Biggest Winners and Losers of the 2024 CFB Late Signing Window
January used to be hot-and-heavy recruiting time in the good ol' days when there was only one national signing day, and it was in February. Now, the transfer portal dominates the headlines leading up to this time of year.
That doesn't mean there aren't some high school recruiting storylines taking place after the early signing period closes December 22. There certainly has been some movement, even if it wasn't like how it used to be.
With Nick Saban retiring from Alabama and sending college football into a frenzy that led to coach Kalen DeBoer leaving national runner-up Washington for Tuscaloosa and Jedd Fisch leaving upstart Arizona to replace him with the Huskies, re-recruiting moved into the spotlight.
It's a big story, too, regarding the future of college football.
So, there were a few big winners and losers following most of the recruits being signed, sealed and delivered before Christmas. Who were they? And who nabbed the most exceptional recruits left on the board in 2024? (We're looking at you, Texas A&M and LSU.)
Strictly taking the transfer portal (mostly) out of the equation and focusing on old-fashioned recruiting, let's take a look at the biggest winners and losers from the late signing session.
Winner: Ohio State Buckeyes
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It became abundantly clear the past month or so that the Ohio State Buckeyes are sick of finishing second to Michigan in the Big Ten, and they are ponying up to take that tiny step back onto the elite rung of the sport.
It wasn't like coach Ryan Day's program had fallen that far, after all. With the movement of the past few weeks, they have a legitimate chance to be considered the nation's top team entering 2024.
You can't write about them without mentioning their jaw-dropping portal work with the additions of superstars like safety Caleb Downs (Alabama), veteran quarterback Will Howard (Kansas State) and rugged running back Quinshon Judkins (Ole Miss).
But they went to work in recruiting, too.
The biggest splash came when they grabbed the nation's No. 1-ranked quarterback in the 2024 class, Julian Sayin, from Alabama. Technically speaking, this was a transfer, but given that he had been in Tuscaloosa mere weeks, it counts as a re-recruit for this list.
Sayin almost certainly will sit behind Howard for a year, but then he will be a part of a talented quarterback room that includes '23 backup Devin Brown and former 4-star prospect Air Noland, who is also in the '24 class.
Oh, by the way, 6'4", 255-pound Painesville, Ohio, defensive end Dominic Kirks also committed to and signed with his home-state school, flipping from his Washington commitment. He had been set on the Huskies since June, but he backed off his pledge when Kalen DeBoer left and chose Ohio State over Alabama.
It has been a strong late signing session for Day on all fronts.
Loser: Alabama's Anointed Future Star QB Starter
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Though you can't discount the work new coach Kalen DeBoer has done at Alabama keeping the nucleus of a very strong Crimson Tide class together, the optics of losing Julian Sayin aren't good at all.
You don't just replace the top-rated signal-caller in the class.
Now, before Alabama fans get all up-in-arms, DeBoer has a potential Heisman Trophy candidate returning in 2024 with Jalen Milroe, so the present looks strong if he can adapt to DeBoer's timing-based, tempo system. Ty Simpson and Dylan Lonergan are former top-tier prospects, too.
Then, there's high-upside '23 prospect Austin Mack—a 6'6", 226-pound former Washington Husky with all four years of eligibility remaining—who followed DeBoer to Alabama. He was a top-100 prospect and the No. 8-rated quarterback in last year's class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
So, the cupboard is far from bare with plenty of talent and potential. None of these guys (including Sayin) are a "sure thing." But Sayin certainly looked like a hands-down star in the mold of a Bryce Young.
He can make all the throws, and when he entered a loaded transfer portal, he immediately was ranked sixth overall on 247Sports and third on On3. By comparison, Mack ranked 56th and 57th.
When you consider all the other positives the DeBoer era has produced, this is nitpicking. But Sayin could be great, so this is a big loss on the surface. Only time will tell if it's truly detrimental to Alabama's quarterback room of the future.
Winner: Kalen DeBoer Keeping The Crimson Tide Future (Mostly) Intact
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Alright, so now that Alabama fans are fighting mad because they've already convinced themselves Julian Sayin isn't that big of a loss, get ready to feel the warm-and-fuzzies again.
