NATIONAL SIGNING DAY UPDATE 2:51 P.M.: Louisiana WR to Bama; Alabama WR to Michigan
Published 2:51 pm Wednesday, February 1, 2017
The Latest on college football’s national signing day. (all times Eastern):
3:27 p.m.
DECISION TRACKER: Nico Collins, a 6-foot-5, four-star receiver from Alabama, announced he is attending Michigan with a slickly produced video that ended with him wearing a white visor with a blue block M and saying, “Go Blue.”
3:18 p.m.
DECISION TRACKER: Alabama went into Louisiana to add one of the best receivers in the country. Devonta Smith, a 160-pound speedester, picked the Tide over LSU.
3:00 p.m.
DECISION TRACKER: A couple of four-star defensive backs have made their picks.
Jamyest Williams from South Carolina decided to stay in state and picked the Gamecocks over Georgia.
Penn State got a late add for its top-20 class with cornerback Tariq Castro-Field from Maryland picking the Nittany Lions over the Terps.
Wisconsin added four-star receiver Danny Davis, who went with the Badgers over West Virginia and Kentucky. Davis is from Ohio.
USC stayed hot on signing day when tight end Josh Falo from California picked the Trojans over Oregon.
2:49 p.m.
The national champions had pretty much all their recruiting done before signing day.
Clemson signed a small class of 15 players, coming off its first national title since 1981. There is plenty of quality in that group, including five-star quarterback Hunter Johnson.
Johnson will get a chance to be Deshaun Watson’s replacement.
Despite the relatively small numbers, coach Dabo Swinney is likely to land a class that ranks in the mid-teens nationally.
The Tigers will need some immediate help at receiver after the early NFL departures of Mike Williams and Artvais Scott. The additions of five-star Tee Higgins and four-star Amari Rodgers, both from Tennessee, could help fill the void.
2:40 p.m.
Hunter Rison, the son of former NFL receiver Andre Rison, has signed with Michigan State, the same school where his father was a star. Hunter Rison is also a wide receiver. He’s already enrolled at Michigan State and will participate in spring practice. He played at Skyline High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Andre Rison played at Michigan State from 1985-88 and is second on the school’s career list with 2,992 yards receiving.
2:25 p.m.
Four-star safety Chaz Ah You took his Signing Day announcement to another level. The Provo, Utah native produced a video with Bleacher Report of him boarding a helicopter with four “destination” hats inside the chopper â Washington, UCLA, Stanford and BYU. You looked at the pilot and said, “Take me to my new home.”
The helicopter landed at BYU’s LaVell Edwards Stadium before he jumped out in a BYU jersey and celebrated with the school mascot.
2:15 p.m.
Some calls you just have to take.
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly was holding his signing day news conference with reporters when his cell phone rang. “Jeremiah?” he said. And walked out of the room.
Kelly returned and announced Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, a three-star prospect from Virginia, had signed with the Fighting Irish.
Kelly and the Irish are coming off a 4-8 season, but they are still in line to sign a top-15 class. The highest-rated members are Brock Wright, a tight end from Texas, and four-star offensive linemen Robert Hainsey and Aaron Banks.
1:55 p.m.
DECISION TRACKER: The nation’s top junior college running back is headed to Kansas.
You read that correctly.
The long-downtrodden Jayhawks signed Octavius Matthews from Itawamba Community College in Mississippi in a significant surprise Wednesday. Matthews had de-committed from Auburn last week and was considering Purdue and Tennessee before signing with Kansas.
Matthews will be reunited with former Washington State quarterback Peyton Bender, who also spent last season at Itawamba and is already on the Kansas campus. That likely played a role in his decision.
1:25 p.m.
DECISION TRACKER: Alabama’s signing day is mostly done with 260-pound defensive tackle LaBryan Ray picking the Tide â as expected. Tennessee, Florida and Ole Miss were also in the mix, but it would have been shocking if Ray, from Madison, Alabama, left the state.
The addition of Ray seems to have a trickle-down effect for Alabama into 2018. Jarez Parks, a defensive end from Florida, went a long way â Paris! â to announce his commitment to Alabama. But Alabama has no scholarships left for in this year’s class and it is being reported that Parks could be a grayshirt, enrolling in January and counting toward next year’s class.