College Football Live - National Signing Day!!

Episode Date: December 4, 2024

Matt Schick is joined by Tom Luginbill and Craig Haubert to spotlight one of the most pivotal days in college football, as top recruits reveal where they'll be spending possibly the next four years of their careers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

College football calendar has reached the most chaotic month of the season. Teams gearing up for conference championships, jockeying for spots in the college football playoff. Michigan's done the college football world. We came up short here again today. Not easy to swallow it all. Gabon Swinney, congrats. I got you in, baby. All while putting the finishing touches on their recruiting class.

A huge day for Michigan head football coach Sharon Moore as they land the highest rated recruit in school. His three. And, oh, yeah, the transfer portal officially opens on Monday. I think it's hugely important time period for determining what kind of team we have in the fall. Today, the top high school prospects in the country signed their names on the dotted line and officially become a part of the beautiful mess that is college football. Welcome to National Signing Day. Well, playoff rankings are the talk of the week.

Recruiting class rankings can certainly impact your chances of one day. playing for the title. These are the programs at the top of the heap as we stand right now. Georgia looking for their ninth consecutive top three class, Oregon with a big flip today, vaulting them up to number two. More on that in a minute. Each of the top five teams positioned for the college football playoff. And last check that is tied to success in recruiting. And recruiting does still matter. Signing date does still matter. But it has certainly changed a lot in recent years. They moved it up to get ahead of the college football playoff. Now they're signing financial aid agreements tied to that impending revenue sharing coming to a

school near you and the transfer portal opening up next week. Other than that, it's a pretty calm month here. National Signing Day. Welcome in. Matt Schick, National Recruiting Director, Tom Luganville, National Recruiting Coordinator, Craig Cobbett. Craig Hobart, you remember it was just a few short years ago. We'd have 11 or 12-hour show. The show is in February. There's a test of stamina and your bladder. And here we are. Now it's one hour. It's right in the beginning of December.

We got the playoff coming up. So Siding Day has certainly changed. How is recruiting change? Well, it's changed because it's become so transactional now that I wouldn't fall in love with anybody. I'll tell you that because what are the chances that the players that are going to sign in this class are all going to be within the same institution, 12, 15, 18 months from now. So these financial aid agreements, Craig, they end up just being another form of a verbal agreement for now, right? And so I think that's the biggest shift is between the portal and what high school recruiting is now.

If you don't like it, it doesn't work out, off you go. It has very much a, I'm leasing with an option to buy. That's it. Absolutely. I feel to it. And I almost feel like, you know, Matt and your wonderfully voiced tease there, you mentioned that we're in the most chaotic month. I think it's unfair to limit recruiting to one month of chaos. You got just a few months, about a month and a half ago,

we got rid of the National Letter of Intent, and that seemed, you know, kind of out of the blue a little bit. So times are constantly changing, but one of the things that we've learned is everybody evolves with it. You're right, in the almost 18 years we've been doing this. A lot has kind of changed. But you know what? Everyone is adapt, and here we are yet again.

Well, it's hard to build foundational pillars, right? It's hard to stack class on top of class on top of class to give you an opportunity to build foundational development. Those days are over. Yeah, it's going to be really interesting to see. Again, it could change again. There's some coaches are saying, hey, let's move it up to the summer. We have kids that already know where they want to commit.

We've got the coaching carousel going on. That won't cause any problems when coaches get fired. There's some openings now, G5, Power 4. There's a lot there. Again, we have some uncommitted prospects. Yes, we used to have so many more uncommissioned prospects at this time. And now we've got a couple of five stars that are still uncommitted at this point. We entered the day.

Ten of the top 100 were just uncommitted. But as I said, two five stars remain uncommitted. Only one of them will be committing today. It's Joachim Stewart, top uncommitted defensive end, number 11 overall. I'm heading a car in New Orleans. Very interesting story. Didn't play as a freshman because the transfer rules had a stellar sophomore season. reclassified, but his school at State Augustine, they weren't for that. They kind of pushed back

on it, so he transferred, went to Edna Carr, but he transferred midseason so he couldn't play. So he has not played in about a calendar year, but that's about the only negative, which it came Stewart. Yeah, you can never replace experience, and that's going to take a little bit of time, but one of the things about him that's always really impressed me is he is super competitive. He has never turned down an opportunity in the off season to go get work, to be at camps and do all these type of thing. And he's got elite physical skills. We're talking about 6 5'6, 270 pounds. We've clocked him

in camps running 40s under 4'8. I mean, this is a big man who can move. And because of that size and athleticism ability that he has, he brings a lot of versatility to a defensive line. He could play out in the edge. You could reduce him inside, which he did

last season when he played, as you mentioned, Matt, at that three technique. He's got the quickness to get up field. He's strong enough to be able to get off blocks. And also the great thing is he's got the range in the motor as well. 82.5 inch wingspan, 4.8 second 40 yard dash. And there are scouts that say, look, he's got the traits. He's got the measurables. They'll worry about the experience later. He'll get that. Listen, he's at a premium position that doesn't grow on trees. And he reminds me an awful lot of what Syracuse did with Fidel Diggs, what Virginia Tech has done with Antoine Powell Rilandand,

where you line him up in the A gap. He's a stand-up guy sometimes on the edge. And you've got to account for where he's at at all time. So I'm really impressed with his scheme versatility as well. Let's go out to New Orleans in Edna Carr right now where Jakeem Stewart, the five-star, is standing by. And Jakeem, before we get to your announcement, certainly want to ask you, we mentioned having played in about a year, how have you been able to maintain your recruiting profile and your football readiness, despite not playing recently.

