National Signing Day is approaching Wednesday, and it feels like things are about to get crazy!
While we know that most kids will sign with the places they've been committed (or are projected to commit) we also know that there will be unexpected fireworks.
They started Monday with Dylan Raiola flipping from Ohio State to Nebraska -here are five more things to watch out for:
?Can Florida keep its Recruiting Class
Billy Napier and his staff have put together a strong recruiting class so far for next season as Florida is ranked eighth in the nation by 247Sports. However, that class was once ranked as high as No. 3 in the country, and has seen a steady stream of decommitments over the last few months. The latest came Wednesday when four-star safety Xavier Filsaime - who had been committed to the Gators since the spring - flipped to Texas.
And as bad as that is, several more of their commits have been flirting with other schools. Five-star defensive lineman Lj McCray, four-star defensive lineman Amaris Williams and four-star linebacker Adarius Hayes are all players to keep an eye on this week.
McCray is still being actively pursued by Auburn and in-state rival Florida State despite being committed to the Gators. The Daytona Beach, Florida native visited both programs last week just before Signing Day. The Auburn Tigers are also trying to flip WIlliams as he also took an official visit to see Hugh Freeze’s program recently, with Ohio State still trying to secure a commitment from the lineman as well.
Florida has another in-state opponent to worry about as Miami is making a final push to flip Hayes’ commitment. The four-star took an official visit to the Hurricanes this past weekend.
Will Jeremiah Smith Remain a Buckeye?
The No. 1 ranked recruit in the nation for the Class of 2024 is set to sign on Wednesday. The wide receiver has been committed to Ohio State since December 2022.
Yet despite being committed to the Buckeyes, there has been a lot of buzz going around about Smith potentially signing with Florida State.
The Chaminade-Madonna prep standout made the trip to Tallahassee very recently for an official visit. The wide receiver was also in attendance for Florida State’s 27-20 victory over Miami last month.
It will be interesting to see if Florida State made a strong enough impression on Smith to get him to flip his commitment from the Buckeyes.
Any Other Surprises for Deion and Colorado?
Deion Sanders is having himself another strong recruiting cycle coming into his second season with Colorado. The Buffaloes haven't taken a ton of high school players, but the ones that they have taken are mostly-high profile and highly-ranked.
But what will be interesting to follow is if there will be any more pleasant surprises that will really stick out to Sanders and his staff such as Travis Hunter (who followed him from Jackson State) and Cormani McClain.
Five-star offensive lineman Jordan Seaton, who recently announced his commitment to Colorado, is expected to sign this week. The IMG Academy star shocked college football fans all around the country a couple weeks ago with the announcement as the Buffaloes weren’t even listed in his top five.
Sanders also secured commitments from three four-stars: Drelon Miller, Kamron Mikell and Brandon Davis-Swain. Mikell will be the second two-way player on Colorado’s roster next season along with Hunter. Coach Prime and his staff are also still in pursuit of trying to flip four-stars Boo Carter (Tennessee commit) and JacQawn McRoy (Oregon commit). Four-star edge KingJoseph Edwards is also expected to announce his commitment right before signing day as he is deciding between Syracuse and Colorado.
Still, there wasn't even a whisper of a rumor about the Hunter and McClain flips until Signing Day.
So we'll see if Coach Prime has another shocker (or two) up his sleeve these next few days.
Don’t Underestimate the ACC
If you believe the statement that the ACC is a dead conference then you might want to rethink that. Both Florida State and Miami currently have top 10 ranked recruiting classes heading into next season.
The Seminoles have plenty to look forward to after just missing the College Football Playoff. Mike Norvell and his staff have the No. 4 recruiting class in the country coming into National Signing Day on Wednesday. Florida State’s recruiting class consists of two five-stars and 10 four-stars at the moment. Athlete KJ Bolden is the top safety in the nation and the second highest ranked recruit in the state of Georgia according to 247Sports. Bolden is currently a senior at Buford High School in Georgia. Armondo Blount is the other five-star recruit for Norvell’s team. Blount is listed as the fourth best defensive lineman in the nation by 247Sports.
The ACC champs are still looking to add to its class through the flipping process such as Smith from Ohio State and McCray from Florida. Another big target for the Seminoles is four-star defensive back Zavier Mincey from Daytona Beach, Florida who remains uncommitted for right now.
Of course, a few hours down the road from Florida State, Mario Cristobal has put together an excellent recruiting class as well after going 7-5 this season.
The Hurricanes’ recruiting class is currently ranked sixth in the country according to 247Sports. Justin Scott, who is a five-star defensive lineman from Chicago, is Miami’s highest ranked recruit as he is the third highest ranked lineman in the nation for the Class of 2024. Cristobal and his staff also landed 13 four stars for this upcoming recruiting class. Some notable ones are safety Zaquan Patterson (who was high school teammates with Smith at Chaminade-Madonna Prep), edge Marquise Lightfoot and wide receiver Ny Carr.
Miami is also attempting to flip Blount from Florida State, Hayes from Florida and four-star running back Jordan Lyle from Ohio State.
Will Last Minute visits to Tuscaloosa shift recruits to Bama?
As always, the Crimson Tide have a stellar recruiting class as they are currently ranked third in the country. After clinching a spot in the College Football Playoff, Nick Saban is showing no signs of slowing down as he and his staff hosted and visited multiple recruits very recently.
First off, Alabama just hosted a surprise visitor this past weekend - as elite defensive lineman Eddrick Houston visited Tuscaloosa this weekend. He has been committed to the Buckeyes since the summer and it will be interesting to see if they can flip him. The Tide also landed a commitment from edge Jayshawn Ross on Monday, with umm, maybe the most unique commitment graphic we've seen in some bit.
In terms of other players to keep an eye on, Alabama's staff have recently visited with four-star ATH Aeryn Hampton who is committed to Texas, and hosted four-star linebacker Tristan Jernigan, a Texas A&M commit. A pair of uncommitted recruits visited Tuscaloosa as well right before National Signing Day this Wednesday. Four-star defensive lineman Steve Mboumoa and three-star offensive lineman Favour Edwin are expected to announce very soon.
It will be intriguing to see if Alabama is able to flip and land more recruits last minute on Wednesday.
Follow Ethan Burke on Twitter - @_EthanBurke_