National Signing Day

Consensus Rankings

With the dust finally settling on a hectic 2023 recruiting cycle, programs across the nation can finally exhale after months of speculation, NIL and the advent of transfers. National signing day was the final hurdle for most programs, but for the usual heavy hitters it was just another day at the powerhouse office.

Before the traditional National Signing Day had started on Wednesday, 48 of the top 50 high school football talents had already signed, positioning Alabama, Georgia, and Texas to take the top spots in the 2023 college football recruiting cycle. Signing Day began with the Crimson Tide holding the top spot in the 247Sports Composite team rankings. It didn’t take long for Alabama to be officially announced as having the top recruiting class this cycle.

https://twitter.com/On3Recruits/status/1620908646376030213?s=20&t=fFsI_dQa1v178Cox5MMfLw

Biggest winners in the last 24 hours

• Alabama finishes at the top: For the eighth time since Nick Saban took the helm in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide has finished as the No. 1 ranked recruiting class. The class contains a whopping eight five-star prospects and 18 four-year signees ranked inside the nation’s top 200 recruits.

• The back-to-back champs win big: Georgia, the defending champion of college football is ranked second in the nation for recruiting thanks to a number of top 50 talents, notably cornerback A.J. Harris (5 stars), who is the No. 3 prospect at his position. In addition, Georgia picked up a group of exceptional edge rushers: Gabriel Harris and Samuel M’Pemba from IMG, along with 4-star Damon Wilson (Venice, Florida).

• Arch Manning leads the way for the Longhorns: After securing the commitment of No. 1 overall prospect Arch Manning, Steve Sarkisian went on to sign two additional 5-star players: linebacker Anthony Hill of Denton, a former A&M commit and the nation’s top-ranked backer, and tailback Cedric Baxter of Orlando, the top-ranked runner in the country.

• Miami wins the state: With the addition of 5-star tackles Samson Okunlola and Francis Mauigoa, Mario Cristobal’s first season as head coach got off to a strong start. That comes after obtaining the pledges of 4-star edge rushers Jayden Wayne from IMG, Rueben Bain from Miami Central, and receiver Nathaniel Joseph from Miami Edison.

• South Carolina lands unexpected 5-star: Nyckoles Harbor’s decision to sign with South Carolina could have long-term effects on the Gamecocks’ football program’s ability to recruit top talent. According to the 247Sports Composite, Shane Beamer is putting the finishing touches on the program’s most talented recruiting class since 2012.

Where Florida stands

Florida opened the Early Signing Period with the nation’s No. 12 class in the 247Sports Composite Team Recruiting Rankings, while checking in at No. 5 in the SEC. The chance at Miami’s Cormani McClain and Jaden Rashada meant a potential shot at a top-10 class. The Orange and Blue’s incoming class rank went from No. 9 to No. 11, largely due to Rashada’s departure from Florida’s class. Napier’s press conference on Wednesday meant a chance to address the elephant in the room: Rashada’s release, his letter of intent and his flip to Arizona State.

4⃣⭐️ QB Jaden Rashada has committed to Arizona State.

He's the #6 QB in the class and was recently released from his NLI by Florida. pic.twitter.com/Cv82pxeMlb

— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 1, 2023

Since July, the Gators have occupied a spot in the top 10 recruiting rankings, after a spike in pledges raised the hype around the Florida program and new head coach Billy Napier. This was in stark contrast to Napier’s open letter to the Gator Nation at the end of June, in which he begged for patience and trust in the process.

Napier detailed where Florida stands to the media during Wednesday’s press conference.

As National Signing Day came to an end, Napier stood on the team-first foundation which has encapsulated his time at Florida. In the end, the Florida Gators may have lost out on a top-ten rank, succumbing to the power of NIL. But in Napier’s eyes, the integrity that sustains the program is only the beginning of a future of established success built on this ideal.