In the car family, thank you. It seems a lot to me. This is why I was meeting. I'm at the car man. It looks like waiting for Joachim Stewart to perhaps make his

announcement. We'll get back to that in just a moment. Again, I heard Craig, they had to move a lunch buffet or a brunch award ceremony that they were having today for us. Yeah, I mean, listen, a lot of commitments, too, is not just about that player.

It's a ceremony. There's several other players side. Eddicar is one of the elite programs, all of the state of Louisiana. They're still in the hunt for a state title. So certainly a lot of moving pieces there as well. But, yeah, I mean, he's the one because, remember, he was the number one player in the ESPN Junior 300.

Correct. When he moved to the 2025 class, he slid back a little bit just because he doesn't have that same type of experience. And you've got a quarterback like a Bryce Underwood or a Julian Lewis, even as a talented delimement time, you're going to be hard to supplant quarterbacks. Yeah, but near the top, it's quarterbacks, defensive ends, defensive tackles, offensive tackles. Those are the positions that everybody is jockeying for.

And look at college football right now. Look at the teams defensively in why they had become tough. Look at South Carolina right now on defense. Why? Well, Dylan Stewart and crew. There's a bunch of those examples. I just mentioned Virginia Tech with APR that these guys are so heavily coveted, but they're going to cost you.

I think that's the other thing in all of this. This is the new day and age of what are you willing to invest with no guarantee on the back end. And with that point, too, and he's, you know, I'm not saying that's the case, but we're seeing a little bit more. This was always something in basketball,

a lot more reclassifications too. So I think opportunities too. If you're at a position where there's a need and a school has a need and you're in a position, it may be who of you to kind of reclassify and get in on that. Up your draft stop. Yeah, exactly.

It's interesting. he was like a six-four, three-hundred-pound sixth-grader. Like he had a lot of weight. He was a middle schooler and came to the point where he just said, look, even playing on the AEU circuit, the travel football, it's not benefiting me, right? Because you're just so much larger than everybody else. Yeah, the larger to say the league.

He came to one of our camps, it was a big man camp, as an eighth grader. And I kept them away from the high school, and his coach was not happy. He's like, put him in there. I'm like, he's an eighth grader. But you know what? He would have been just fine. He would have gone over there and dominated because he certainly wouldn't have stood out physically. So we're still waiting for that announcement again.

Number one defensive end in the ESPN 300. He is down to LSU, Oregon, and USC. And despite, again, not playing for the last calendar year, you believe he can make an impact right away. Yes. Yeah. I mean, listen, experience is one thing. But when you got those type of physical tools now, Tom, it may be in a rotational type situation. And that's probably the case for a lot of young D-Liamet, but absolutely, yeah.

That is one of a handful of commitments we will have today. Are we going back to? Okay. Jakeem Stewart is talking right now, so it sounds like we're going to get the announcement. Let's listen in here at Nekar. Yeah, my bad. No, without them, it's been a long journey. It's been a lot of sacrifice, a lot of blood, a lot of sweat, and a lot of tears into this game of football and to my life.

They're sacrificed a lot of time, and I'm happy. you know they've been every step of the way i can't thank them enough you know and i also want to thank the anna car family coach bryce dr washington thank y'all for letting me in over the arm i can't express my feelings enough i'm gonna say i want to thank the football team oh i want to thank all those boys right here man they've been through a lot and i also want to thank my trainers you know coach clyde cli coach bt jr and g ls garry they helped me along the way with that That being said, I'll be taking my targets to three to four years. USC, baby.

He's headed to USC. USC, there's sixth top 15 ESPN 300 prospect in the last five cycles tied for the fourth most with Texas and Georgia in that span. A huge get out west. And you think, okay, maybe he'll stay locals, transfer to a couple of different schools there in New Orleans. Nope, spurting LSU. We're going out west. What do you make of it? Yeah, I think this is huge.

You think at USC, what they have most needed for several years now, especially with the transition to the Big Ten is to get better in the trenches, especially along the defensive line. You think of those heydays of the Trojans time when Pete Carroll was there? They were dominant along the defensive front. And even with the lack of experience, I think he still comes in and he makes an immediate impact again, even if it's just situational. USC did not put any players in the front seven on the All Big Ten first team.

