National Signing Day 2016: Date, Top Prospects and TV Schedule for Commitments

When it comes to the world of college football recruiting, the news on top prospects trickles in over months and years, before the news that really matters finally comes rushing in all at once.

This Wednesday is national signing day for the 2016 class. Football fans are eagerly awaiting the announcement of a few top uncommitted prospects while desperately hoping that the verbal commits don't renege on their words.

Great college football programs are of course forged in the crucible of long practices and intense film study sessions, but you have to start with the right materials to have any sort of success. Recruiting the right young athletes is where it all starts.

Here's a look at the TV announcement schedule and top prospects for the big day.

National Signing Day Television Schedule

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 3

TV: ESPNU (8 a.m.-1 p.m. ET); ESPN2 (1-5 p.m. ET); ESPNU (5-7 p.m. ET)

Live Stream: WatchESPN 

Note: ESPNMediaZone.com notes that networks such as the SEC Network and Longhorn Network will provide additional coverage. 

Player	Pos.	School (Location)	Announcement Time (ET)
Rashan Gary	DT	Paramus Catholic (Paramus, New Jersey)	1 p.m.
Derrick Brown	DT	Wake Forest (Wake Forest, NC)	3 p.m.
Mique Juarez	OLB	North High School (Torrance, California)	3 p.m.
Kristian Fulton	CB	Archbishop Rummel (Metairie, Louisiana)	1 p.m.
Ben Davis	ILB	Gordo (Gordo, Alabama)	10 a.m.
Mecole Hardman Jr.	ATH	Elbert County (Elberton, GA)	8:30 a.m.
Lyndell "Mack" WIlson	OLB	Carver (Montgomery, Alabama)	2 p.m.
Nate Craig-Myers	WR	Tampa Catholic (Tampa, Florida)	11 a.m.
Landon Dickerson	OT	South Caldwell (Hudson, North Carolina)	12 p.m.
Caleb Kelly	OLB	Clovis West (Fresno, California)	8:30 p.m.

 
Where Will Rashan Gary Land? 

The lucky school that lands No. 1 overall prospect Rashan Gary will be the talk of the nation shortly after his announcement at 1 p.m. ET. Gary is a beast on the field, combining great size, speed and athleticism to consistently terrorize opposing quarterbacks. He racked up 27.5 sacks and forced four fumbles in his junior and senior seasons.

Scouts have no doubt he can continue his exploits at the next level. Gary's been considered a gem since he was an eighth-grader at a Rutgers big-man camp, per Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press.

“It can be dangerous going out there as a younger guy that hasn’t fully developed, but that’s what showed how special Rashan could be,” said NJ Advance Media reporter Todderick Hunt, per Snyder. “He held his own. He competed and certainly looked the part. ... I was definitely intrigued to stumble upon a promising young player like that.”

Michigan is the favorite to land Gary, with 81 percent of experts on 247Sports' crystal ball predictions selecting him to become a Wolverine. Alabama is next on that list at 14 percent. Gary recently chatted with a current Tiger and prized 2015 recruit, per 247Sports' Keith Niebuhr: 

Clemson is very much trying to make a late push for Gary as it looks to restock the defensive line with ends Kevin Dodd and Shaq Lawson departing for the NFL. Sure, Gary plays up the middle, but it's not like the Tigers are going to miss out on a chance to sway a generational prospect.

Gary will be the prize recruit wherever he lands. Michigan could very well make a monster out of him considering head coach Jim Harbaugh's commitment to building fast, aggressive defenses.

Can Anyone Pry Mique Juarez out of the Golden State?

Mique Juarez is a SoCal stud who ranks No. 1 in the nation at his outside linebacker position. Most experts don't expect him to move far from his hometown of Torrance, California. Per 247Sports, 80 percent believe Juarez will commit to UCLA on Wednesday. 

Juarez would be quite the coup for the Bruins. Juarez ranks 11th in the nation overall, and the Bruins' best prospect currently set to join them in 2016 is wide receiver Theo Howard, who's much farther down the list at No. 102 overall.

A pair of SEC powerhouses in Alabama and Ole Miss are also hot on Juarez, but it's possible that faith, not football, could pry him away from California. Dick Harmon of Deseret News reports Juarez has visited BYU in Provo, Utah, although he doesn't think the Cougars stand much of a chance at landing him:

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How does this happen?

Well, not by accident. A major part of the Juarez story is that he is a member of the LDS faith. His mother is Tongan and so is BYU’s new head coach Kalani Sitake. His mother, Nathasha, is very close to the mother of current BYU linebacker Butch Pau’u. Juarez was at the Las Vegas Bowl this past December and Butch’s parents, Tupou and Uepi, posted a photo on Facebook of them with Mique at the Rio Hotel and Casino in front of the famed buffet.

It is unlikely Juarez will sign with BYU next week. He just had a trip to Alabama last week. He was committed to USC before Steve Sarkisian was dismissed. His father is a huge UCLA fan and he has taken recruiting trips to Mississippi, Washington and Oklahoma. Nick Saban was in his home this past week in Torrance, California.

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The comfort of playing football with those who share a similar faith cannot be understated, and in any case, it's not like the Cougars are slouches. They finished 9-4 in 2015, including impressive early-season wins over Nebraska and Boise State.

Juarez is rated highly enough that he should have no problem working his way to a big role in any program. However, it appears it's still possible he'll roll with the less-heralded Cougars when it's time to put ink to paper.

Stats and player rankings courtesy of 247Sports unless otherwise noted.