Early National Signing Day 2020: Dates, Top CFB Prospects and TV Schedule

For years, high school football recruits had to wait until February to make their college decisions official. Not anymore.

Now, there's a three-day early signing period, during which the top high school players from around the country can send in their national letters of intent, making their commitments official. And this year, that begins Wednesday.

While an NLI is a formality for some recruits (those who have already committed to a school and have shown no signs of wavering), others have yet to decide. Some of those players will be announcing commitments this week and then also sending in their letters of intent. Others will wait until February, which is when the traditional signing day still takes place.

With the early signing period getting close, here's everything you need to know, including a breakdown of some of the top storylines.

Early Signing Period Key Information

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Dates: Dec. 16-18

TV Coverage: ESPN2 (Dec. 16 at noon ET)

Live Stream: ESPN

Commitment Schedule: A list of the recruits who are scheduled to announce their commitments during the early signing period can be found at 247Sports.

Georgia Makes Final Pitch to 5-Star LB Sorey

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Xavian Sorey, a 5-star linebacker from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, will be announcing his college decision Wednesday at 9 a.m. ET. That's not much time for the three schools still in the race to land him—Alabama, Florida and Georgia—to make a final push.

On Thursday, the Bulldogs made it known that they greatly want Sorey to commit to them. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart tweeted a funny video in which he is looking for a barber. And sure enough, Sorey's nickname is The Barber.

The Bulldogs already have the No. 3-ranked 2021 class in the nation, per the 247Sports team rankings. However, Alabama (No. 1) and Florida (No. 7) also have strong classes and are sure to be enticing options for Sorey. The Crimson Tide and Gators are set to contest this year's SEC Championship Game on Saturday.

Sorey is the No. 1 outside linebacker and No. 20 overall recruit in the 2021 class, per the 247Sports composite rankings. And while the site's Crystal Ball gives Georgia the best odds to land Sorey (53.8 percent), it seems any of these three SEC schools could earn his commitment.

Can Michigan Keep 4-Star RB Edwards in State?

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It's been a tough 2020 for Michigan on the field, as the Wolverines are 2-4 entering Saturday's season finale at Iowa. However, they have still fared well in recruiting, as they have the ninth-best class in 247Sports' rankings.

Michigan has a chance to bolster its 2021 class with some talented recruits during the early singing period. That includes Donovan Edwards, a 4-star running back out of West Bloomfield High School who is set to announce his college decision Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Edwards, the No. 4 running back and No. 44 overall recruit in the 2021 (per the 247Sports Composite rankings), appears to be leaning toward staying in state and joining the Wolverines, as the 247Sports Crystal Ball gives them a 100-percent chance of landing him. However, Edwards has still been considering six other schools: Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Penn State.

It seems like Michigan is in a good position to add Edwards to its 2021 class, but unexpected things have happened on past signing days. The Wolverines won't be able to celebrate until Edwards makes it official.

LSU Looks to Land 5-Star DT Smith

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LSU already has one in-state 5-star recruit in its 2021 class (Lafayette Christian Academy safety Sage Ryan). This week, the Tigers could be adding another.

Maason Smith, a 5-star defensive tackle from Terrebonne High School in Houma, is set to announce his college decision Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. ET. He is the No. 2 defensive tackle and No. 18 overall recruit in the 2021 class, per the 247Sports composite rankings.

LSU already has 247Sports' No. 4-ranked 2021 class, so Smith's addition would give it another big-time defensive recruit. However, Smith also included Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Miami in the top-five list he announced in October. So while it seems likely Smith will be playing in the SEC, he could be heading to another school.

After going 15-0 and winning the national championship last season, the Tigers have had some struggles in 2020, as they're 4-5 entering Saturday's season finale against Ole Miss. But they beat rival Florida on the road in their most recent outing, and LSU fans could have more reason to celebrate if Smith chooses the Tigers.