Listen, he's different than what SC is currently playing with. So you're right, to have the opportunity to make an immediate impact. De Antenlin, the new defensive coordinator, they did improve on defense at SC, although it wasn't the season that they would have liked to have had. But I will say this, this is what has been hindering SC. You touched on it, Craig. You've got to get people up front on both sides of the ball. The skill guys are great, but for SC to make that next leap, it starts with a guy like

Joaqu Stewart. Yeah, we have the Zachari branches. Let's get someone like Jaquim Stewart. So a nice good start there. for signing day for USC. All right, let's stay in the southeast quadrant here. Cocoa High School got some pretty good players there. We saw Brady Hart, which flipped from Michigan to Texas A&M recently

in news of that, in light of that Bryce Underwood News. But J.B.on Hilsen is going to make his announcement here in just a little bit. Much like Stewart also plays on that defensive front. Top 100 prospect, number 11 defense event. What do we expect here, Lou? Listen, he reminds me a lot of a taller version of Donovan Azaraku at Boston College that just wreaks havoc. He's uber disruptive. And that first step explosiveness, Craig, I think is really, really strong.

Yeah, he's very agile. He doesn't, when you watch him, he doesn't have elite bend, but his feet are so quick he's able to slip around. And he's also got the power as well. 25 tackles for a loss, 15 sacks so far this season. And they're still playing as they're in a state title hunt. Yeah, that's why I brought up Donovan Azaraku. It's not just sacks. It's not just QB hurries.

It's tackles and tackles for loss. 15 sacks, three-force fumbles, a couple of block kicks in 12 games this season. Let's go out to Coco, High School there in Coco, Florida. Jvionn Hilsson, one of the best defensive ends in the country is ready to make his announcement. Jvion, where is it going to be? The floor is yours. Look, the person fomo, you know, I just want to thank God. You know, I want to thank my family.

You know, I just want to thank my other coaches. and, you know, I want to thank the teachers, you know, all the gallons counselors, the booster clubs. I want to thank Mr. Morrow and Ms. Tomorrow, you know, they're like, you know, mom and dads through me and stuff, you know, coming to every game and supporting me being there during the season. I also want to thank Mr. Chalpman, you know,

he's been on me a lot, you know, keeping my grades up and all that, you know, being like, you know, father figure for me too to make sure, like, I stay on point in class. And, you know, I want to thank, you know, Coach Snyder for believing me when I, like, got here in my sophomore year and stuff. I ain't believing myself, you know, took me in and he was like, you're going to be next.

I just, you know, believe in his word. And I just kept grinding. I also like to think, this man right here, Coach Forster, Colson, you know, coming to pick me up like every, every on, you know, day throughout the, you know, summertime. And, you know, shoot, he's just been a big role model for me, like a dad to me and stuff.

You know, broke the game down so simple for me and stuff. I also like to think it's son too, James Forster, Jr., you know, all the stuff you see on film comes from him, like the handwork, you know, chasing the QVs down, going sideline and sideline. And the track, too. The track helped me a lot

to do all that. I also like to thank this man right here. Coach, Coach, Big Diesel, you know, he came up with D1,

D1. I ain't, you know, I didn't believe, I was going to go D1. Soon as I came inside the weight room, he said, yeah,

that's D1 right there. And I also like to think, his son, too, Coach, Diesel, the best DC I had in my life. You know, he put me in one-on-one

situations, you know, just to get out to the QB, you know, make plays and stuff. And shoot, also like the thing, Coach Snyder right here, you know, again.

And, you know, I like to think everybody that came out and stuff, too. What I being said, for the next three or four years, I'll be taking my time to the University of the University of, you're right? What we're at? Hold on. What are we at with it? Hold on. University of Missouri. Coach Eli Drinkwitz gets a good one there as J.

John Hilsen is going from Florida to Missouri, getting the congratulations there. Jamie, I'm not sure if you can hear me, but what was it about Missouri? You said it again? What was it about Missouri? It was just like when I first went out there and it was like, you know, going on campus, it felt like home. You know, it's like a place that was like no discretions at. I can fully lock in and, you know, so talking to coach early,

that's the deal with the D&C, talking to coach early, you know, just watching film with him. He was showing me like how he used me in the system. They see me as a jack, you know, dropping and rushing the passer. You know, I feel like, watching the passenger. I feel like watching this when he was showing me and stuff, you know, could put me in one-on-one positions, you know, to go in there and, you know, be a true freshman, All-American, you know, be a big impact.

That would I look at and I shoot like, you know, all the seniors leaving. And you know, they need an elite airs rush. So I felt like that was a perfect fit for me. Gavionn, Hilsen, the SEC headed to Missouri. Congratulations. Thanks for sharing the moment with us. Appreciate it. Yes, sir.

Thank you for having me. Maybe on Hilsen again. Missouri, just their six top 100 ESPN 300 prospect in the last five seasons. get a good one here. Yeah, I mean, listen, you think about the SEC, you think about great defensive linemen, and he was a player who was at one point in a part of that Florida state class wind up decommitting, going back out on the recruiting trail. And this is really big for Missouri because some of the things that Tom and I were just talking about, he could bring in. Again, he has the physical tools to be able to come in and compete right away, that first step quickness,

the ability to play with pad level, that pop with his hands and those type of things. And again, he's playing for a really good program. He's played with a lot of good, a lot of against a lot of good competition. It's kind of gotten ready to this point. Well, listen, for Missouri, this is two years in a row. They've signed a top tier defensive end along the defensive front, knowing full well, that's how you're going to survive in that conference. And Eli Drinkowitz's targeting guys that can separate themselves within the conference up front.

