National Signing Day 2017: Final Recruit Announcement Schedule and Predictions

Wednesday marks national signing day, a massive day of anxiety and jubilation for college football recruits and the fans hoping they choose their respective favorite programs. 

Last year, it was a defensive tackle in consensus No. 1 recruit Rashan Gary who was the centerpiece of the national signing day excitement (he chose Michigan). In 2017, it's another couple of big fellas in defensive tackles Marvin Wilson (No. 1 DT, No. 10 overall) and Aubrey Solomon (No. 2 DT, No. 11 overall) who will be the top players to follow on Wednesday.

ESPN will broadcast the big reveals of 12 top-ranked recruits during a recruiting special on Wednesday, airing on ESPNU and ESPN2. Here's a table of their main recruiting announcements, per ESPN Media Zone. 

A complete schedule and live streaming of more signings, analysis and coverage across ESPN's networks can be found on WatchESPN.

Time (ET)	Prospect	Position Rank	From	Possible Schools	Watch
8 a.m.	Levi Jones	No. 11 OLB	Austin, Texas	Florida, Florida State, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC	ESPNU
8 a.m.	Stephan Zabie	No. 29 OT	Austin, Texas	Ole Miss, Texas, UCLA	ESPNU
10 a.m.	Todd Harris	No. 9 S	Plaquemine, La.	LSU, Alabama, TCU, Arizona State	ESPNU
10 a.m.	Aubrey Solomon	No. 2 DT	Leesburg, Ga.	Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Clemson	ESPNU
10 a.m.	Jeff Thomas	No. 5 WR	East St. Louis, Ill.	Louisville, Miami (Fla.), Oregon, Auburn, Illinois	ESPNU
11 a.m.	Chevin Calloway	No. 21 CB	Dallas	Arkansas, Texas, Ole Miss	ESPNU
11 a.m.	Damion Daniels	No. 50 DT	Dallas	Colorado, Nebraska, Texas-San Antonio	ESPNU
1 p.m.	James Robinson IV	No. 38 WR	Lakeland, Fla.	Florida Atlantic, Florida International, USF, Western Kentucky,	ESPN2
1 p.m.	A.J. Davis	No. 28 RB	Lakeland, Fla.	UNC, Louisville, Pitt, USF	ESPN2
4 p.m.	Greg Johnson	No. 6 ATH	Los Angeles	USC, Nebraska, Oregon, Notre Dame, Arizona State	ESPN2
4 p.m.	Joseph Lewis	No. 2 WR	Los Angeles	USC, Nebraska, Oregon, Arizona State	ESPN2
4 p.m.	Marvin Wilson	No. 1 DT	Houston	Florida State, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, USF	ESPN2

Scout.com's staff also compiled a list of notable recruits and when they are expected to announce their commitments on Wednesday. 

Top Predictions

As one of the most talented recruits in the nation, it makes sense that Wilson is sought after by some of the best programs, including Ohio State, LSU and Florida State. Solomon is not far behind and could follow Gary to Michigan, stay in his home state and play for Georgia or perhaps head to either of the two national title game teams in Alabama and Clemson.

Rivals.com's Mike Farrell reported on Tuesday where the two defensive tackles might be headed: 

In contrast to that rumor, Wilson had his last in-home visit with LSU on Jan. 28, per ESPN's Gerry Hamilton, and 62 percent of experts in 247Sports' Crystal Ball predictions have him heading to the Tigers. LSU would be closer to Wilson's home of Bellaire, Texas, but they won three fewer games than the Seminoles last year and had some flux in the head coaching department with Ed Orgeron replacing Les Miles. 

Still, the Bayou Bengals feel like the pick here, as Wilson brings his talent and potential to a typically stacked LSU defense.

As for Solomon, everything seems to be trending Michigan, with 71 percent of 247Sports' experts picking him to land there. While Alabama is still in the mix and the lure of playing at home often proving too great for young recruits, look for Solomon to become a Wolverine on Wednesday. 

Another top player set to make their announcement on Wednesday is wide receiver Joseph Lewis, the No. 2 wide receiver and No. 24 prospect overall. USC is the obvious pick for the Los Angeles kid, but Nebraska, Oregon and Arizona State are also options. 

CBS Sports' Mike Schaefer noted the Cornhuskers might have a chance, albeit a slim one:

"

Nebraska looked like it could be the team for Joseph Lewis at one point in this cycle. The receiver made three visits to Nebraska, talked about wanting to leave Los Angeles and had a great relationship with Keith Williams.

However, when USC started to surge at the end of the season, the Trojans became an option again for the Augustus Hawkins high school receiver.

Lewis would fill a big spot in Nebraska’s wide receiver room going forward. The receiver isn’t polished but he’s got a lot of potential and is as athletic as they come.

Nebraska made its pitch of immediate playing time and the opportunity to play with friends, but is it enough to win over Lewis compared to proximity?

"

Out of the four schools mentioned, USC has the most promising quarterback in Sam Darnold, who threw 31 touchdowns last year and led the Trojans to nine straight wins to close out the season.

The combination of playing with a high-caliber talent in Darnold and playing in front of friends and family in his home city will likely be too great for Lewis to pass up. Expect him to go with the Trojans.

No. 5 offensive tackle Austin Jackson has kept a pretty low profile during all the recruiting frenzy, preferring to stay out of the spotlight after enjoying some attention earlier in his high school football career.

“I was a little bit younger so I enjoyed all the publicity and getting all the likes and retweets on Twitter, having to do interviews and all that,” he said, per USA Today's Josh Barnett. “I thought it was pretty cool, but after a while it turned into a whole lot of publicity that I realized I didn’t really want. It kind of distracts you from what you really want."

According to Barnett, Jackson is down to three schools: Washington, USC and Arizona State. The latter two would seem to have an edge. Jackson attended a camp with the Trojans, the only one of the three aforementioned schools he did so with. 

However, the Sun Devils have the in-state advantage with Jackson hailing from Phoenix, and they had the last official visit with him on Dec. 2. Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller noted that Jackson's grandfather played for USC but in the end went with Arizona State for his prediction:

"

The Crystal Ball predictions at 247Sports seem certain he'll end up with USC, but Arizona State has been courting Jackson for a long time, has the home-state edge and was the last stop of his four official visits. As such, we're going against the grain and projecting he signs with the Sun Devils, becoming the school's first 5-star recruit since 2009.

"

The Trojans certainly have more allure than the Sun Devils with Darnold at quarterback and a national recruiting profile, but the Sun Devils do seem like a more attractive choice for a low-key recruit who doesn't necessarily seem to desire the spotlight.

Note: All recruit rankings and info courtesy of Scout.com unless otherwise noted.