When you move beyond all the immense fallout of losing so many elite playmakers on both sides of the ball to the transfer portal, Kalen DeBoer has done a great job.
He inherited one of the two most talented rosters in all of college football. Now, even with the departures, the Tide roster is still easily in the top five, if not the top three. Alabama is still firmly cemented as the No. 2-ranked class in the country, featuring four 5-stars and 17 4-stars.
It has only gotten more loaded in the late signing period.
During the All-American Game in early January, elite safety Zay Mincey and 4-star running back/athlete Daniel Hill announced they had signed with the Tide. They join guys like elite defensive backs Jaylen Mbakwe and Zabien Brown, as well as a major weapon in the passing game in Caleb Odom. The news only got better, too.
One of the most special players in the entire '24 class is Saraland, Alabama, receiver Ryan Williams, who was coveted by everybody in the nation but, after decommitting from the Tide following Nick Saban's retirement, he recommitted and signed with the Tide Wednesday. He's the No. 8-ranked player in the class.
DeBoer also will bring 4-star defensive end and former Washington commitment Noah Carter with him. The edge-rusher has springboard athleticism, and he will be a nice future piece. Finally, 3-star linebacker Quinton Reese shut down his recruitment after visiting, too, per TideIllustrated's Brandon Howard.
All these guys could have gone elsewhere or entered the portal, but they didn't. DeBoer's start is just fine for the proud program. He's already proving he can recruit at a high level.
Loser: All Hoping Michigan Would Experience an Alabama-Like Exodus Post-Harbaugh
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Remember all the social media angst and gnashing of teeth about how college football should change the transfer portal rules following the mass exodus of Alabama players and how it would be the same if Jim Harbaugh left Michigan?
Yeah, that didn't happen. At all.
The Wolverines did the super-smart thing by promoting offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore with the news that Harbaugh was leaving his alma mater to coach the Los Angeles Chargers.
Rather than a revolving door of players bolting Ann Arbor, it's been the opposite. Only reserve defensive lineman Reece Atteberry and former walk-on offensive lineman Noah Stewart have entered so far. Yes, there is still time for Wolverines to opt out, but it doesn't seem like many will.
The Wolverines haven't lost anybody from their No. 16-ranked recruiting class, either. That class, of course, includes 4-star quarterback Jadyn Davis, who is considered the future of the position for Big Blue. With the signal-caller position up in the air for '24, Davis sticking around is pivotal.
Moore didn't inherit the job at an opportune time with most of the transfer portal class signed elsewhere, so he may want to bring in a veteran signal-caller during the spring transfer window. Though star stalwarts like quarterback J.J. McCarthy and running back Blake Corum are off to the NFL after the natty, a nucleus returns.
Keeping the core of a championship-caliber program is huge, and staying away from the transfer portal drama and recruiting fallout was a massive win for the champs.
Winner: LSU and Texas A&M Splitting a Pair of 5-stars (and Continuing to Load Up)
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Several months back before Jimbo Fisher was ousted at Texas A&M, the Aggies held commitments from 5-stars Dominick McKinley and Terry Bussey.
After Texas A&M hired Mike Elko, the team faced having to re-recruit both guys and a ton of roster turnover. Had you told Aggies fans they'd still hang on to one of them, they would probably be OK with that.
Elko was able to pull the biggest national signing day commitment of the cycle on Wednesday when explosive athlete Bussey decided to stick with his original commitment and head to College Station, despite huge pushes by LSU and Georgia.
The 5'10.5", 180-pound Timpton, Texas, pass-catcher is an elite talent who will be a big part of the future for Elko. He gave the Aggies a huge sigh of relief Wednesday morning.
The Aggies also got big news when 4-star receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman signed on Wednesday after getting out of his pledge to Arkansas. It was a huge day for Elko.
Of course, this was a blow to the hottest recruiting team on the trail right now in LSU, but the Bayou Bengals did just fine. They started the year by flipping McKinley on January 1. The 6'5.5", 280-pound defensive lineman from Lafayette, Louisiana, decided to stay home, signing with coach Brian Kelly's team on Wednesday.