You know Missouri is going to get skill guys. You know they're going to have a quarterback, but it begins and ends right there. 170 pounds as a freshman, 230 as a senior. Hello, training table. We'll have some fun there in Columbia, Missouri. Signing Day, National Signing Day just beginning here on ESPN. Coming up, recruiting has changed. It's certainly one thing remains the same.

It starts with the quarterback, and recruiting a great one can change your program. We'll let you know where the top QVs are headed and what to expect. Now, the holiday season, also known as flip season. We've seen some major flippage over the last few weeks, especially when it comes to the quarterback chase. Bryce Underwood flipping from LSU to Michigan. Julian Lewis, same day. Commits to Colorado after decommitting from USC.

Hussein Longstreet. Flip to USC from A&M. Brady Hart flips from Michigan to Texas A&M. So we've seen some quarterbacks, change logos and change brands. Matt Schick, Tom Lugganville, and Craig Harbrett. Let's sit here with Michigan and Underwood. The number one player in the class, how significant is this commitment to the Wolverines? Well, if you consider the season that Michigan had under center and the fact that they were playing with a walk on and for all intents and purposes could not function in the passing game, I don't know if you can put a price tag.

Well, it's a pretty hefty price tag on just how important this signing is for Michigan. Listen, he changes the position, not just as a passer, but from an athleticism standpoint, he's going to arrive in that quarterback room and he's going to have physical advantages. And the question is going to be how can he develop and how quickly can he handle what is a steep learning curve? Because there is going to be probably more pressure on this player because of all of the numbers that have been thrown around as it relates to name image and likeness than any other player coming in as a freshman in college football. That's a lot to handle emotionally, mentally. His competitive temperament, his competitive toughness will all be challenged. But the physical attributes are off the charts and they've got to be tickled to death to have it. David Davis from last year. He redshirted.

So pretty young quarterback room coming up after this season, the rotating cast that they had at quarterback. So the number one quarterback, number one player in the class, the number two quarterback in the class is a player who was the number one player in the 2026 class before he reclassified. Juju Lewis decommits from USC now playing for Coach Prime. What are they getting? Well, listen, they are getting the era parent to Shador Sanders. That was very needed for them. you know, to lose Shador Sanders and to lose Travis Hunter, those are two key pieces to try to replace.

So they get an elite quarterback. And I think for Julian Lewis, he's a player who's been on the scene since like eighth grade, he's been on the recruiting radar. And I think he's been around so long that sometimes when you get built up, people want to knock you down. But when you look at his numbers as a senior, he's thrown for over 3,000 yards for the second year in a row.

He's completing 76% of his passes with 44 touchdowns, all right? And he has four interceptions, more than he threw a year ago. One of the things I've liked when I've seen him in person, I've seen him a few times over the last two years is he does a great job of shaking off mistakes. And you're going to need that when you're playing for Dion Sanders. Because when you make a mistake, he's going to let you know. So he's got a short memory. He's also coached in high school by Joey King, who coached Trevor Lawrence in high school. So he's had really good coaching. I think this is one of the better or most needed fits as much like you have with Bryce Underwood,

Michigan, that you need at the quarterback position. And he's going to get great coach you from Pat Schwarz. And they're going to get better around. him. That's the thing. They've gotten better in the offensive line. They're going to have good skill around him and then he's going to have to make that leap. Well, and that created a lot of momentum in the cycle. We've got a few more ESP on 300 prospects as well.

Mention some flips there. You saw in the graphic Brady Hart flipping. Hadn't visited Texas A&M until very recently but then says, you know what? That's good enough. Took the family down and he's headed the college station to play for Coach Elko. Well, the Domino's fall because he was a Michigan commit. Sure. And he was a Michigan kid

to commit into 2020. Sixth class. So he's a reclassed. So he wound up reclassing up and then going to Texas A&M. And I don't think he's, listen, he's at an outstanding high school. He's a teammate with J.B.on Hilsen. He's played some really good football. We've seen him in person here, Tom, at the future 50 event this summer. He's got all the physical tools. He's not a plug and play guy, but you need to continue to build that quarterback room and have players that you could develop. Well, perfect with Marcel Revy in there right now. It's a perfect setup. All right. So you've got Texas A&M and they are working on a top 10 class. Let's look at the Southeastern Conference. out those top classes. Again, Georgia is sitting there at number one overall. Of course,

their number one there in the SEC. 16 ESPN 300 prospects. Look at Sark in Texas. They were prepared for the SEC with how they recruited and now they're prepared to stay in it and thrive in it. And Kalin-de-Bore has Alabama looking for another their ninth straight, a ninth top-three recruiting class since 2016. What do you make of? Let's start with Alabama. Sitting there at number three in the SEC. How's Kaelin DeBoer picking up what Nick Saban left? Nobody ever wants to follow a legend and that's what he's doing. And most people who follow legends die in the shadows of those legends. All right, when he took over that job, Alabama, a year ago at this time, had one of the best fast star classes. Right. Nick Sabin retires, that entire class fell apart.

