Early National Signing Day 2021: Day 1 Recruit Commitments and Reaction

Deion Sanders and Jackson State ushered in the early National Signing Day with a bang. 

Cornerback Travis Hunter, the top-ranked player in the Class of 2022, according to 247Sports.com's Composite Rankings, committed to the Tigers on Wednesday over Florida State. 

If Sanders was the head coach at a traditional football powerhouse, the top cornerback in the nation going to play for a Hall of Famer at the position wouldn't be seen as much of a surprise. But the top recruit in the nation committing to an HBCU sent major reverberations throughout the college football landscape. 

Certainly, Sanders has dramatically turned around a Jackson State program that hadn't won a Southwestern Athletic Conference since 2007 before his arrival. 

Not that the traditional football powerhouses had a bad day. Alabama landed 4-star receiver Shazz Preston, 4-star defensive tackle Khurtiss Perry and 4-star edge-rusher Jihaad Campbell. The Crimson Tide sit at No. 2 in 247Sports.com's Composite Recruiting Rankings. 

They trail only Texas A&M, who got a commitment from the nation's top tight end prospect, Jake Johnson, on Wednesday, to go along with 4-star edge-rusher Enai White, 4-star defensive tackle Anthony Lucas and 4-star offensive lineman Kam Dewberry. 

Have yourself a day, Jimbo Fisher. 

As for the 5-star recruits who committed Wednesday, Florida got a major boost when safety—the No. 2 player in the class at his position—Kamari Wilson chose the Gators over a number of suitors, including Georgia, Florida State and LSU. 

Suffice to say, the Florida staff was hype:

Georgia got a big boost when 5-star edge Marvin Jones Jr. chose the Bulldogs. 

And Kentucky will be thrilled to land 5-star offensive tackle Kiyaunta Goodwin, who spurned Michigan State, a huge get for Mark Stoops' program. 

While the primary focus of National Signing Day is, well, the signings, there are often other moments and gestures worth highlighting. 

None were better on Wednesday than Michigan State announcing that Tate Myre, who would have been in the Class of 2023 but was murdered in the Oxford High School shooting, would be an honorary member of this year's class:

Madisyn Baldwin, Hana St. Juliana and Justin Shilling were also killed in the Nov. 30 shooting. According to ESPN's Tom VanHaaren, Myre had taken a visit to Toledo.