It was only the beginning to a massive month, as the Tigers gained commitments from the nation's top-ranked players at two offensive skill positions in the 2025 class, joining a third.
The No. 1-ranked 2025 overall player and top-ranked quarterback Bryce Underwood and top-rated running back Harlem Berry joined No. 1 wide receiver Dakorien Moore as early pledges. They also added a pair of 4-stars for next year's class and racked up in the transfer portal.
So, the two biggest unsigned names (McKinley and Bussey) are heading to SEC rivals.
Loser: The Waiting Game for Gatlin Bair
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Let's clarify something up front: This is NOT a loser slide for Gatlin Bair, or for his noble and admirable decision to serve a two-year Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints mission before playing his college football.
The biggest bummer here is that we all have to wait to watch his electrifying skill set manifest itself on the football field for coach Dan Lanning's Oregon Ducks after signing with them Wednesday.
The nation's No. 43-ranked overall player hails from Burley, Idaho, and was one of the coolest stories of the recruiting cycle because of his unheralded environs. He was all set on committing to Boise State but decided to reopen things.
Suddenly, the 6'1", 194-pound pass-catcher was one of the most hotly contested recruiting battles of the late cycle, choosing between Oregon, Michigan and others.
"I'm super excited about Oregon and what coach (Dan) Lanning is building," Bair told 247Sports' Brandon Huffman. "He is one of the most ambitious coach's I've ever been around and they're on track to compete in the Big Ten and win some titles.
Though Bair's ranking is a little lower on the composite, 247Sports rates him as a 5-star prospect and the No. 27 overall player in the nation. But he won't enroll in Eugene until 2026.
By then, the Ducks will be firmly entrenched in the Big Ten, and Bair's career can begin in earnest. Until then, we will have to wait to see one of the most exciting players in the entire class take the gridiron.
Winner: Demond Williams
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If there's a collegiate offensive guru who has thrived with so-called undersized quarterbacks over the past decade, USC coach Lincoln Riley would have to be the standard-bearer, after molding Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield into No. 1 overall picks.
However, Jedd Fisch might be carving himself out as a close second.
As he rebuilt the Arizona Wildcats football program, he did so with 6'0" Jayden de Laura at the helm. When he got injured a year ago, redshirt freshman Noah Fifita—all 5'11" of him—was inserted into the starting lineup and never relinquished it, becoming a phenomenon.
Now that Fisch is off to Washington, Fifita decided to stay in Tucson. But that's perfect news for elite, undersized 2024 signal-caller Demond Williams, a 5'9", 174-pound dynamo who is explosive with his feet and also can beat teams with his arm.
With his path blocked by Fifita for at least a couple years at Arizona, Williams backed off his pledge and followed Fisch to Washington. While Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers has a year of eligibility remaining, Williams is too talented not to play some in '24.
Don't forget about Demaricus Davis (who, at 6'4½", dwarfs every aforementioned QB on this slide) who is already on campus in Seattle, but Williams has a great shot at playing relatively early in his career.
If there's a blueprint to what smallish quarterbacks can do in college, Fisch has mastered it. Now, as the Huskies try to get back to the College Football Playoff in their first year in the Big Ten, they'll be feeling out the future as well as the present.
This is an excellent opportunity for the most talented signal-caller to earn reps right away. That may wind up being Williams.
Winner: A Pair of Blazing Sunshine State Rivals
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The Florida State Seminoles and Florida Gators hate sharing any space with one another, but the bitter rivals probably won't mind a little positive publicity when it comes to the recruiting ranks.
Both programs are signing quality classes in the '24 cycle, but both of them took some serious lumps with decommitments late in the early signing period. Coach Billy Napier's Gators class ripped apart at the seams, while KJ Bolden's decision to flip from the Seminoles to Georgia on early signing day left a sour taste.
But the rivals have amassed some massive wins in the late signing session.
Starting with the Gators, plucking 6'3", 185-pound cornerback Jameer Grimsley after he already signed with Alabama was a major deal. The Tampa native is technically a transfer, but as a member of the '24 class, he backed off and stayed closer to home.
