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3 years ago

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7:55 PM ET

  • ESPN staff

National signing day is here, with college football‘s early signing period kicking off Wednesday and lasting through Friday. High school recruits are able to sign their national letters of intent to lock them into the colleges of their choice.

The buildup to the start of the early signing period saw two five-star recruits in the 2023 ESPN 300 flip their commitments. Quarterback Dante Moore discarded Oregon in favor of UCLA on Monday, while offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor spurned Iowa for Alabama on Tuesday.

Day 1 of the early signing period brought chaos, from Alabama landing two five-star defenders from the same high school to a five-star safety decommitting from Notre Dame and instead signing with Oregon. The Ducks made a massive leap up the rankings, while other teams, in turn, plummeted. Meanwhile, Deion Sanders and Colorado jumped into the top 50 recruiting rankings.

This is the sixth year in which the NCAA has held an early signing period for college football recruits, and it has become the dominant session, with most schools securing the majority of their class during this stretch. But recruiting is far from over; if a prospect doesn’t sign a national letter of intent this week, the next national signing day for this cycle begins Feb. 1, 2023.

We tracked the latest news, analysis, class rankings movement and more throughout Wednesday.

coverage:
Updated class rankings: Top 75 schools
Biggest winners, question marks of the day

Oregon started the day ranked 14th, but the Ducks have been incredibly active, flipping five-star safety Peyton Bowen from Notre Dame and four-star quarterback Austin Novosad from Baylor, among others, skyrocketing all the way into the top five.

While Alabama strengthened its hold on the No. 1 spot, SEC foes Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Auburn also climbed the rankings. View the full top 75 here.

Lane train

Maryland flipped four-star edge rusher Neeo Avery from Ole Miss earlier Wednesday. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin had something to say about it, of course, replying to a tweet from Terps running backs coach Elijah Brooks:

Deion Sanders’ first signing day at Colorado

Sanders’ first recruiting class at Colorado includes two 2023 ESPN 300 recruits, the Buffaloes’ first ESPN 300 signees since 2020, but it was a commitment from a transfer quarterback that was the biggest news of Sanders’ day. His son, Shedeur Sanders, officially announced Wednesday his move to follow his father to Colorado. Read the full story.

Oregon lands RB flip

Four-star RB Jayden Limar (Lake Stevens, Washington) flipped his commitment from Notre Dame to Oregon. He had previously committed to Notre Dame in May.

The best recruits still available

Most of the ESPN 300 have already committed, but there are still several top recruits available. Here are the best players still available.

1. Desmond Ricks, CB (No. 17)

2. Nyckoles Harbor, ATH (No. 35)

3. Duce Robinson, TE-H (No. 36)

4. Rodrick Pleasant, CB (No. 99)

5. Walker Lyons, TE-Y (No. 118)

6. Mikal Harrison-Pilot, ATH (No. 125)

7. Cameron Lenhardt, DE (No. 144)

8. Ethan Nation, CB (No. 169)

9. Andrew Harris, ILB (No. 199)

10. Jelani McDonald, ATH (No. 237)

Arizona gets a four-star flip

Four-star athlete Carlos Wilson (Sacramento, California/Inderkum) flipped his commitment from Utah to Arizona. He primarily played wide receiver in high school but can play both sides of the ball.

Michigan adds four-star cornerback to class

Four-star cornerback Jyaire Hill has committed to Michigan. The No. 239 recruit becomes the Wolverines’ sixth ESPN 300 commit in the class. Hill had offers from Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Illinois and Washington.

Texas lands 12th ESPN 300 commit

Tausili Akana has committed to the Longhorns. The Lehi, Utah, product is ranked No. 113 in the ESPN 300 and is the No. 9 outside linebacker overall. Akana received offers from Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Louisville and Alabama, among others.

Georgia adds five-star DE

Damon Wilson signed with Georgia on Wednesday. The defensive end is ranked No. 31 in the ESPN 300 and is the third overall at his position. He had 82 total tackles and eight sacks this season for Venice High School in Florida. He had offers from Alabama and Ohio State, among several others.

