National Columnist Mike Farrell is here with the 3-Point Stance looking at the biggest winners from ESD, five surefire starters next season, and a few major commits for non-blue blood programs.
Early Signing Day Winners
— These dudes won. I’m naming coaches and not programs here.
1. Dan Lanning, Oregon
– On Monday, Oregon fans and rivals were claiming the man couldn’t recruit after losing Dante Moore. On Wednesday he was the star of the show and made everyone shut up. It was indeed, a good day for the Oregon coach.
https://twitter.com/CoachDanLanning/status/1605797751086026752
2. Mario Cristobal, Miami
– The Miami class was always good but it jumped into the national top five and he’s not done yet. A few more classes like this and Miami will be for real.
3. Nick Saban, Alabama
— The dynasty is ending right? NIL will even the playing field right? He has the No. 1 class again.
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4. Hugh Freeze, Auburn
— Freeze did a great job in limited time with a ton of late flips to put this class in the national top 20. He hit the ground running and worked as hard as anyone.
5. Kirby Smart, Georgia
— Kinda boring right? Georgia finished in the top three in recruiting for another year and he’s building a dynasty of his own.
True Freshmen Starters
— Surefire true freshmen starters are impossible to predict but let’s give it a shot. And some of these you’d never have thought of I’d bet.
1. DE Samuel M’Pemba, UGA
The Dawgs are secretly a little thin at Edge, and M’Pemba brings everything that you want at that position. At 6’5″, 245, he already has the physique to handle SEC competition and displays an unusually explosive first step. His classmate Damon Wilson could also be here just as easily, but I like M’Pemba’s upside as a freshman more.
2. OL Francis Mauigoa, Miami
The ‘Canes are in need of talent at nearly every position on the field and that goes doubly at offensive line, where both Mauigoa and Samson Okunlola come in as very hyped prospects. I think Mauigoa is the more refined player at this point, giving him a better chance to start on day one.
3. QB Jaden Rashada, Florida
The Gators are effectively starting from scratch at quarterback this season after Anthony Richardson declared for the draft and Jalen Kitna was arrested. Yes, they brought in transfer Graham Mertz as well, but let’s be honest — we’ve seen enough of him to know that he probably won’t be a difference-maker. Rashada has all the physical tools to make the most of Billy Napier’s offense, so it wouldn’t shock me one bit to see him behind center on opening day.
4. DB Caleb Downs, Alabama
Nick Saban isn’t afraid to put true freshmen defensive backs on the field, and Downs is one of the best he’s landed. He has as much physical upside as any player they’ve brought in at defensive back during Saban’s tenure, and that’s really saying something. He’s going to be a force.
5. DE Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon
The top edge rusher landed by the Ducks since Kayvon Thibodeaux, the younger Uiagalelei has all the physical tools you want in an edge rusher. And with some key departures along the defensive line from this year’s team – especially if Brandon Dorlus declares for the draft – he’s got a great chance to start immediately.
Big Time Commits for Non-Blue Bloods
— And finally, it’s not always the blue bloods that land epic commitments. These guys are a huge deal to their respective programs.
1. QB Dante Moore, UCLA
This was a bit of a shocker, but less so once you consider that Moore’s strongest relationship was with Kenny Dillingham and that UCLA’s offense is very attractive. So when he decided to flip his commitment to UCLA, it meant that not only are the Bruins getting their highest-ranked prep quarterback since Josh Rosen but also that they’re getting a guy who fits like a glove in Chip Kelly’s offense.
2. WR Ayden Williams, Ole Miss
Ole Miss is no stranger to landing top recruits, but it’s been a minute since they landed a wideout of this caliber out of high school. A top-50 recruit, he turned down the likes of Georgia, Florida, Oregon, and others to stay in-state at Ole Miss, where he should see the field very early on in his career.
3. QB Avery Johnson, Kansas State
Johnson has been committed for a minute now, but it’s still a shocker that he’s stuck with Chris Klieman and the Wildcats despite a lot of interest from teams across the country. K-State is on a serious roll right now between winning the Big XII and landing one of their best classes in years, and Johnson is the crown jewel of this group.
4. OL Madden Sanker, Louisville
The Cardinals have pulled some major talent before, but typically that’s at the skill positions and not along the offensive line. But Sanker is a true bruiser at guard and is already developed enough to contribute as a freshman.
5. DB Amare Snowden, Wisconsin
Snowden immediately becomes the highest-ranked defensive back recruit in the program’s history, and it’s not hard to see why. The 6’3″ corner with an 84″ wingspan is a lockdown in the mold of Sauce Gardner. He brings a skillset that the Badgers have arguably never seen at the position, and is a major coup for first-year coach Luke Fickell.
