Winners and losers from the early signing period

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Winners and losers from the early signing period
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The early signing period is now mostly in the rearview mirror. The first day alone saw 201 members of the ESPN 300 put pen to paper, and a number of programs dominated the news cycle.

THE WINNERS

Georgia: The Bulldogs launched to No. 1 in the class rankings with a jaw-dropping Wednesday, picking up commitments and signatures from five-star defensive end Brenton Cox (No. 13), offensive tackle Cade Mays (No. 19), guard Jamaree Salyer (No. 28), Alabama flip Nadab Joseph, No. 211 Channing Tindall and No. 250 Divaad Wilson. Even better news for Georgia fans: Kirby Smart and staff are not done yet.

This is a roster that will see some turnover after a run to the College Football Playoff, so a class this loaded helps bolster the roster. In the grander scheme it announced Smart as a worthy SEC recruiting rival to Nick Saban. Alabama has dominated recruiting, with the No. 1 class in six of the past seven years. Georgia's ability to lock down many of the Peach State's best and put together classes like this one means the Tide can be matched on the recruiting trail.

Clemson: The Tigers secured a fourth straight top-10 class. After three consecutive playoff runs, the Tigers will likely lose Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins from the defensive line. That could quickly be remedied after Clemson gained commitments from five-star D-linemen K.J. Henry (No. 5) and Xavier Thomas. The Tigers add to their offensive line with offensive tackle Jackson Carman (No. 12), for whom they beat Ohio State and USC.

Texas: After a tough finish to the 2017 class, Tom Herman and the Longhorns bounced back in a big way on Wednesday. While ESPN 300 commits Keondre Coburn and Keaontay Ingram are not expected to sign until February, Texas received letters of intent from a whopping 15 ESPN 300 prospects while winning key battles inside the state lines that was a change from last February. Texas signed four of the top 10 prospects in the Lone Star State on Wednesday after signing zero in the 2017 cycle. The Longhorns still have room to sign seven or eight more prospects in February, meaning a first top-three class since 2012 is a strong bet.

Dan Mullen: From a perception standpoint, the new Gators coach was a big winner. He won a recruiting battle for a coveted QB, an achievement his predecessors were criticized for lacking. And he landed ESPN 300 quarterback Emory Jones by beating Ohio State and rival Florida State. It hasn't been the easiest first few weeks for Mullen, but getting a QB, and one who will fit his offense perfectly, makes for a good week.

Big 12: The Big 12 endured a miserable signing day in February, signing only 27 ESPN 300 prospects in the Class of 2017. From a perception standpoint, it looked like the best players from Texas, the Big 12's chief recruiting ground, were often looking to other leagues.

On Wednesday alone, the conference signed 33 ESPN 300 prospects and it has five more ESPN 300s committed who will likely sign. Add in eight to 10 more possibilities among the remaining uncommitted ESPN 300s and this February could witness a record performance by the conference. This week was also big because the Big 12's flagship teams are rolling. Texas (see above) and Oklahoma will both finish with top-10 classes and, overall, six teams are ranked in the top 40 of the class rankings.

THE LOSERS

Both sides of the Jimbo Fisher move: Transition classes are never easy and Fisher's old team (Florida State) and new team (Texas A&M) are struggling because of him. The early signing period only compounded that. Florida State moved quickly to replace Fisher with Willie Taggart, but both coaches are still trying to finish hiring staffs while watching waves of decommitments and fielding more questions about their programs.

Notably, FSU lost Jones to Florida and saw ESPN 300 linebacker Rosendo Louis flip to South Carolina. A&M has gotten signatures from only seven of its 15 commitments and lost ESPN 300 defensive lineman Bobby Brown Wednesday.

Pac-12: Prospects on the West Coast have not been as early to commit as those in the rest of the country. That means an early signing period could present even more issues for Pac-12 schools recruiting in a region that has traditionally seen announcements in January and on signing day. Only Oregon and Washington show up in the top 25 of the current class rankings, after five Pac-12 programs signed top-25 classes in February. It was a down week for the conference as only 24 prospects signed with Pac-12 programs, but it also means that signing day could be huge for the conference, with more than a dozen ESPN 300 prospects still in play.
 

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