Caleb Presley, a cornerback out of Seattle, flipped his commitment from Oregon to Washington. He is the No. 221 recruit in the ESPN 300 and held offers from Alabama, Michigan and USC, among others.

Damari Brown, the No. 112 recruit in the ESPN 300, signed with Miami. The cornerback out of Plantation, Florida, had offers from several high-profile schools, including Alabama, Clemson and Michigan. His older brother, CB Davonte Brown, recently announced his transfer from UCF to Miami.

Alabama adds two five-star teammates

Linebacker Jaquavious Russaw — the No. 7 recruit in the ESPN 300 — and teammate James Smith — a defensive lineman who is the No. 11 recruit in the ESPN 300 — have committed to Alabama. The Crimson Tide have 20 ESPN 300 recruits in the class.

Texas A&M lands four-star wide receiver

Micah Tease, the No. 256 recruit in the ESPN 300, has committed to Texas A&M. The Tulsa, Oklahoma, product decommitted from Arkansas on Dec. 19.

The Aggies now have eight ESPN 300 commits.

Maryland adds four-star defensive end

Four-star defensive end Neeo Avery, who is No. 174 in the ESPN 300, is staying in his home state. A product of Olney, Maryland, he signed to play with the Terrapins after decommitting from Ole Miss.

Who’s winning (and who isn’t) on signing day?

How can a team that lost a five-star quarterback commit be considered a signing day winner? How can a team that currently is in the top 10 (and leads its conference) not be? We analyze the teams that are crushing the early signing period and those that aren’t. Read our analysis here.

Deion Sanders adds wideout to Colorado‘s roster

ESPN 300 wide receiver Adam Hopkins is joining Sanders and the Buffaloes. Hopkins, out of Georgia, is the second ESPN 300 commit in Colorado’s class so far. He had committed to Auburn in the fall but decommitted earlier this month.

ESPN 300 cornerback Kayin Lee flipped his commitment from Ohio State to Auburn on Wednesday. Lee is the the No. 184 recruit overall and held offers from several high-profile schools, including Oregon, Notre Dame and Georgia.

Oregon is on a roll

A good day for the Ducks got even better with the additions of defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei, the No. 65 prospect in the ESPN 300, and cornerback Daylen Austin, the No. 142 prospect.

Uiagalelei is the brother of former Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, who is in the transfer portal. Austin was previously committed to LSU. Oregon flipped five-star safety Peyton Bowen earlier in the day. It now has 13 ESPN 300 recruits and is moving up the class rankings.

The Bulldogs landed ESPN 300 recruit Isaac Smith, who is ranked 107th overall and is the No. 9 safety. Smith is their second ESPN 300 commitment after quarterback Chris Parson.

Auburn closing strong with big addition

The Tigers flipped ESPN 300 defensive end Keldric Faulk from Florida State. New coach Hugh Freeze has four ESPN 300 commits.

Buckeyes add to 2023 haul

ESPN 300 defensive end Joshua Mickens committed to Ohio State on Wednesday. Mickens gives the Buckeyes 13 ESPN 300 commits and 16 four-star recruits in the class.

Another big flip for Oregon

Five-star safety Peyton Bowen announced he is flipping his commitment from Notre Dame to Oregon. The No. 15 overall recruit in the ESPN 300 is a huge get for the Ducks.

Nebraska is reeling in top prospects

ESPN 300 athlete Malachi Coleman has committed to Nebraska. He’s the second ESPN 300 commit for Matt Rhule and his staff.

No. 1 recruit officially headed to USC

It’s not a surprise that quarterback Malachi Nelson, the top-ranked recruit in the country, is headed to USC, but the Trojans made it official with style:

Deion signs first big recruit at Colorado

Four-star Dylan Edwards signed to Colorado, giving coach Deion Sanders his first big name this recruiting cycle. The running back out of Kansas is ranked No. 156 in the ESPN 300 .

Michigan lands top-100 WR

Michigan has won on the field by reaching the College Football Playoff for the second straight season. The Wolverines are winning in the transfer portal by landing several impact contributors for next year. And they are winning on the recruiting trail as well.

