Early National Signing Day 2019: Day 3 Recruit Commitments, Top Unsigned Players

Friday marks the final day of the early signing period and the last chance until Feb. 5 for college football programs to make significant moves in the 2020 recruiting class.

Most of the top players expected to sign their letters of intent during this three-day window have already done so, but there were plenty of gems who waited to make decisions.

Before we dive into the biggest additions for next year, here is an updated list of the top 25 recruiting classes from 247Sports' composite rankings:

1. Clemson Tigers

2. Alabama Crimson Tide

3. Ohio State Buckeyes

4. Georgia Bulldogs

5. LSU Tigers

6. Texas A&M Aggies

7. Auburn Tigers

8. Florida Gators

9. Texas Longhorns

10. Oklahoma Sooners

11. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

12. Michigan Wolverines

13. Penn State Nittany Lions

14. Washington Huskies

15. Tennessee Volunteers

16. South Carolina Gamecocks

17. Miami Hurricanes

18. Oregon Ducks

19. North Carolina Tar Heels

20. Nebraska Cornhuskers

21. Florida State Seminoles

22. Stanford Cardinal

23. Kentucky Wildcats

24. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

25. Mississippi State Bulldogs

Best Players Still Available

Kelee Ringo, CB, No. 8 overall player

Darnell Washington, ATH, No. 10

Zachary Evans, RB, No. 14

Avantae Williams, S, No. 55

After this early signing period wraps up, the next significant day in recruiting will be Jan. 2 with the Under Armour All-America Game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

According to 247Sports, eight players have scheduled their commitment announcements for the day of the annual showcase game. That list includes three 5-star talents: cornerback Kelee Ringo, athlete Darnell Washington and running back Zachary Evans.

Ringo is shaping up to be one of the crown jewels of the class. The Arizona native is listed at 6'2" and 205 pounds, but that size hasn't prevented him from maintaining the type of speed needed to stick with wide receivers at the next level.

Per 247Sports' Blair Angulo, Ringo is an "explosive athlete with terrific straight-line speed" and has the "potential to start at any Power Five program as [a] true freshman."

According to 247Sports' crystal ball projections, Georgia is considered a heavy favorite to land Ringo over Texas. The Bulldogs already own the fourth-ranked recruiting class in the nation, but it seems like head coach Kirby Smart might have more tricks up his sleeve in the coming weeks.

Washington is another top target on Georgia's radar, but it will have stiff competition from SEC rival Alabama, among others.

"Every school's got a great education, great facilities, great coaches, but at the end of the day, it's going to come down to the trust and me trusting them to develop me to become that first-round pick or whatever round I'm in," Washington told 247Sports' Hank South after an in-home visit with Nick Saban. "And I just trust them to make me a better person on and off the field, not just as a player."

Washington has played tight end at Desert Pines High School. That could make him more attractive to the Crimson Tide, who lost out on another 5-star player at the position when Arik Gilbert picked LSU.

The long-term outlook for college football is far from settled following this week's early signing period. If your favorite team didn't land every recruit you were hoping for, there are still plenty of elite players who will make their choices in the coming weeks.

Friday's Notable Storylines

Virginia Lands High-Upside DE Jonathan Horton

Fresh off an ACC Coastal Division title in 2019, Virginia capitalized by scoring a commitment from edge-rusher Jonathan Horton.

A 4-star recruit and the No. 17 weak-side defensive end in the class, Horton became the 13th player to sign his letter of intent with the Cavaliers. He's also the third-highest-rated player in their incoming freshman group, behind offensive tackle Andrew Gentry (No. 60) and outside linebacker Brandon Williams (No. 347).

Head coach Bronco Mendenhall should be thrilled about his newest addition considering how much raw talent Horton has shown despite playing just one year of varsity football.

In four seasons at Virginia, Mendenhall has turned the program around. In his first season, the team posted a 2-10 record, its fifth consecutive losing mark. The Cavaliers have increased their win total in each of the past three years, including a 9-4 mark in 2019.

The Virginia coaching staff has had the program on an upward trajectory in the ACC for a long time. The class ranks 50th in the country and has the potential to look even better in a couple of years if Horton's raw ability develops into performance on the field.

Jordan Burch Waiting to Sign

One of the biggest surprises during the early signing period came from defensive end Jordan Burch, the No. 5 player in the class, who announced he was going to play for Will Muschamp at the University of South Carolina.

Since Burch made his decision, he has not signed his national letter of intent:

It's reasonable to assume Burch will eventually put pen to paper, but his waiting leaves open the possibility that another program could swoop in to steal him.

Per Woody Wommack of Rivals, Burch "had long flirted with Georgia" before the early signing period and took his last visit before the dead period to Athens.

In October, Burch released his top five programs in alphabetical order: Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, LSU and South Carolina.

If Burch remains unsigned heading into February, there will be reasons for South Carolina fans to worry about his having a change of heart.

Recruiting information via 247Sports.com.