Signing Day Winners and Losers

Winner: #8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Yeah he can coach, but can Brian Kelley recruit nationally at Notre Dame? Let’s say this question has been answered. Notre Dame’s defensive line haul alone would be reason to celebrate with three of the nation’s Top 10 defensive ends in Aaron Lynch (6’6/255) of Cape Coral, Fla., Ishaq Williams (6’5/225) of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Stephon Tuitt (6’5/255) of Monroe, Ga. Add a Signing Day decision by Top 10 offensive tackle prospect Troy Niklas (6’5/260) of Anaheim, Calif., and Kelley answered any question about his recruiting prowess.

Loser: #55 Pittsburgh Panthers
Pittsburgh made a risky move by moving on from a proven recruiting head coach like Dave Wannstedt (42-31), and that move backfired when Mike Haywood was dismissed before ever coaching a game. Pittsburgh dropped out of the Top 20 like a rock, settling in the 80’s before Todd Graham was able to come in and stop the bleeding. Pittsburgh had finished in the Top 25 four of the last seven years before its finish out of the Top 50 this year.

Winner: #11 Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee and Derek Dooley have done a remarkable job of rising from the turmoil that was left behind when first year head coach Lane Kiffen abruptly left for USC. The Vols closed on nearly all of its top targets to finish the year and built a proverbial fence around the state of Tennessee signing three of the four 4-Star rated prospects including jumbo athlete Cameron Clear (6’6/260) of Memphis.

Loser: #43 Mississippi State Bulldogs
It wasn’t supposed to be like this for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs had their best season in years. Their coach seemed like a mortal lock for the mighty Florida Gators but signed an extension instead. Their commitment list was full of instate players and a few out of state gems. Then the wheels came off. Three of the Bullodogs’ top commitments ended up inking with other teams, including wide receiver Nickolas Brassell (6’1/176) and linebacker C.J. Johnson (6’2/235) who added insult to injury by signing with Ole Miss.

Winner: #12 Clemson Tigers
Clemson was having a good year before Signing Day, but with the announcements of two linebacker ranked in the Top 3 at their respective positions, Tiger fans felt like it was Christmas and a Birthday wrapped into one. Stephone Anthony (6’3/220) of Wadesboro, N.C. and Tony Steward (6’1/215) of Saint Augustine, Fla. may have upstaged a talented offensive class that included two Top 10 receivers in Sammy Watkins (6’1/180) and Charone Peake (6’3/175) and the No. 7 running back Mike Bellamy (5’10/190).

Loser: #37 Miami Hurricanes
A coaching change is a common theme amongst the top teams that are normally dependable Top 15 recruiting teams that fell outside of the Top 25, and Miami was no exception. New coach Al Golden did what he could in the short time that he had, specifically keeping stellar defensive line commitment Anthony Chickillo (6’4/235) and adding former USC commitment defensive tackle Jalen Grimble (6’3/255). But no one expects Miami to finish 37th in recruiting, and this year should look like an aberration once Golden gets a full year in Coral Gables.

Winner: #14 Cal Golden Bears
Cal has typically been known for wide open offense and quarterback play under Jeff Tedford, but with the nation’s best defensive line haul, the Golden Bears may develop a new reputation. Viliami Moala (6’3/340) of Sacramento, Calif. is a force. He can push double teams backwards and he can chase down running backs headed for the corner. Cal is bringing in four running backs including Brendon Bigelow (5’10/180) who could be the steal of the class if he can recover from knee injuries.

Loser: #55 UCLA Bruins
The season started with UCLA’s arch-rival having crippling sanctions announced. This was the year UCLA could take a step past USC who has overshadowed them over the last decade. Then the season started. UCLA limped to an uninspiring 4-8 record and replaced both coordinators. Worse, recruits didn’t seemed to prefer playing for a sanctioned USC team. Only Signing Day announcements from 4-Star receiver Devin Lucien (6’0/190), an off again on again signature from offensive tackle Torian White (6’6/280) and 3-Star defensive tackle Kevin McReynolds (6’3/280) kept Signing Day from being a complete disaster for UCLA.

Winner: #18 Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech closed with as big a bang as anyone on Signing Day, getting decisions and signatures from seven players. Particularly impressive was Texas Tech’s ability to reach out of its normal recruiting area to get two stars of the Keystone State. Athlete Desimon Green (6’5/220) of Clairton, Pa. and linebacker Branden Jackson (6’4/225) of McKeesport, Pa. are 3-Star and 4-Star athletes respectively. The running game should get an infusion of talent as well with three 4-Star running backs including Kenny Williams (5’10/206) of Pflugerville, Texas.