Coach Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines landed Karmello English, a wide receiver ranked No. 82 in the ESPN 300, on Wednesday. Michigan entered the day ranked No. 21 in the class rankings.

UCF adds flip from Florida

ESPN 300 defensive end Isaiah Nixon announced he won’t be a Florida Gator after all, but he’s not going far as he flipped to UCF.

Still committed … but not signed yet

Despite holding a commitment to Miami, five-star cornerback Cormani McClain will not sign his national letter of intent on Wednesday, according to his mother, Tikisha White. The No. 1-ranked corner has been committed to the Hurricanes since June, and while he won’t sign on Wednesday, there is no update as to whether he will sign in this early period or wait until February.

Arch Manning, nation’s No. 2 recruit, officially signs with Texas

Manning — nephew of Eli and Peyton Manning, grandson of Archie Manning, and son of former Ole Miss wide receiver Cooper Manning — is officially a Longhorn. He committed to Texas in June.

Manning is one of 11 ESPN 300 commits for Texas, which has the No. 7-ranked class in the country. Manning was a four-year starter at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, throwing for 8,599 yards and 115 touchdowns with 20 interceptions while rushing for 1,155 yards and 25 scores. He broke Eli’s school record for school passing yards (7,268) and Peyton’s for TDs (93).

Utah State lands ESPN 300 recruit

Four star OT Taliafi Taala, ranked No. 203 in the ESPN 300, is staying local as he committed to the Aggies.

Georgia pushing for No. 1 class

Not only is Georgia seeking its seventh consecutive top-three class but the Bulldogs, who enter signing day at No. 2, trailing only Alabama, are aiming for the top spot.

On Wednesday, Kirby Smart’s loaded defense got stronger with the addition of ESPN 300 cornerback Daniel Harris, who is ranked No. 157 overall.

Oregon flips a top QB recruit

Two days after the Ducks lost a pledge from No. 3 prospect Dante Moore, who is headed to UCLA, they flipped an ESPN 300 quarterback of their own, landing Austin Novosad, a four-star signal-caller who had previously been committed to Baylor.

Novosad is Oregon’s 10th ESPN 300 commit for the 2023 class.

Announcements to watch: Today’s schedule

Our “College Football Live: Signing Day Special” will air from 2-5 p.m. ET on ESPN2, featuring analysis from our insiders and scouts, as well as announcements from some of the top recruits in the country. Here’s who will be announcing their commitments later today:

Longhorn Network kicks off signing day coverage with a “Texas Football National Signing Day” special from 8-10:30 a.m. ET.

SEC Network will air hourly updates beginning at 9 a.m. ET and host a three-hour “SEC Now: Signing Day Special” at noon.

ACC Network will host “ACC Huddle: Signing Day Special” from 3-6:30 p.m.

Schools with clever announcements

Clemson, Ole Miss and Syracuse were among the teams that took different routes in announcing the players they signed.

Two five-star recruits make seismic flips

Right before the early signing period, two top-10 recruits decided to flip their commitments. On Monday, quarterback Dante Moore, ranked No. 3 in the class, decommitted from Oregon and announced his commitment to UCLA.

The next day, offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, the No. 10 recruit overall, flipped from in-state Iowa to join Alabama.

What will happen Wednesday?

Who are the best prospects this cycle?

Each recruiting cycle, the best recruits in the country are ranked in the ESPN 300. Entering signing day, 270 of the top 300 prospects this cycle are committed. including nine of the top 10 recruits.

The top 10 goes as follows:

  1. Malachi Nelson, QB (USC)

  2. Arch Manning, QB (Texas)

  3. Dante Moore, QB (UCLA)

  4. Cormani McClain, CB (Miami)

  5. Francis Mauigoa, OT (Miami)

  6. Zachariah Branch, WR (USC)

  7. Jaquavious Russaw, OLB (uncommitted)

  8. Jackson Arnold, QB (Oklahoma)

  9. Peter Woods, DT (Clemson)

  10. Kadyn Proctor, OT (Alabama)

See the full ESPN 300 rankings here »

Breaking down the 2023 recruiting cycle

We broke down the 2023 recruiting cycle in many different ways. We analyzed the strengths of the recruits who are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 at each position.

