Five Biggest Winners from Early National Signing Day

After one of the most chaotic and exciting signing days of all time, who are the biggest winners of Early National Signing Day?

Last year’s Early National Signing Day was very boring and did not bring a lot of excitement. Most of that was due to COVID-19 and the fact that recruits could not take official visits to campus. When the day started today, nobody could have foreseen what would be the biggest talking point of the whole day. Travis Hunter, the number one ranked high school football player in the country and longtime Florida State commit, pulled a stunning move by flipping his commitment to Jackson State and head coach Deion Sanders.

This was a move that nobody saw coming. It has the potential to be groundbreaking in a lot of ways and it is a big blow for Florida State. However, it is not the only storyline that needed attention today. Alabama and Georgia were still near the top of the rankings per usual, but they had a new challenger for the number one recruiting class.

Texas A&M has put together an impressive class of elite talent, especially on the defensive line. This is the kind of class that Aggies fans have been waiting to see under Jimbo Fisher and propel them to an SEC Championship. It is going to take more than just one class for the Aggies to become perennial contenders, but this was an excellent step in that direction.

It is important to note that this is only the first signing day for recruits. Some prospects are going to wait until February to sign, so if your favorite team is still behind in the rankings, there is still time.

Here are the five biggest winners from the Early National Signing Day.

Early National Signing Day Winner No. 5: North Carolina

The Tar Heels did not get much attention today as far as big-time announcements, but North Carolina had a great signing period. With Clemson having so much coaching turnover and Florida State losing Hunter and other prospects, North Carolina is going to have the top class in the ACC in 2022.  UNC is coming off of a disappointing 6-6 season after starting in the top ten, but Mack Brown is loading up to try and have a quick bounce-back season.

Leading the way for this class is a pair of five-stars in offensive tackle Zach Rice and defensive linemen Travis Shaw. Two impressive skill guys to watch in the future will be wide receiver Andre Green Jr and running back George Pettaway. The Coastal Division is still wide open and the Tar Heels are setting up well for the future with a top ten recruiting class.