Biggest Recruiting Storylines Heading into 2024 National Signing Day

Nearly all of the work in the 2024 recruiting cycle is wrapped up, but a few college football teams need to put a finishing touch on their latest incoming class.

The recent month has included a couple of fascinating twists because of the coaching carousel. Nick Saban retired after a legendary tenure at Alabama, which hired Kalen DeBoer and set off another round of changes. Jim Harbaugh left Michigan for the NFL, too.

That movement both affected the final days of the 2024 cycle and has created an interesting outlook for 2025.

Wednesday, Feb. 7, marks the beginning of the late signing window. While it should be a relatively tame period, B/R is walking through the last storylines of this recruiting year.

Top Unsigned Prospects

Although the December signing window can be loaded with surprises, the February period tends to be reasonably drama-free.

The key word there? Reasonably.

Alabama recently brought 5-star wideout Ryan Williams back into the class. He backed off a verbal pledge to the Crimson Tide after Saban's retirement but ultimately decided to rejoin the talented group.

LSU is expected to keep 5-star defensive lineman Dominick McKinley—who flipped from Texas A&M in late December—and Oregon just landed a commitment from wide receiver Gatlin Bair, one of the very highest-rated 4-stars of the cycle.

The wild card is 5-star athlete Terry Bussey. Committed to Texas A&M, he's still considering Georgia and LSU.

Fallout of Coaching Changes

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Nick Saban and Jim Harbaugh

We knew Nick Saban would retire eventually. It seemed clear Jim Harbaugh wanted to scratch the NFL itch.

Naturally, those decisions caused conversations about long-term outlooks, most specifically at Alabama and Washington, then Arizona, then San Jose State. But they also immediately led to news on the recruiting trail.

Williams decommitted from Alabama to reassess his options before rejoining the class. Washington lost three prospects—including Bama-bound edge-rusher Noah Carter—yet added several former Arizona commits after the program hired Jedd Fisch. Bair had been considering Michigan, but Harbaugh's exit played into Oregon's hands.

Those are simply a few of the dominoes, of course.

February's signing day offers a much-needed opportunity for prospects who might've needed to reconsider their future once the expected coaching staff changed.

Alabama's New Reality

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Kalen DeBoer

Nick Saban didn't just prioritize top-ranked prospects, but Alabama always signed a bunch of the nation's highest-rated talent.

Kalen DeBoer hasn't focused solely on under-the-radar players, but he's built a career out of finding overlooked pieces that fit.

How is the program going to reshape its recruiting philosophy under DeBoer? How much can the Bama brand sell itself despite the transition? While the simple version is DeBoer will continue to target big-name prospects, Alabama's priorities certainly will change in some fashion.

Yes, that final statement is also true at Michigan, Washington, Arizona and so on. However, the sport is destined to feel the impact of Saban's departure on the recruiting trail.

DeBoer's plans will begin to attract more attention on Wednesday, the unofficial start to the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Finalizing 2024 Rankings

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Carson Beck

Barring some shocking news, Georgia is set to officially close the 2024 recruiting with the nation's top class.

To date, the Dawgs have signed a handful of 5-stars and 19 more blue-chip prospects in a 28-man haul. They're aiming for that final exclamation point with the potential flip of Bussey at the buzzer, too.

Stars don't mean everything. But they absolutely matter.

Look, the object of the sport is winning a national championship—which Georgia did in 2021 and 2022. Still, it's safe to say Kirby Smart doesn't mind snagging the title of the No. 1 class for the first time since 2020, especially because SEC foes Alabama (2021, 2023) and Texas A&M (2022) snagged the crown in the years between then and now.

Smart has built a powerhouse in Athens that doesn't look like it's going away—on or off the field—anytime soon.

Early Preview of 2025

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Marcus Freeman

Not only is Notre Dame the early leader atop the 2025 team rankings, the Fighting Irish may soon get another boost.

Four-star offensive tackle Owen Strebig is set to announce his verbal pledge on Thursday, Feb. 8. The favorite in his recruitment, per the 247Sports Crystal Ball, is Notre Dame.

Wouldn't be a terrible way to kick off a new cycle, I'd say.

For now, the programs behind Notre Dame are LSU, Clemson, Ohio State and Oklahoma. Without question, though, the rankings—for teams and prospects alike—will substantially change throughout the year. Alabama and USC currently sit at 30 and 44, for example.

But the countdown begins on Wednesday; less than 11 months remain until the early signing period in December.