Toss in D'antre Robinson, who was released from his National Letter of Intent with Texas after the Longhorns lost defensive line coach Bo Davis to LSU, and this was a great month for Florida. Robinson's signing adds to an already loaded D-line class in Gainesville. The 6'4", 315-pound Orlando native will now play college football in his backyard.
Up in Tallahassee, good news came in twos, too. Amaree Williams, a 6'4", 215-pound edge-rusher from West Palm Beach, Florida, committed to the Seminoles last week, according to Noles247's Zach Blostein, giving them a high-upside, developmental prospect at a major position of need.
That pledge came on the heels of an interesting development when 4-star quarterback Trever Jackson decided to walk on to the Seminoles. The 6'2½", 185-pound Orlando signal-caller was once an Ole Miss commit, but he backed off that pledge, and according to Blostein, his recruitment "went quiet." Now, he provides some intriguing depth to the 'Noles.
Loser: Jedd Fisch's Defensive Recruiting
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As mentioned, Jedd Fisch has an NFL offensive pedigree, but you cannot discount the man's eye for talent. Despite never having a nationally recognized recruiting class at Arizona, the Wildcats improved on both sides of the ball every year he was there.
The opportunistic 2023 Wildcats defense was better than you might expect.
But with so much Washington defensive talent heading to the NFL, led by Bralen Trice, this 2024 recruiting class was going to be pivotal in rebuilding that side of the ball. It's not going to be easy for Fisch.
Not only did the Huskies basically lose a third of their roster following Kalen DeBoer's departure, arguably their three best defensive commitments are gone, too.
Two of them have been discussed already, but they were two major pieces of the future puzzle in explosive edge-rusher Noah Carter (Alabama) and bigger defensive end Dominic Kirks (Ohio State).
When you throw in another edge-rusher, Keona Wilhite, who eschewed the Huskies and signed with Nebraska on Wednesday, that's three big blows.
Fisch can boast quality transfers like cornerbacks Ephesians Prysock and Jordan Shaw (Arizona), linebackers Ethan Barr (Vanderbilt) and Bryun Parham (San Jose State) and defensive lineman Sebastian Valdez (Montana State), but you've got to sign top-shelf defenders from the high school ranks.
The Huskies had them, but the shake-up in the coaching ranks cost them a few big-name guys. Those are gaps Fisch will have to fill in the future.
Winner: The Fran Brown Era at Syracuse
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The excitement is palpable at Syracuse.
After the Orange fired coach Dino Babers, they went outside the box, selecting Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown to return to the Northeast and be their next head coach.
The Camden, New Jersey native, immediately added Texas A&M defensive line coach and childhood buddy Elijah Robinson to coordinate the defense, and the program is off.
What has transpired is quietly one of the nicest stories in the '24 recruiting cycle, and while it may not make much of a blip on the national radar, it's worth noting.
According to CNY Central's Ashley Wenskoski, Brown and Robinson have helped sign the top recruiting class in the modern recruiting era at Syracuse. Considering Brown was once 247Sports' top recruiter in the nation and Robinson is elite, too, that isn't surprising.
In the transfer portal era, is it possible Syracuse can be a winning program soon? The Orange aren't that far off. When you factor in how well they've done in the transfer portal, landing guys like Ohio State starting quarterback Kyle McCord and stellar former Texas A&M edge-rusher Fadil Diggs, it isn't out of the realm of possibility.
The Orange continued that surge in the late signing session, landing JUCO defensive lineman Michael Nwokocha and cornerback Ibn McDaniels. These two pledges came after 4-star Marcellus Barnes Jr. gave Syracuse some clout when he announced he'd signed with them during the All-America Bowl.
These pledges pushed Syracuse into the top 40 of the recruiting rankings, and when you throw in a No. 23-ranked transfer class, there's a lot to love about Brown's start.
All stats courtesy of CFBStats and Sports Reference unless otherwise noted. Recruit rankings courtesy of 247Sports unless otherwise noted.
Follow Brad Shepard on Twitter, @Brad_Shepard.
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