With National Signing Day fast approaching, plenty of national headlines surround one of the most buzzed-about days on the college football calendar.
Oregon is in the hunt for several top recruits and will look to add the finishing touches to a recruiting class ranked No. 20 in the nation according to Rivals. That ranking doesn’t factor in the addition of graduate transfer quarterback Dakota Prukop, who will likely be Oregon’s most significant get.
The Emerald will be posting up-to-the minute Twitter updates on all things Oregon recruiting throughout Signing Day. Until then, here are some of the top recruiting storylines from around the nation:
— It was announced Saturday afternoon that Derek Jeter and Tom Brady will be in attendance for Michigan’s signing day event Wednesday afternoon. Brady was a two-year starter for the Wolverines from 1998-99, and Jeter was committed to play baseball for the Wolverines before signing to play professionally out of high school. They are two of several guests who will be on hand with the hope of bringing national attention to the school.
Although the event is invitation only, the Player’s Tribune will air a live stream on its website.
— It has been a rough going so far for PAC-12 schools in terms of recruiting. No schools from the conference are ranked in Rivals‘s top 10 recruiting classes, and only UCLA (11), Stanford (13), and Oregon (20) have cracked the top 25. USC is ranked 32nd and is still in the mix for several Rivals 100 recruits, including top-ranked DT Rashan Gray.
Unless any of the aforementioned schools are able to make a splash on Wednesday and sway the interest of top recruits, this will be the first time a PAC-12 team has not finished in the top 10 since Rivals began ranking recruiting classes in 2002.
— Rashan Gray will be the most talked-about player Wednesday afternoon. The 6-foot-5, 290-pound New Jersey-native is the top-rated recruit by Rivals, ESP, and Scout. Where he chooses to play next year could shift the national recruiting landscape. A prospect like Gray is not only a tremendous addition on the field for whatever team lands him, but signing the top recruit in the nation also brings a certain amount of prestige.
— Alabama has consistently posted top recruiting classes since head coach Nick Saban took over the program nine years ago. Those classes have paid tremendous dividends, as the Tide have captured four national titles during his tenure, including last season. The Tide have an embarrassment of riches returning from their 2015 title team and appear to be just as formidable next season. They are, however, ranked No. 9 in the 2016 recruiting ranks by Rivals, and No. 6 by Scout as of now. This would be reason to celebrate for almost any other program, but this is not the type of dominance on the recruiting trail to which Alabama fans are accustomed.
Just because they are ranked lower than usual right now doesn’t mean things will stay that way. In fact, the Tide just signed four-star DB Nigel Knott, one of the top remaining defensive backs in the country, this afternoon. Look for the Tide to be in play for some of the top remaining recruits on Wednesday.
— Although several teams, including Stanford, Georgia and Alabama, are in competition for the services of Demetrius Robertson, the top athlete in the nation, it has been speculated that Robertson will not announce his decision on National Signing Day. Per 247Sports, Roberston will take a visit to Athens, Georgia to visit the Bulldogs on the weekend following Signing Day, meaning it could be quite some time before he announces his decision. It is predicted that Robertson will fit best with most programs as a wide receiver. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound prospect ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash last summer at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton.
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