Mazeppa
2/7/2014, 09:46 PM
Winners, Losers from National Signing Day.
Jim Halley, and Scott Allen, USATODAY 11:57 p.m. EST February 5, 2014
WINNERS
Florida State: Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach) four-star defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi opened Signing Day by picking the Seminoles over Virginia Tech and things got better for Jimbo Fisher – and Jameis Winston – from there. Five-star wide receiver Ermon Lane, a former Florida commit, joined Travis Rudolph as the second five-star wide receiver in Florida State's class. Later in the day, four-star wideout Javon Harrison, who had been committed to Virginia Tech since July, flipped to the Noles. Those additions help offset the loss of Booker T. Washington (Miami) quarterback Treon Harris, who flipped to Florida.
Stanford: The Cardinal's impressive haul was capped by the additions of Coppell (Texas) defensive end Solomon Thomas and John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.) cornerback Terrence Alexander. The 6-foot-3, 263-pound Thomas, who picked Stanford over Arkansas and UCLA, donned nerd glasses and used a mini-tree as a prop in one of the more creative announcements of the day. Alexander, Rivals' No. 32 cornerback, picked Stanford over Notre Dame.
USC: With a new coach in Steve Sarkisian and scholarship limits, expectations were low for the Trojans. They made up for low numbers with quality recruits, led by American Family Insurance ALL-USA defensive back Adoree Jackson of Serra (Gardena), ALL-USA offensive lineman Damian Mama of St. John Bosco (Bellflower) and defensive back John "Juju" Smith of Long Beach Poly and made a huge one-day jump in the overall composite class rankings.
LSU: The Tigers already had a solid class, and on Wednesday, they held on to the No. 1 running back in Leonard Fournette of St. Augustine (New Orleans) and added three elite uncommitted players in John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.) wide receiver Malachi Dupre, Champagnat Catholic (Hialeah, Fla.), defensive tackle Travonte Valentine and Warren (San Antonio) defensive tackle Trey Lealaimatafao.
Oklahoma: The Sooners landed a big class and really helped themselves in the defensive backfield, led by Jenks, Okla., safety Steven Parker. Oklahoma also signed top-100 inside slot receiver Michiah Quick of Central East (Fresno, Calif.), who has the speed and elusiveness to contribute right away on special teams and can easily turn a short catch into a long reception.
LOSERS
Texas: The Longhorns, with as many assets and selling points as any program nationwide, may have been a victim of the late turnover in their coaching ranks. Charlie Strong's staff had less than a month to assemble its 22-player class that includes hardly any players of the state's top 10. The class may leave Texas without a strong foundation as the new staff begins to rebuild the roster.
Arkansas: Many coaches experience a tremendous leap when compiling their first full recruiting class. Witness Tennessee's Butch Jones and Kentucky's Mark Stoops this year, who are entering their second seasons with top-10 and top-20 classes respectively. Arkansas' class may rank in the top 30 nationally under second-year coach Bret Bielema, but in a top-heavy SEC, that's a setback.
Virginia Tech: Virginia's recruiting dominance after a down year on the field came at the expense of Virginia Tech. The Hokies lost out on the top prospects in the talent-rich Tidewater area. And on Wednesday, Florida State's dominance after a national championship year also bit the Hokies. The Seminoles flipped athlete Javon Harrison from his verbal commitment to the Hokies and also snagged Virginia Tech target Nnadi, another Tidewater standout.
Jim Halley, and Scott Allen, USATODAY 11:57 p.m. EST February 5, 2014
WINNERS
Florida State: Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach) four-star defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi opened Signing Day by picking the Seminoles over Virginia Tech and things got better for Jimbo Fisher – and Jameis Winston – from there. Five-star wide receiver Ermon Lane, a former Florida commit, joined Travis Rudolph as the second five-star wide receiver in Florida State's class. Later in the day, four-star wideout Javon Harrison, who had been committed to Virginia Tech since July, flipped to the Noles. Those additions help offset the loss of Booker T. Washington (Miami) quarterback Treon Harris, who flipped to Florida.
Stanford: The Cardinal's impressive haul was capped by the additions of Coppell (Texas) defensive end Solomon Thomas and John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.) cornerback Terrence Alexander. The 6-foot-3, 263-pound Thomas, who picked Stanford over Arkansas and UCLA, donned nerd glasses and used a mini-tree as a prop in one of the more creative announcements of the day. Alexander, Rivals' No. 32 cornerback, picked Stanford over Notre Dame.
USC: With a new coach in Steve Sarkisian and scholarship limits, expectations were low for the Trojans. They made up for low numbers with quality recruits, led by American Family Insurance ALL-USA defensive back Adoree Jackson of Serra (Gardena), ALL-USA offensive lineman Damian Mama of St. John Bosco (Bellflower) and defensive back John "Juju" Smith of Long Beach Poly and made a huge one-day jump in the overall composite class rankings.
LSU: The Tigers already had a solid class, and on Wednesday, they held on to the No. 1 running back in Leonard Fournette of St. Augustine (New Orleans) and added three elite uncommitted players in John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.) wide receiver Malachi Dupre, Champagnat Catholic (Hialeah, Fla.), defensive tackle Travonte Valentine and Warren (San Antonio) defensive tackle Trey Lealaimatafao.
Oklahoma: The Sooners landed a big class and really helped themselves in the defensive backfield, led by Jenks, Okla., safety Steven Parker. Oklahoma also signed top-100 inside slot receiver Michiah Quick of Central East (Fresno, Calif.), who has the speed and elusiveness to contribute right away on special teams and can easily turn a short catch into a long reception.
LOSERS
Texas: The Longhorns, with as many assets and selling points as any program nationwide, may have been a victim of the late turnover in their coaching ranks. Charlie Strong's staff had less than a month to assemble its 22-player class that includes hardly any players of the state's top 10. The class may leave Texas without a strong foundation as the new staff begins to rebuild the roster.
Arkansas: Many coaches experience a tremendous leap when compiling their first full recruiting class. Witness Tennessee's Butch Jones and Kentucky's Mark Stoops this year, who are entering their second seasons with top-10 and top-20 classes respectively. Arkansas' class may rank in the top 30 nationally under second-year coach Bret Bielema, but in a top-heavy SEC, that's a setback.
Virginia Tech: Virginia's recruiting dominance after a down year on the field came at the expense of Virginia Tech. The Hokies lost out on the top prospects in the talent-rich Tidewater area. And on Wednesday, Florida State's dominance after a national championship year also bit the Hokies. The Seminoles flipped athlete Javon Harrison from his verbal commitment to the Hokies and also snagged Virginia Tech target Nnadi, another Tidewater standout.