Craig Haubert and Tom Luginbill also went pick-by-pick in trying to draft the best all-22 team of 2023 recruits. See who got picked and vote which team is better.

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Canadiens handle Bruins in Original 6 fight fest

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8 hours ago

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December 24, 2025

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Canadiens handle Bruins in Original 6 fight fest

  • Associated Press

Dec 23, 2025, 10:03 PM ET

BOSTON — The Boston Bruins put up a pretty good fight against the rival Montreal Canadiens — for one period.

Boston’s Tanner Jeannot and Montreal’s Josh Anderson dropped the gloves at the opening faceoff of Tuesday night’s game. Another first-period fight helped set the tone for the Bruins, who had beaten Montreal in eight of the previous 10 meetings.

But after falling behind 2-1, the Canadiens scored five straight goals — four of them in a five-minute span in the third period — to win 6-2 and put some distance between the two Original Six teams who are jockeying for position in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Bruins lost the past four games on their homestand after winning five of their previous six. They have three days off before heading to a five-game road trip.

“We all recognized it was the last game before break — against the Habs, at the Garden,”Bruins forward Alex Steeves said. “We were down early, but we bounced back. Energy was good. And then it just got away from us.”

Five weeks after starting a fight from the opening faceoff in Montreal, the teams did it again. Jeannot, who has 53 goals and 435 penalty minutes in his career, and Anderson, who has 154 goals and 582 penalty minutes, fought for about a minute while teammates on both benches banged their sticks against the boards in approval.

The Bruins forward landed several blows before his Canadiens counterpart went to the ice, drawing a big roar and a chant of “U-S-A!” from the TD Garden crowd. Midway through the first period, it happened again, with Boston’s Nikita Zadorov and Montreal’s Arber Xhekaj dropping their gloves off a faceoff in the Bruins’ end.

“It had everything to me: Guys winning fights; guys laying their body on the [line],” Bruins forward David Pastrnak said. “It’s easy to get into the game when you have guys like this.”

In all, there were nine penalties for 30 minutes in the first, with Boston taking a 2-1 lead on Steeves’ power-play goal with 18 seconds left in the period.

“It gives the whole building energy — not just us players,” Steeves said. “Some guys on the bench just said it was the loudest we’ve heard the building. So it’s awesome. Those guys lay their bodies on the line every night. It’s up to us as a team to galvanize around that and really use that.”

But the penalties in the third were costly, with the Canadiens twice capitalizing on 5-on-3 advantages to pull away. Montreal ended the night with 45 points, four more than Boston and good for third in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins are currently out of playoff position.

“I still can’t believe that the game actually ended 2-6,” Bruins coach Marco Sturm said. “Even after the first period, guys came ready to play today. They were very excited.”

The Bruins had won eight of the past 10 matchups between the teams, including a 3-2 win in Montreal on Nov. 15. That game also featured several scuffles, including a fight at the opening faceoff. But the bigger problem for the Bruins had nothing to do with the fisticuffs: Star defenseman Charlie McAvoy was hit in the face by a slap shot, which could make him miss almost a month.

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ECHL players on verge of strike with CBA impasse

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11 hours ago

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December 24, 2025

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ECHL players on verge of strike with CBA impasse

  • Associated Press

Dec 23, 2025, 02:50 PM ET

Members of the Professional Hockey Players’ Association are on the verge of staging a strike in the ECHL if the union and the league cannot come to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement.

The PHPA announced Monday that its ECHL membership has served a strike notice that would be effective Friday, when play is scheduled to resume following the holiday break. Players voted Friday to authorize their bargaining committee to call for a strike, executive director Brian Ramsay said Monday.

“Our members have made it very clear that they’ve had enough,” Ramsay said on a video call with reporters. “Unfortunately, this is a league that would rather bully us than bargain.”

The sides appeared no closer to a resolution Tuesday based on an update from Ramsay, even after he said the PHPA offered the option of reaching a settlement through mediation or arbitration.

