Early National Signing Day 2022: Announcement Schedule, Predictions and More

Much of the focus in the college football world is on bowl season and the upcoming College Football Playoff, but future championships could be won and lost before that on the recruiting trail.

This year's early National Signing period is from Dec. 21 through Dec. 23, and there are still a number of top options on the board as teams look to solidify their 2023 classes.

With that in mind, here is a look at the announcement schedules for some of the top unsigned players, per 247Sports.

• Damon Wilson, 5-star edge rusher: Dec. 21 at 12 p.m. ET
• James Smith, 5-star defensive lineman: Dec. 21 at 12 p.m. ET
• Qua Russaw, 5-star edge rusher: Dec. 21 at 12 p.m. ET
  
• Desmond Ricks, 5-star cornerback: Dec. 22 at 5:30 p.m. ET
  

One of the most interesting recruiting battles is for edge-rusher Damon Wilson considering it appears to be between Ohio State and Georgia. That those two teams will face each other in the CFP adds another layer to the recruitment.

In October, Peter Warren of On3 Sports suggested the Buckeyes held a "big lead," but On3's Chad Simmons said in December that Georgia was "the team to beat."

It is notable that the two crystal-ball selections on 247Sports are in favor of the Buckeyes.

The prediction here is Ohio State leans on legendary defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who has coached the likes of Nick Bosa, Joey Bosa, Chase Young and others, and lands a major recruiting win.

It's not all bad news for the SEC, though, as cornerback Desmond Ricks will end up at LSU.

Ricks visited the Tigers for the Alabama game, which ended up being an electric atmosphere and one of the most memorable contests of the entire college football season. LSU earned the dramatic 32-31 win in overtime when head coach Brian Kelly elected to go for the two-point conversion following his team's touchdown.

It surely made an impression, and the two crystal-ball predictions on 247Sports are in favor of the Tigers.

It likely doesn't hurt LSU's cause that other commits have done their best to recruit Ricks using social media.

Kelly has plenty of momentum on his side after winning the SEC West in his first season as the head coach at LSU and now has the opportunity to bring in a top-five recruiting class with a strong push.

Adding Ricks would help him do just that.