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ESPN staff
National signing day 2019 is set for Feb. 6, and a handful of the nation’s top recruits will reveal where they will land. Here is all you need to know, including how to watch, the top remaining ESPN 300 players and a recap of the early signing period in December.
How to watch
From the day’s news to breaking down the impact of each signing, we’ve got you covered throughout signing day:
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Who’s No. 1?
Big surprise: Alabama tops our class rankings, and Georgia has passed Texas A&M for the No. 2 class. Rankings will be updated every hour starting at 9 a.m. ET. See the top 50
ESPN 300: What big names are left?
December’s early signing period stole a lot of thunder from the traditional February date, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some big names announcing their commitments. In the ESPN 300, there are 39 prospects who remain unsigned and 14 uncommitted who will ink their names on Wednesday. Seven top prospects — including five in the top 60 — are making their announcements live on ESPN on Wednesday. Here are Tom VanHaaren’s updates and predictions, along with the announcement times for the down-to-the-wire recruits in the class of 2019 (all times Eastern).
Noon hour, ESPN2
RB Jerrion Ealy
ESPN 300 rank: 19
5-foot-9, 192 pounds
Jackson, Mississippi/Jackson Prep
Prediction: Ole Miss
Others in the mix: Alabama, Clemson, Mississippi State
Ealy was once committed to Ole Miss, but he decommitted before the early signing period. Clemson is very much in the mix, and Ole Miss is trying to get Ealy back in the fold. Ealy isn’t just a top recruit in football; he also has a chance to be a first-round selection in the MLB draft. Every school on his list has said he can play baseball as well as football, but if the opportunity with baseball is too great, he could pass up the college route. Read about Ealy’s decision here.
1 p.m. hour, ESPN2
Kaiir Elam
ESPN 300 rank: 59
6-foot-1, 182 pounds
North Palm Beach, Florida/The Benjamin School
Prediction: Florida
Others in the mix: Colorado, Georgia, Miami
Elam’s recruitment is likely between Florida and Georgia, and either team could be the pick. Elam hasn’t given much of a hint as to where he might be headed, but Florida had Elam in for a visit on Jan. 11 and has made a big push for him late in the process. Georgia had him on campus the following weekend, but still, Florida is the prediction for now.
Ishmael Sopsher
ESPN 300 rank: 39
6-foot-4, 330 pounds
Amite, Louisiana/Amite
Prediction: LSU
Others in the mix: Alabama
Sopsher is one of the better defensive tackles in this class and is from Louisiana, so LSU has made him a priority in this class. The Tigers have done a great job keeping in-state prospects home and would love to do the same with Sopsher. Alabama has been after him, though. It’s tough to bet against the Crimson Tide in a recruiting battle, but the LSU staff has pulled out all the stops, and the prediction is that he stays home.
Devonta Lee
ESPN 300 rank: 242
6-foot-1, 205 pounds
Amite, Louisiana/Amite
Prediction: LSU
Others in the mix: Kentucky
Lee, a teammate of Sopsher, could also end up at LSU. The Tigers have ESPN 300 wide receiver Trey Palmer in the class but could use another top receiver in Lee. He recently visited the Tigers, giving the staff an opportunity to make the last impression and try to get his signature on signing day.
3 p.m. hour, ESPNU
Isaiah Foskey
ESPN 300 rank: 209
6-foot-5, 233 pounds
Concord, California/De La Salle
Prediction: Notre Dame
Others in the mix: Cal, Michigan, Ohio State, Washington
Foskey could fit differently at each school. Some programs are recruiting him as a defensive end, some as a tight end, and Foskey is fully capable of playing either position. He is probably better suited for defensive end, given his combination of size, speed and athleticism. He would give a team an excellent pass-rusher, and coming from a high-end school in California, he could be a good recruiting asset in the future. Notre Dame is the prediction for Foskey, and if he chooses the Irish, he would add to an excellent defensive haul.
LB Henry To’oto’o
ESPN 300 rank: 47
6-foot-2, 225 pounds
Concord, California/ De La Salle
Prediction:Tennessee
Others in the mix: Alabama, Utah, USC, Washington
To’oto’o is another top recruit from California who could be headed out of state. Alabama and Tennessee have been battling hard for the linebacker and it seems it’s between them. USC would love to keep him home, but the Vols and Tide have been recruiting him for awhile and the Vols could end up being the ultimate landing spot. It’s tough to bet against Nick Saban in a recruiting battle, but Jeremy Pruitt is a former assistant of Saban’s and could pull out a win.
4 p.m. hour during CFB Live, ESPN2
OT Darnell Wright
ESPN 300 rank: 5
6-foot-3, 300 pounds
Huntington, West Virginia/Huntington
Prediction: Tennessee
Others in the mix: Alabama, North Carolina, West Virginia
Wright has been linked to Tennessee for quite some time, but he took visits to West Virginia and North Carolina late in the process. He has a former teammate in Billy Ross, who is at North Carolina, and the new staff at West Virginia has made him a priority. The Vols have been after Wright for a long time, though, and can offer some stability in terms of coaching compared to the other schools on his list, who are all experiencing significant changes.
The ESPN 300: Check out our complete list. Read
Signing day news and shenanigans
Miami got things started early by announcing the signing of Louis Hedley, a menacing punter from Australia. According to the Miami Herald, Hedley spent eight years working in the Australian desert in construction before being encouraged to try out American football due to his punting prowess in Aussie rules football. He arrived at City College of San Francisco three days before the 2017 season, and only knew when to punt because he bought the Madden video game and watched when punters took the field.
On his first signing day as head coach at Georgia Tech, Geoff Collins went to Waffle House. On his second signing day, Waffle House came to him.
No better way to start #NSD19 than @WaffleHouse at Bobby Dodd! #FutureJackets #404theCULTURE pic.twitter.com/IZJ74lY54Y
— Georgia Tech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) February 6, 2019
Virginia Tech started the day with a new top signee. Doug Nester, the 10th-ranked OT in the class, backed out of his commitment to Ohio State this morning to instead sign with the Hokies. Nester is ranked No. 72 overall and had been looking at other programs since urban Meyer announced his retirement in early December.
Florida also pulled off a big-time switch when ESPN 300 defensive end Khris Bogle left behind his commitment to Alabama to instead sign with the Gators.
Catching up on recruiting? Here’s where to start
Do stars matter? Sure, they do. According to these six questions, it’s fairly easy to predict College Football Playoff success — and maybe even another Alabama-Clemson title game. Read
Other useful reading:
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Analysis: The winners and losers from the early signing period. Read
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Respect their decision: The glossary of recruiting terminology in our day and age. Read
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The eyes have it: The best 2019 prospects according to coaches (ESPN+). Read
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You look familiar: Recruits who remind us of NFL draft prospects (ESPN+). Read
Schools on ESPN3