback Nicholaus Iamaleava, ranked No. 27 overall, leads the group and could take over for senior Hendon Hooker, who transferred in from Virginia Tech. Adding Iamaleava was huge considering he picked the Vols over Alabama, Georgia, Miami and Oregon when he committed last March.

In addition to quarterback, the coaches needed to focus on linebackers because Aaron Beasley, Jeremy Banks, Juwan Mitchell and Solon Page III are all seniors. ESPN 300 linebacker Caleb Herring is committed, along with four-star Jeremiah Telander and three-stars Jalen Smith and Will Stallings Jr.

The team needs help in the secondary, as well, with safeties Jaylen McCollough and Trevon Flowers as seniors, as well as corner Warren Burrell. The coaches addressed those needs in ESPN 300 corner Jordan Matthews and ESPN 300 safety Sylvester Smith.

From top to bottom, Josh Heupel and his staff were able to fill needs and do it with some highly sought-after recruits. He will likely supplement this class with transfers to help fill immediate voids, but by all accounts, he has the program headed in a good direction.

Texas Tech: one of this cycle's biggest surprises​

Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire is very well respected in Texas, as he won three state championships coaching Cedar Hill High School. He has been known as a great recruiter and now has the Red Raiders ranked No. 17 in the class rankings.

In the four years prior to McGuire being hired, Texas Tech had never finished higher than 50th in the class rankings. Being in the top 25 is a testament to the relationships McGuire built within the state as a high school coach.

He now has 26 total commitments in his 2023 class, and all but three are from the state of Texas. That includes ESPN 300 safety Brenden Jordan, the No. 32 prospect in the state, and ESPN 300 linebacker Isaiah Crawford, the No. 42 recruit in Texas.

If McGuire can keep at this pace and close out the class in the top 20, he will be putting his program in position to succeed with more talent than Texas Tech has seen in quite some time.