So this is not DeBore taking the baton from Sabin and just building on top of the class. He had to start over. And there's been some ups and downs, but he's done an outstanding job of maintaining a high level for Alabama. They've got some really key players in his class to go ahead and sign like DJ Lee, the corner out of California. USC was coming after him. This is a really good class.

They got the quarterback. Keyline Russell, they needed him as well. That's a big get. Stealing him from SMU. Since 2007, no team has won more games than Alabama. No team has recruited as well as Alabama. George is pretty close, though. Georgia is pretty close there.

With ninth straight, looking for their ninth straight, top three class, Kirby Smart continues to get it done. Well, they continue to get it done because they get it done at all the premium positions, right? Where are their best players up front on both sides of the football, obviously on the defensive back end as well? And they continue to just reload. Where I think they've also done a really good job by and large is they've re-recruited their current team very, very well. As we're seeing rosters get thinned out throughout the landscape of college football, they've been pretty headstrong in keeping those classes intact by and large. You're not going to keep them all.

But I think that's something that Georgia right now has over some of the other teams that they're competing against. Is they're adding good players still keeping good players? Liza Griffith, Isaiah Gibson deciding to stay home. There's a lot of talented state. He's smart doing his job to keep the best prospects local. Coming up from the SEC to the Big Ten, the big power brokers continue to get it done in recruiting. Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, who's at the top of the conference rankings, and the players to know.

Big Ten schools in the running for one of the top linebackers in the country. Nathaniel Uruzu-Buatang making his announcement with us. Looking forward to it. He's got five hats. He'll put on one, Nick. It is the first day of the early signing period, otherwise known as National Signing Day, otherwise known as Georgia Day.

Brought in the number one class for last year, looking to line up its first back-to-back number one classes of the ESPN 300 era, a 16 ESPN 300 prospect, certainly reloading all across the board. Oregon with a big vault up to number two. More on that story in a little bit. Texas, Ohio State, Alabama. The top five teams, all position for births in the college football

playoff. Feel free to connect the dots. Certainly, those are the programs to know. Name to know, Nathaniel Ousu Watang, who's the number 81 player, the ESPN 300, one of the top outside linebackers out of IMG Academy. He's going to make his announcement. here in a moment. What do we need to know about it?

That he's a nickel linebacker that might not have ideal size in terms of the measurable standard, but he can play very close to the line of scrimmage. He can play as a weak side linebacker. He can also play, in my opinion, as a safety, plays a lot of zone with his high school football team. But he is, as Craig just put it in our last break, C ball, get ball type of guy runs extremely well. And it's going to be interesting to see how much bigger does he get for the next level? Because we're seeing more and more linebackers like this that play in a variety of roles. Look at the cover skills, the ability to run in the open field, stay on the field from a

linebacker perspective. He's just really agile and athletic, and they ask him to do an awful lot. And I think when you're his size, it gives you an opportunity to be moved around a lot within the defense, and you better know where he's at. Down to Colorado, Michigan, Notre Dame, USC, Ohio State. You can see the logos, or at least the names there. We've got some hats on a table here. go right out to Mr. Bwetang, who is there with his mother and father.

That's Martha and Andrews Ousu, Karamara. Nathaniel Wusu Bwetang, before we get started here, before we begin our fireside chat, Nathaniel, explain the garment that you're wearing, why that's so important. Yeah. So I like to believe that I'm not African because I'm from Africa, or my parents are from Africa.

The Africa lives within me. So that's why I am wearing the garments today to express, my culture to express my country to show that Ghana to the world, right, just to put my country on the platform. So, yes, sir. Very good. Very impressive. All right. So there's one more garment, a little clothing that you're going to add coming up. One of those five hats. What's it going to be? The floor is yours. Yes, sir. So first and foremost, I want to thank Jesus Christ. Without him, I would not be here today. I want to think my mom, my dad, Cliff Hill, Donzladi from IMG Academy.

And most importantly, I want to thank the village that is here today because it takes a village to raise one. So everybody who's here today and everybody who could have made it today, I thank y'all for being a part of this process. But for the three to four years, I will be going to... Michigan University. Nathaniel Usu-Bwatang is headed to Michigan. The big block M there in Ann Arbor.

Why Michigan, Nathaniel? Well, I chose Michigan for a multitude of reasons. One, just because of the way that the coaches dealt with my family all throughout the process. You know, like my mom loved it. You know, like the family loved it. So they definitely made the family feel like home. Another reason why I chose Michigan is not just because of the football, but life after football, right?

Because when you're done with football, what are you going to do? So life after football at Michigan is amazing. The academics are amazing. Life that football is amazing. And ultimately, you know, holistically, it was the best option for me. I didn't have to sacrifice nothing. I didn't have to put nothing on the table because Michigan had me. You know, they treat my family like family as well.

So that's why it's go blue. You know, those who stay will be champions. So go blue. Nice win over Ohio State. And they capture that. plant the flag and then get another blue chip prospect here with Nathaniel Wussibautang. Not a bad week, Craig, Hobart, your reaction. Yeah, as Tommy said, you know, the way you described him to, you had mentioned it too as well.

