College football recruiting: 2024 National Signing Day schedule, predictions, storylines
One of the most important dates on the college football recruiting calendar arrives today as the first National Signing Day kicks off the early signing period, and with many of the top recruits across the country still looking to make their announcements official.
Every five-star on the current 247Sports Composite rankings has already made their pledge, with three of those prospects picking Alabama, while Oregon and Texas each secured two of their own. But no other elite recruit made as much noise as quarterback Dylan Raiola, the near-consensus No. 1 ranked quarterback who made a bombshell decision by flipping from Georgia to Nebraska.
But there's still plenty to sort out as the college football recruiting process heats up in the days before Christmas. Here's what you need to know about the first National Signing Day in the early period.
2024 National Signing Day schedule, predictions
Jeremiah Smith, the No. 1 WR in the college football recruiting rankings for 2024
Jeremiah Smith
This year, the official Early Signing Period begins on Wednesday, December 20th and extends over three days, ending on Friday, December 22nd.
Jeremiah Smith. The consensus No. 1 wide receiver in the country has given his verbal to Ohio State, but Florida State and Miami have been in hot pursuit the whole time for the coveted in-state pass catcher. Smith has maintained that he's locked in with the Buckeyes. Our prediction: Ohio State
Dominick McKinley. A five-star defensive lineman who initially committed to Texas A&M could be in the market for a new school as Texas and LSU remain interested in the player. McKinley has an official visit scheduled with LSU in the new year, and will likely take his time to decide, given the Aggies' coaching changes. Our prediction: Texas A&M
KJ Bolden. At first, the five-star safety looked like a sure thing for Georgia, but that was before he committed to Florida State following a visit this summer. Auburn was in the picture briefly, but the player said he intends to sign with the Seminoles. Our prediction: Florida State
Lugard Edokpayi. Listed as a four-star on the recruiting services and a consensus top-20 edge rusher nationally, the Maryland native appears to be leaning strongly towards Michigan. Our prediction: Michigan
2024 recruiting rankings
Details: Our football recruiting rankings
- Georgia
- Ohio State
- Alabama
- Florida State
- Texas
- Miami
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Notre Dame
- Florida
Early signing period storylines
Buckeye flip? All eyes are on near-consensus No. 1 overall recruit Jeremiah Smith, who, despite his steadfast commitment to Ohio State, has been in contact with Florida, Miami, and Florida State. Ryan Day has kept up the Buckeyes' custom of attracting elite receivers, and his ability to retain Smith will be an important litmus test for his coaching tenure.
Keep an eye on Bolden. The aforementioned five-star safety has been in communication with both Georgia and Auburn, and, despite Bolden's stated intention to stick with the Seminoles, insiders are watching developments around the prospect and Tigers coach Hugh Freeze just in case.
Blount rotation. Six-foot-four, 250-pound defensive lineman Armondo Blount has already flipped to Florida State from Miami, but he was back with the Hurricanes recently on an official visit, and recruiting specialists are of the opinion he could revert back to Miami.
Who is No. 1? Currently, our recruiting rankings favor Georgia as the consensus top team in the 2024 cycle, but that could change, especially after the defection of Dylan Raiola to the Cornhuskers. Alabama could move into pole position, especially if Nick Saban can convince 5-star defensive end Eddrick Houston to ditch Ohio State for the Tide.
Gator Watch. Despite the loss of some notable recruits over the last few weeks, in particular that of safety Xavier Filsaime to Texas, Florida remains a top-10 team in our 2024 rankings. But other schools are pursuing its better prospects. DJ Lagway and LJ McCray, a quarterback and D-lineman, respectively, listed as five-star prospects, are getting interest, as are defensive lineman Amaris Williams and linebacker Adarius Hayes. The pressure is on for Billy Napier to hold these pieces in place.
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