National Signing Day 2011: Jadeveon Clowney Leads Top Ten Unsigned Players
The first Wednesday of every February must feel like Christmas in some parts of the country.
For schools such as Alabama, Notre Dame, OSU, and LSU, this Wednesday, Feb. 3, will surely feel like another holiday event.
Traditionally the first Wednesday of every February is national signing day, the first day high school seniors can sign letters of intent for collegiate schools.
This year is sure to be interesting, as universal top recruit Jadeveon Clowney remains unsigned.
Along with Clowney, here are the top ten remaining unsigned players who could be coming to your school.
1. DE Jadeveon Clowney
1 of 11Clowney is the consensus number one prospect coming out of high school.
At 6'6'' and 250 pounds, Clowney combines his great size and strength with good speed and great lateral pursuit.
Clowney also registered three sacks in the Carolina Shrine game.
As many scouting reports have indicated, Clowney reminds scouts of Houston Texans DE Marion Williams.
His list of potential suitors is quite small, as he has visited only four schools- North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Clemson.
Whichever of the four lands this top recruit will instantly have at least one reason to be optimistic for the upcoming season.
2. RB Isaiah Crowell
2 of 11The top remaining unsigned skill position player, Crowell, is short at 5'11'', but his quickness and pass catching translate nicely to the collegiate level.
Crowell also has the strength to be an every down back.
He makes his cuts very quickly, hits the hole hard, and has great vision.
It seems to be down to two, Alabama and home state Georgia, battling to sign Crowell.
3. LB Curtis Grant
3 of 11Grant is ranked as the number two overall prospect for Rivals, and his size and strength are top-class for a linebacker.
Grant put his skills on display at the U.S. Army All-American game, leading the East team in tackles.
He could be faster, but Grant is an imposing force at the linebacker position and is similar type of player to the San Francisco 49ers' Patrick Willis.
OSU, North Carolina, Florida, and Virginia have all hosted Grant for visits.
It seems Grant's choice will be whether to stay close to home or move to the MidWest to play for Jim Tressel and Ohio State.
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4. OL Cyrus Kouandjio
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Wide shoulders, long arms, and a 6'7'' frame make Kouandjio the premier offensive lineman of the 2011 recruiting class.
The tackle from Maryland appears to be heading to the SEC, with Auburn and Alabama considered to be the two favorites to land Kouandjio.
The only question about Kouandjio is whether he will transition well from right tackle to left tackle, but his physical attributes should make the transition smoother.
5. DT Timmy Jernigan
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The next best defensive lineman after Clowney, Jernigan is small for a DT at only 270 pounds, but his speed and agility help him be a disruptive force in the running game.
In fact, his athleticism is so good that many scouts project him being able to play strongside defensive end, a la Dwight Freeney at Syracuse.
There is no clear front runner for Jernigan, so expect his decision to be one of the bigger ones on signing day.
6. LB Tony Steward
6 of 11The top outside linebacker recruit, Steward is above average in all areas.
He already has the prototypical body of an NFL linebacker, with great size, strength and speed.
Steward also also shown great pass coverage skills.
His list of suitors is quite long, but he has only visited three schools- UCLA, Clemson, and Florida State.
Alabama, as it always seems, is also in the running for Steward's talents.
7. ATH Marqise Lee
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One way college is different from the NFL is that collegiate schools often just recruit talent and athleticism.
That's the case with Lee, who could play receiver or safety, but as of now has no natural position.
Some scouts even project him as a large, physical corner, much like Champ Bailey.
The California native appears to have his choices down to three: Oregon, USC, and Cal.
Whichever of these West Coast schools lands Lee will not receive a great athlete and will have the flexibility to play him at a number of positions.
8. CB Marcus Roberson
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Roberson helped lead national power St. Thomas Aquinas (FL) to the 5A state championship.
He is tall, long, and lean, combined with a great mixture of size and speed.
He also has shown great adeptness in coming up in the box and making tackles in the run game.
Although unsigned, Auburn is the clear front-runner for Roberson. Any other decision on signing day would be a shocker.
9. LB Stephone Anthony
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Anthony is one of the top line-backing recruits in the nation, selected to both the Under-Armour All-America and the Shrine Bowl Games.
He is very similar to Steward in terms if size and strength, but is not as fast. He makes up for his speed with great lateral quickness, however.
He appears to be staying in state, with North Carolina and NC State two front-runners, along with Florida and Virginia Tech.
10. WR Nickolas Brassell
10 of 11The top unsigned WR, Brassell has a good mixture of speed and strength.
While not dominant at either, he shows good work ethic and is a good route runner.
He needs to put some weight on, but his playing style is similar to that of the Colts' Reggie Wayne.
He is expected to stay in state and commit to the University of Mississippi.
11. Impact Of Signing Day
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"(Signing day) is the type of day where everyone has got to feel good and say 'God, what a good day'," former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said.
Signing has garnered much attention in the recent years, as increasing technological improvements allow for coverage of the top high school talents coast to coast.
Signing day is a day for college fans everywhere to appreciate what recruits will be joining their respective programs.
Furthermore, fans will look ahead to the start of the season, where hopefully their top recruits will instantly start to make an impact on the field.
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