He almost gives a little bit that Gibral Pepper's vibe and the versatility that he can bring. And again, defense wins championships. You got an outstanding quarterback. Well, it's not always easy to try to out shoot everybody on the field when you're trying to win games. You bring him on the defensive side of the ball. You talked about some of the skill set that he has, some of the other things, stood out to me. He tackles very well in space. He wraps up. And even though a lot of the times he is in space and zone coverage, those few times that he needs to take on blockers,

he's got really quick hands. He's able to quickly shed and play the run. I still think his best football is ahead of him. And I think that's what's really exciting for Michigan as he cycled through all of his options there. Yes, he did. Awesome kid. Awesome kid as well, acknowledging everyone who helped along the way with the parents there. You know, what's interesting is this day and age, you know, we ask how things change. You always the next three to four years. It's on a whole new meeting in a transfer portal error, doesn't it? So you think they should say it in the next one to two years? Maybe, yeah.

I'd say next three to four months. To be three to four months is how it could be. Congratulations to Nathaniel. Speaking of the Big Ten, there was some big recruiting news today where we had five star Naim offered who was going to make an announcement for Ohio State. At least he was committed there back in February. Eli Letterman, who covers recruiting for ESPN, joins us now. Five star, number one corner.

What happened today, Eli? It was the recruiting stunner of the day. Naim Alford has been flirting with a flip from Ohio State. Really all fall, you mentioned it committed to Ohio State since February top defender in the country. But if anywhere, going into today, we thought he was going to flip. It was going to be Auburn. And in the end, a bit of a surprise. He hadn't been to Oregon since the fall.

Nehneem offered ends up with the ducks. And he's now the top defender and second ranked prospect in Oregon class that is trending way up today. And, you know, this continues the recruiting battles between Oregon and Ohio State. They've intensified in recent years. And they're only going to go up in the Big Ten. And this is easily the biggest to this point. Really interesting. We were expecting some other flips today.

Did we see what we expected? There will be flips and there have been to this point. But some of the biggest ones, you're talking about Dallas Wilson, an Oregon wide receiver who had been, you know, had all the Florida schools take a run at him. Lincoln Cure, Kansas State plays where Oregon was taking a run at him, the tight end. And Tavian Wallace, Arkansas's top prospect, all three came in today as guys that we might have said, expected to go elsewhere, expected to move. All three stayed put. And, you know, on a day like this, it can be as much the flips that do happen as the ones that don't that impact these classes. Eli Letterman. Thanks, Eli. Really appreciate it. Check him out. Follow him on the X and at ESPN.com. Speaking of the Big Ten, there's Oregon, number two in all the land, number one in the Big Ten. They're number one in the Big Ten and in the nation and the rankings. And getting it done in their new conference, there we have Ohio State, and there we have Michigan as well.

What about Ohio State and this class stands out to them? Listen, they may not be done yet either as well, because you remember this is still just the early signing period. But this is a class still got a lot of great pieces. Devin Sanchez, they may have lost out an offer, but they still signed one of the most lengthiest ranging corners in all of this recruiting class in 2025. They've got some guys up front as well. So this is a really good class of pickups along the offensive line. So again, the offered flip is not ideal. I think a lot of people just thought maybe was going to go to Auburn, not Oregon,

but I think a lot of people expected this. Running back named Bo Jackson to run the class. Yeah, it's a name, but a good player. Ohio State's trying to sign every great corner. Like every, I mean, if you would have had Sanchez and offered in the same class, that would have been a remarkable feat. I mean, you're talking about a defensive back end that has been so talented for the better part of the last 10 to 15 years. I would also make mention of quarterback Tavia and St. Clair, who has,

a lot of similar physical traits to who we were talking about earlier with Bryce Underwood and the University of Michigan. Uber athletic kind of gives you that Anthony Richardson vibe, although I think he's much more accurate than Anthony Richardson was throughout his career. So we'll see how he ends up falling into place with this Ohio State offense. Ohio State there at number two. Used to be in number one. Here's Oregon coming in.

Also one of those newbies into the Big Ten USC. How would you evaluate how they've done? We've already seen them pick up, Craig, Joachim Stewart. Yeah, listen, I mean, that's the U.S.C.'s class has been, you know, interesting to follow. There's been ups and downs. They've gotten commitments. They've lost players. There's been, you know, quite a roller coaster ride if you're a Trojans fan, this recruiting cycle. But again, this is a huge pickup. They need to get better on defense. As you mentioned, Tommy, there were some improvements this year. But ultimately, if they are going to the rise to the top of the Big Ten and get back into college football playoff pitcher, they need to be more dominant along that defensive front.

And they made it took a big step today with that with Stewart. Aaron Dunn, the offensive tackle out of Utah as well. So working on that line of scrimmage there for USC, heading into a pivotal year for Lincoln Riley. Coming up next year on our National Signing Day special. It is signing day, but the portal period is right around the corner. Who are the big names that will be shopping around their services as teams look for quick fixes? The debate may end, but it will be settled on Sunday as the final rankings and 12-team college

football playoff bracket revealed on the college football playoff selection show presented by AT&T. Check it out. Noot Eastern on ESPN. Signing Day rankings. We mentioned Miami. Looks like they're on the outside looking in when it comes to the college football playoff. But there they sit as the number one class in the ACC. Georgia Tech and Brent Key, SMU, Rett Lashley, some new logos that we're seeing here. What do you make of them? Well, I'll tell you, If you look at that Georgia Tech class on the job that they have done all throughout this fall while they've been putting a quality product on the field. I think they both work hand in hand. They've really done a nice job in the offensive line.

