Early National Signing Day 2023: Predictions, Rankings for Top Football Recruits

The college football recruiting landscape was flipped on its head right before Wednesday's National Signing Day.

Matt Rhule and the Nebraska Cornhuskers got five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola to commit to their program over the Georgia Bulldogs.

Raiola's switch is the biggest news that will come from the recruiting world this week, but he is far from the only player with a decision to make.

A handful of top 100 recruits remain uncommitted. Some of their statuses have been affected by the events of the last month in college football, whether it be coaching changes or moves within the transfer portal.

There is also the potential for some programs to flip recruits, like Nebraska did with Raiola, at the last minute to improve their respective recruiting classes.

The biggest powers in the sport still hold the top spots in the team rankings. The Georgia Bulldogs, Ohio State Buckeyes and Alabama Crimson Tide possess the top three recruiting classes entering Wednesday.

Team Recruiting Rankings

via 247Sports

1. Georgia

2. Ohio State

3. Alabama

4. Florida State

5. Texas

6. Miami

7. Oklahoma

8. Oregon

9. Notre Dame

10. Florida

Late Fight For Top Prospect

Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is the consensus No. 1 prospect in the class of 2024.

He has been committed to Ohio State for a while, but there is a last-minute push from the top Florida schools to keep in state and get him to flip on Signing Day.

Smith has been courted by Florida, Florida State and Miami, but Ohio State is the best option for him to develop as a wide receiver.

Marvin Harrison Jr. will be the latest first-round pick to come out of Ohio State in 2024. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave were first-round selections in the last two drafts.

Smith can be the next star wide receiver at Ohio State and the No. 1 spot on the depth chart could be his as early as next season.

The Buckeyes need Smith to confirm his commitment to generate some momentum for 2024 as they look to confirm who their starting quarterback will be for the first year of the expanded Big Ten and College Football Playoff.

Prediction: Smith stays committed to Ohio State

Top Uncommitted Recruits

Gatlin Bair, WR, Burley HS (Idaho)

Gatlin Bair decommitted from Boise State when it made a coaching change and is now down to Michigan and Oregon.

Michigan appears to be the favorite to sign the four-star wide receiver from Idaho.

The Wolverines are currently 16th in the class of 2024 recruiting rankings. Bair would be the top wide receiver signing of their class.

Bair would be only the second top 100 recruit to commit to Jim Harbaugh's team in this recruiting window. Michigan's top class of 2024 commit is offensive tackle Andrew Sprague (No. 56 on 247's player rankings).

If Bair commits to Michigan, all of the program's top five recruits in the class of 2024 would be offensive players.

Prediction: Bair chooses Michigan over Oregon

Ernest Willor Jr., DL, Concordia Prep (Towson, MD)

A handful of Big Ten schools are in the mix for Ernest Willor Jr.

The Wisconsin Badgers are favored to land the defensive lineman, but the Maryland Terrapins, Penn State Nittany Lions and Ohio State are still in contention as well.

ESPN's recruiting analysts noted that Willor took official visits to Wisconsin and Maryland in December.

Wisconsin currently has seven four-star recruits as part of its 24th-ranked class. An eighth four-star player in the form of Willor would be a nice finish to Luke Fickell's first full recruiting cycle as head coach.

The Badgers need to beef up their roster with premier talent to be competitive in the new-look Big Ten, and that starts with getting as many top recruits to Madison as possible.

Maryland has the 14th-best recruiting class of the 18 teams competing in the Big Ten next season. A surprise signing of Willor would be a boost to a class that has just two four-star signings.

Prediction: Willor signs with Wisconsin