National Signing Day 2011: 10 Schools That Surprised the Most
National Signing Day is an event that should never be missed by sports fans. It is like the Bold and the Beautiful for those who watch ESPN.
The day is full of shocks, twists and turns, surprises and about faces. National Signing Day 2011 was no exception. In fact, arguably, it was among the most shocking in recent memory, and the day contained some of the most unbelievable surprises that only the most wild analysts would even think to predict.
From Cyrus Kouandjio's shocking about face, to the ludicrous theatrics of Elkino Watson, National Signing Day 2011 has given us a list of players and schools to watch for the next few years, good or bad.
To honor this year, let's look back at the schools that surprised the nation the most, with either shocking failures or unlikely wins!
Auburn
1 of 10
Not all surprises are good surprises, right? Auburn came out of National Signing Day as the school that received the most headlines, but for all the wrong reasons.
While it is common practice for players to flip-flop with their commitments in the process of choosing which college to play for, Cyrus Kouandjio has taken this to a whole new level. The third-ranked player in the nation went on television and announced he would be playing for the Tigers, only to change his mind hours later.
While it is likely he will still sign with the Tigers, Clemson couldn't follow through with his promise on Wednesday, claiming to need more time.
It wasn't just the nation that was surprised, it was Auburn.
Kansas
2 of 10
Kansas did what seemed to be the impossible and managed to salvage quite a decent recruiting class, despite its record.
Despite a 3-9 record, Kansas managed to leave National Signing Day boasting the fifth-best recruiting class in the Big 12, which is no small feat. On top of this, Kansas beat out rivals Kansas State and Missouri.
Kansas has focused on adding some much-needed speed to its team in this recruiting class, and has landed two 4-star players. Running back Darrian Miller and dual-threat quarterback Brock Berglund should both feature prominently in the Kansas lineup sooner rather than later.
UCLA
3 of 10
UCLA fans know that sometimes surprises are pretty terrible.
Analysts everywhere thought that this just may be UCLA's year to have a big recruiting class. Not only was USC placed on NCAA probation, but UCLA had some good talent visiting, and Rick Neuheisel seemed confident for some good signings.
In recent years, the Bruins had seemed to really pick up the slack and lure some great talent to UCLA. Sadly, this year they managed to make the tiniest of splashes possible.
Every analyst is surprised that the Bruins had the 11th-best recruiting class in the Pac-12, which is so bad that it is almost enough to make you feel sorry for UCLA. Almost.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
North Carolina
4 of 10
Ranked as the fifth-best high school defensive tackle in the country, Delvon Simmons is a great player, and may be exactly what North Carolina needs.
Simmons had offers from 16 other schools, most of which seemed to have a higher chance than Chapel Hill for one very good reason: Simmons never even bothered to visit North Carolina.
Simmons will add to a strong interior defensive line, choosing a school he never took an official visit to and against the wisdom of analysts claiming he was a lock for either USC or Oregon. It is pretty damn shocking.
Illinois
5 of 10
Illinois may not have had the explosive impact of some of the other schools listed, though this is not to say it didn't surprise.
Illinois managed to steal away Jon Davis, who had offers from Oregon and Kentucky, but was heavily favoured to go to Kentucky. The Illini also managed to get the highly underrated defensive tackle Chris Jones, who had received offers from East Carolina, North Carolina and North Carolina State.
While they may not be as high impact as some of the other surprising signings, particularly when you look back at the school's history of brilliant surprise signings, both players have difference-maker abilities and prove that Ron Zook still has it when it comes to closing.
Clemson
6 of 10
Clemson went into National Signing Day with some good prospects, but it is unlikely anyone thought it was going to finish the day with the most 5-star prospects in the nation.
The Tigers already had two 5-star players committed, running back Mike Bellamy and wide receiver Sammy Watkins, and were in a close race with Virginia Tech for linebacker Stephone Anthony. Clemson managed to snatch Anthony from the clutches of Virginia, but the Tigers weren't finished.
Yet another 5-star linebacker, Tony Steward, was considered a foregone conclusion going into National Signing Day, having all but already signed with Florida State. He shocked the nation, however, by announcing that he, too, would join the Tigers.
Four 5-star prospects sounds like a pretty massive shock.
USC
7 of 10
A week ago, if anyone told you Aundrey Walker was signing with any school but Ohio State, you would have to dismiss him or her as ill-informed or crazy.
The offensive lineman comes from Glenville, which has traditionally been fertile recruiting ground for Ohio State, and all analysts believed he was a certainty to play for OSU.
That was before USC pulled off a massive coup.
Walker, ranked as the No. 1 offensive guard in his signing class, said he was won over when he visited USC on January 14. He also acknowledged the expectation he would go to Ohio State, telling the media that in the end, he had to go with his heart.
The Trojans also stole linebacker Lamar Dawson and picked up Christian Heward, who was considering Oregon.
Alabama
8 of 10
Alabama had a massive steal from the otherwise hugely prosperous Clemson Tigers, even if it lost out with Cyrus Kouandijo probably still going to Auburn.
Ranked No. 5 for his position, and 38th nationally, outside linebacker Brent Calloway represents quite a big win for Alabama. Originally, Calloway had committed to the Crimson Tide, but had second thoughts and ended up switching his commitment to Auburn. In a National Signing Day flip, Calloway reverted back to his original choice.
Calloway will be joined by defensive end Jeoffrey Pagan, who is also considered a decent Alabama steal, as it was assumed he would be going to Georgia.
Oregon
9 of 10
De'Anthony Thomas already has the attitude of a professional athlete (more a Ron Artest than a Wayne Gretzky, if you know what I mean), but he still represents a big shock signing for Oregon.
The 5-star running back turned up an impressive 45 minutes late for his announcement ceremony, where he proceeded to shock journalists by switching from USC to Oregon.
While word had leaked that Thomas may have been reconsidering his previous commitment to USC, this still stands as a massive coup for the Ducks. If Oregon can keep his ego in check, Thomas will be one of the best players around.
South Florida
10 of 10
A good athlete is one who knows how to entertain as well as play. That is obviously no problem for South Florida's shock signatory Elkino Watson.
Watson, a defensive tackle, may only be rated as a 3-star player, but this physical defender has shown that he has the theatrics of professional sports down pat.
He had already told reporters that he had narrowed down his possible choices to Florida, Miami and Louisville, so it was no surprise to see a cap from each school lined up at his announcement ceremony. The surprise came when Watson reached down into the crowd and picked a South Florida hat from the audience.
He just may prove to be a player to watch.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