And they've flipped some guys from schools that in years past, you wouldn't see Georgia Tech having the opportunity and the success to do so. So Brent Key and the staff slowly developing this roster, building some foundational competitive depth. But Brent Key, a former offensive lineman knows it begins and ends on that side of the ball in that area. Started their season with a big win over Florida State. Florida State used to seeing them on that graphic, right? One, two, or three. We don't see them. They've had a tumultuous season, just a couple of wins,

preceded by a 13-win season. And now here they are with a bunch of decommitments that they've had over the last couple of months. What do you make of their class moving forward? Yeah, it's interesting how, like, you know, you're on top of the world a year ago, and then you struggle on the field and how quickly things can change. there's certainly a feel to the recruiting world

of what have you done for me lately. And obviously when teams that you compete against, teams within your conference to Miami's, to Clemsons, the Georgia Tech, they see you struggle. They're obviously going to remind people that, hey, listen, they may not be ready for the long haul, so you have to work against that negative recruiting as well.

Florida State is a program that has been down before Norville was able to kind of bring them back. Now they're dipping again. How quickly can they respond? Because you know, Tom, Florida State's one of those blue chip type programs. If you can write the ship, You'll get prospects back on board. They've got to get to figuring out how they're going to balance their high school recruiting efforts with the transfer portal.

And may have gotten a little too heavy from a portal perspective going into the 2023 season when you consider that all of their premier playmakers, Johnny Wilson, Kionn Coleman, Jordan Travis, Trey Benson, Jared Verse, all of those guys were transfers and they all went out the door at the same time. So I think there's got to be a bit more of a blend. Gus Miles on coming in from UCF to manage the office. offense. Tony White coming in from Nebraska to coordinate the defense. Florida State down. SMU splashing out of the scene, 11 and 1 playing for an ACC championship here. Rhett Lashley certainly mined the portal to get ready in the ACC, and now he's taking care of it in recruiting. Oh, and remember, they were the ones initially onto Keelon Wilson or Keelon Russell, excuse me, before Miami came and snagged him.

And that was also before SMU was having the year that they've had on the field. But they replenished with Ty Hawkins, who they flipped from T.E. And it's only a matter of a time. You got a Rhett Lashley can sit in his office and throw a rock in any direction and hit a really good football player. They've got tremendous resources in name image and likeness, tremendous resources for their collective. They are just scratching the surface of what this program is embarking on becoming. And it's going to be exciting to watch them over the next couple of years. Yeah, you mentioned location for SMU NIL.

Same thing with Georgia Tech. They're in Atlanta, downtown Atlanta. They got NAL. Those are two programs that should be thriving in NIL. And they are. Yep. Take a look at this week's college football playoff rankings brought to you by AT&T, SMU. One of those teams in there feel like they're fairly safe.

One final team. Number one, Oregon, number two, Texas, number eight SMU, number 10, Boise State, number 15, Arizona State. All round out the projected conference champs, while Ohio State, Tennessee, and Indiana round out the rest of the top 10. It's one final team. Who should be Dr. Pepper, one final team. Use the hashtag one final team. That's check, Craig Herbert and Tom Mugan Bill.

Let's welcome in Max Olson, who's covering not just recruiting, but the portal. The transfer portal, Max, opens up officially on Monday, but we're already hearing news about who's going to be entering the portal. How would you compare this upcoming portal season from what we've seen in years past? Yeah, Matt, I think this is setting up. to be the craziest transfer portal cycle of all time. And you're used to hearing that every year, but the numbers just keep going up.

You know, last year, nearly 4,000 FBS players put their name in the portal, which was an all-time high. This year, it's kind of a different setup. So this is the first cycle where players have the ability to transfer an unlimited number of times during their careers. The Encebley had to change that rule earlier this year. We're also heading into the era of revenue sharing. And I think that's going to change a lot of the financial dynamics,

behind transfer portal movement. You know, I think for Power 4 programs that want to compete at the highest level after the House Settlements approved, you're going to be investing upwards of $15 million into your roster for 2025. So I think that's a big piece of it. Also with the House Settlement, you know, these programs are going to have to cut down to 105-man rosters. And so I think, unfortunately, that's going to lead to a lot of players having to enter

the portal so that these programs can cut down. I think one more factor there, you know, you look at Indiana, Colorado, Arizona, state, SMU, all these programs that have achieved turnarounds via the portal. I think that there's proof now that you can flip your roster a lot faster. Certainly can. And who are the names that are in the portal right now, or at least will be, that other schools are going to try and get? Yeah, the quarterback market is already starting to kind of clarify.

