So you want to know how over-the-top college football recruiting has become, how utterly insane it is these days? Allow me to present the case of Bryce Brown.
Arguably the top prep prospect in the entire country, Brown verbally committed to Miami a year ago, but told The U. that he would still visit his other college options. He did so, putting together a list that included Oregon, Kansas State, Tennessee, USC and Auburn.
Then on signing day, with all those teams holding their breath, Brown signed with ... no one. And here's the kicker: He may not wind up at any of those places, according to his "manager" Brian Butler -- instead opting for a professional contract in the Canadian Football League.
The headline says it all, this is about the top college football recruiting classes in 2009. Like Rivals, we're calling Alabama the top recruiter after a stellar final day saw the 'Tide seal the deal with in-state five star cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick and four star linebacker Tana Patrick. They also picked up the south's best back in Floridian Trent Richardson.
Signing day has come and (nearly) gone, filled with celebration and upheaval. Sort of like life. We're here to parse what can be parsed and detail the recruiting classes that were for the major conferences.
Last year's big story in college football until its series of bowl flops, the Big 12 finds itself once again among the nation's top conferences when it comes to recruiting. Several schools finished well, with three falling inside of Rivals.com's top 25 classes list. Predictably, Texas and Oklahoma have separated themselves from the pack this year, but the conference remains competitive to where we find many big names at Big 12 places we wouldn't expect.
Signing day has come and (nearly) gone, filled with celebration and upheaval. Sort of like life. We're here to parse what can be parsed and detail the recruiting classes that were for the major conferences.
While recruiting services Scout and Rivals differ widely in their overall assessments of this year's Big Ten recruiting classes, they're both impressed by many of the same things. Of course, they're also unimpressed by many of the same things.
But hey, you're a smart person. You can figure things out for yourself. You want to know who helped themselves. You want to know who shot themselves in the foot. You want to know if the talent-rich got richer, like Michigan did with defensive end Craig Roh (pictured). Make the jump, grasshopper; all will be revealed.
Signing day has come and (nearly) gone, filled with celebration and upheaval. Sort of like life. We're here to parse what can be parsed and detail the recruiting classes that were for the major conferences.
You've got to feel for Kentucky and Vanderbilt today, at least a little bit. In Scout's team-by-team rankings, there are 10 SEC representatives in the top 25, led by LSU at No. 2. Over at Rivals, those same 10 SEC teams cracked the top-25 overall, with Alabama claiming the top class.
In both cases, Kentucky and Vandy are the lone SEC teams unable to find a spot up top. Tough for those two, sure, but that hardly takes the luster off another ridonkulous recruiting year in the conference.
FanHouse takes you into the belly of the college football beast that is recruiting. We'll be around before, during and after Signing Day '09 to break down who is committing where, and we won't even need several hats in front of us to do it.
Be sure to visit FanHouse all day Wednesday for thorough recruiting and signing day coverage, but also join us for an hour-long wrap-up chat at 8 PM ET. We'll discuss what went down, what surprised, what elevated, what infuriated, what disappointed and whatever else comes to mind on the biggest recruiting day of the year. Chat application after the jump.
Signing day has come and (nearly) gone, filled with celebration and upheaval. Sort of like life. We're here to parse what can be parsed and detail the recruiting classes that were for the major conferences.
First up, the wild and unconstrained Pac-10. So long as Pete Carroll's around, the story every year will begin with USC and end with a lot of broken hearts. This year was no different with the Trojans easily claiming the best signing class in the conference, and one of the three to four best, nationally. The Trojans' headliner is future golden boy quarterback Matt Barkley, but didyouknow USC hemorrhaged several major recruits this year? Details after the jump.
College football recruits often cite the amount of available playing time as a reason for choosing a particular school. That factor, apparently, is not a consideration for anyone Alabama goes after. Once again, Nick Saban and the Tide landed a ridiculous class -- topped off on late Wednesday afternoon by superstar running back Trent Richardson.
He chose Alabama over Florida and LSU. In the ESPN's top 150, he was ranked the nation's top running back. Scout and Rivals rated him No. 2 in the country behind Wichita's Bryce Brown Most recruiting services regarded him as the South's top runner.
Brown looks like he'll wait until after signing day to choose a school but, at this point -- despite the Tide not being in the running for him -- I think we can just assume he'll sign with Alabama. It's just easier to assume every recruit will sign with Alabama.
Some decisions are easier than others. What to eat for breakfast. Which roads you'll take to work that day. Which college you're going to sign with for the next four years of your life.
Wait, what? Ka'lial Glaud, a linebacker from Atco (N.J.) Winslow Township, was struggling with his decision to pick a school in the waning minutes of signing day, so he did what any logical three-star recruit would do -- let a coin decide.
His principal jokingly gave him a quarter to help him along. But it was no joke to Glaud, who decided it would be West Virginia if it was heads and Rutgers if it was tails.
"Tails came up, so that's when I decided Rutgers," Glaud told the Courier-Post of Camden, N.J. "I didn't know where I was going to go."
When prospect DeAngelo Benton announced on Tuesday night that he would sign with LSU, it apparently did not sit well with stud wide receiver recruit Rueben Randle. Mere hours before signing day started, Randle -- long considered an LSU lock -- told a reporter that he may not commit to any school on Wednesday.
"When I get home, I'm going to sit down with my family and talk about it. Then I'll decide whether I'm going to sign (Wednesday) or not," Randle told the Bastrop Daily Enterprise before baseball practice today.
So you want to know how over-the-top college football recruiting has become, how utterly insane it is these days? Allow me to present the case of Bryce Brown.
The headline says it all, this is about the top college football recruiting classes in 2009. Like Rivals, we're calling 
Signing day has come and (nearly) gone, filled with celebration and upheaval. Sort of like life. We're here to parse what can be parsed and detail the recruiting classes that were for the major conferences.
Signing day has come and (nearly) gone, filled with celebration and upheaval. Sort of like life. We're here to parse what can be parsed and detail the recruiting classes that were for the major conferences.
Signing day has come and (nearly) gone, filled with celebration and upheaval. Sort of like life. We're here to parse what can be parsed and detail the recruiting classes that were for the major conferences.
FanHouse takes you into the belly of the college football beast that is recruiting. We'll be around before, during and after 
Signing day has come and (nearly) gone, filled with celebration and upheaval. Sort of like life. We're here to parse what can be parsed and detail the recruiting classes that were for the major conferences.
College football recruits often cite the amount of available playing time as a reason for choosing a particular school. That factor, apparently, is not a consideration for anyone Alabama goes after. Once again, Nick Saban and the Tide landed a ridiculous class -- topped off on late Wednesday afternoon 
Some decisions are easier than others. What to eat for breakfast. Which roads you'll take to work that day. Which college you're going to sign with for the next four years of your life.
When prospect DeAngelo Benton announced on Tuesday night that he would sign with LSU, it apparently did not sit well with stud wide receiver recruit Rueben Randle. Mere hours before signing day started, Randle -- long considered an LSU lock -- told a reporter that he 