We've seen USC's Miller Moss announced that he's going to go in the portal. He had some good moments in his one season is starting for the Trojans. Texas A&M's Connor Wegman is entering the portal after losing his starting job to Marcel Reed. There's a lot of hype around him entering 2024. Decide to see where he goes. Liberty's Caden Salter, another quarterback who had a historic year last year at Liberty, led them to 13 wins in the Fiesta Bowl,

was the conference USA MVP. He's playing to enter the portal. And I think at wide receiver, you're going to see a lot of big name talent hit the market. Kevin Concepcion from NC State was the ACC's rookie of the year. Micah Hudson from Texas Tech was a five-star recruiting signing day last year, Jontee Cook from Texas.

Another big-time recruit who left the program. And I just think there's a lot of powerful programs out there that want to be contenders in the playoff next year that needs to pick up playmakers. Always a reminder. Just because you lose them in recruiting doesn't mean you've lost him forever. Max Olson, thank you very much. We got some finishing touches to put on National Signing Day. Latest announcements coming up. Hope you're going to join it.

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Read the funds or ETFs' prospectus before investing. Funds and ETS are not guaranteed. Their values change and past performance may not be repeated. Here's this weekend's ABC College Football Conference Championship lineup. We kick things off Friday night in the American at 8th. Eastern, then Saturday the Dr. Pepper big 12 title game at noon, followed by Georgia and Texas, the SEC Crown, and we end the night with Clemson and S&U for the ACC title. And don't forget that Dr. Pepper tuition giveaway. Right there. We're going to have some fun. Oh, you're going to

be there, aren't you? Giving away $100,000 out of my own pocket. Saturday night. Saturday night. It's going to be a lot of fun. Saturday night. Oh, I will be. I'm going to pick up the tab at dinner. I'll be there. I'm heckling you. The heckling will begin as soon as this show is over. National signing again, it's a 72-hour affair, but the first 12 or so hours would have stood out to you? Well, there's been a few things. Number one, we've seen some flips, but I think the thing that stands out is that everybody in the top five

right now in the class rankings is a playoff team. So we're continuing to see that reoccurring theme, and we've said the stat before. You said it, I don't know how many times for the last 10 years. Every single team that's made the college football playoff has had a four-year average of top 10 class. So it does matter. what stood out to me. That continues to roll.

Michigan might have been outside. That might have been the one exception, nine of the last 10, but it's right there. You've got to win with it. I mean, and it still brings hope. I think one of the big stories we really didn't have a chance to talk about was Florida. Billy Napier, Billy Napier was given a vote of conference at the beginning of November. They went on to win those last three games. No team has been hotter on the recruiting trail in the last week and half than the Gators.

And I think you're starting to see maybe the turnaround of that program back to maybe rising again. That's amazing. 11 flips. Consider where that was. Early November, it's a vote of confidence. Like, really, what are they doing? They win some games. They get some recruits.

Give a guy some time. NIL might force some patience on some of these. Keep in mind, you have the freshman quarterback and DJ LaGway that has held that entire thing together. Committed last year, right here. Yeah, exactly. Sending a message to the other young guys, hey, we're building the foundation. It's here. Amazing.

It is. It's an amazing occurrence there. And did you ever think, you know, listen, we talked to a little earlier, Julian Lewis. You knew at some point. That Colorado class was dormant for most of the recruiting cycle. And you knew Dion Sanders was going to get somebody a big flip down. He started winning, too. All right, we got one more announcement to do here.

Interesting story. Toby Astrup, who was, he's out of Houston. He's with us now. He's going to make his announcement out of Maid Creek. It just started playing football over the last four months. And now he's going to make an announcement here. Toby, where's it going to be? It's all yours.

Yes, sir. How's Mike? He's good. We're sitting. Sorry. Say about. We're waiting. There's a DJ.

There's a DJ there who's going to be playing some music. Is it close, Toby? We got like two minutes left. Is it close? So, quickly, God bless Coach Norville from Memphis. God bless Coach Dr. from Missouri from the music. God bless Coach Rodney from USC. God bless.

Coach Landon, Morgan, God bless Coach Morgan, and God bless Coach of the Broad. And I'll be taking my journey to 50s. It will be boring. What a day for the Oregon Ducks. Toby Hasdra, born in London, moved to California with his family eight years ago that went to Texas, was running track, gave football a try. and now he's headed to the ducks. Toby, not sure if you can hear me. Why was it the ducks? Toby, why the ducks?

That's a little loud there. It's a little loud there for Toby. Understood. But what a pick up there. And what a day for Coach Dan Lannick. Yeah, I mean, that is huge. And he's a player who just started playing this fall. And you watch him on film and he does not seem like a player who just starting playing football.

That is the wow factor. And he's still only going to get better. Oregon doesn't care of the why. They're just glad he's coming. He can run. He's long. He plays defensive end, and his ceiling's about way up here. He don't know he don't know yet.

Remember, they got Naim Alford earlier today as well. I mean, think about what they're adding there. Cory and Moore at Whiteout? Two quarterbacks in the class? He just fine in the Big Ten. Playing for a Big Ten title coming up Saturday night against Penn State. National Signing Day. It's over like that.

Recruiting a marathon, not a sprint. Thank you.