“The ECHL responded within minutes, rejecting any interest in this solution and demanding ‘significant movement’ and concessions from the players,” Ramsay said in a released statement. “This approach continues to align with the increased threats our membership has faced over the past 18 hours.”

CBA talks began in January, with Ramsay accusing the league of unfair bargaining practices, including most recently contacting players directly with proposals, which have been reported to the National Labor Relations Board.

“This is a league that has taken almost a year to concede that we should be entitled to choose helmets that properly fit us and are safe,” Ramsay said. “This is the league that still supplies our members with used equipment. This is a league that shows no concern for players’ travels and in fact has said the nine-hour bus trip home should be considered your day off. We have had members this year spend 28 hours-plus on a bus to play back-to-back games on a Friday and Saturday night, only to be paid less than the referees who work those very same games.”

The ECHL posted details of its latest proposal on its website Monday, saying it calls to raise the salary cap 16.4% this season, with retroactive pay upon ratification, and increases in total player salaries in future years to pay players nearly 27% more than the current cap. The league said it has also offered larger per diems, mandatory day-off requirements and a 325-mile limit for travel between back-to-back games.

“Our approach will continue to balance the need to best support our players and maintain a sustainable business model that helps ensure the long-term success of our league so it remains affordable and accessible to fans,” the ECHL said, adding that the average ticket price is $21. “Negotiations have been progressing but not as quickly as we would like.

“We have reached a number of tentative agreements and remain focused on reaching a comprehensive new agreement that supports our players and the long-term health of every team in our league.”

Taking issue with the ECHL’s offer numbers, Ramsay said inflation would have players making less than the equivalent amount in 2018, prior to the pandemic. The league said a work stoppage would result in some games being postponed and players not being paid and losing housing and medical benefits that it pays for.

Ramsay called threats of players losing their housing if there’s a strike an unfair labor practice in itself.

“Consistently in the last six or eight weeks, teams trying to intimidate and bully our members, threaten our members with their jobs, with their housing, with their work visas if they’re from out of country — different tactics like that,” Ramsay said.

Jimmy Mazza, who played several seasons in the ECHL and is now on the negotiating committee, argued that owners do not know what it’s like to travel 29 hours in a bus or to be given a used helmet.

“The top level, you know that those players aren’t being treated that way, so why are they treating us that way?” Mazza said. “To us, it’s a little bit of a slap in the face with the way these negotiations have gone for a year, when only five days ago, we get a little bit of movement on a helmet issue when it should have been done a year ago.”

The ECHL, formerly known as the East Coast Hockey League and now going just by the acronym, is a North American developmental league that is two levels below the NHL, with the American Hockey League in between. There are 30 teams, 29 of which are in the U.S. and one in Canada in Trois-Rivières, Quebec.

The AHL and PHPA have been working under the terms of their most recent CBA, which expired Aug. 31. An AHL spokesperson said the sides are very close to a new agreement.

The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association earlier this year ratified a deal that ensures labor peace through 2030.

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Treliving backs Berube, Maple Leafs end skid at 3

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11 hours ago

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December 24, 2025

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Treliving backs Berube, Maple Leafs end skid at 3

  • ESPN News Services

Dec 23, 2025, 09:16 PM ET

TORONTO — Max Domi scored the winner with 8:25 remaining to snap a 23-game goalless streak and added an assist to end the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ three-game slide with a 6-3 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.

Domi danced around Pittsburgh newcomer Brett Kulak for the deciding goal, a few hours after Toronto general manager Brad Treliving gave coach Craig Berube a vote of confidence for the second time this season.

“I support Craig fully. When you go through rough stretches, that’s part of the business,” he said. “There isn’t a disconnect. We all need to be better, we all recognize that, but I think we got a really good coach.”

Treliving spoke a day after the club fired assistant coach Marc Savard following two losses in two days over the weekend.

“The players have responsibility and this doesn’t absolve anybody. This is not we throw somebody out and blame that person,” he said. “It’s a change that we could make to change the dynamic, change maybe a little bit of the play.”

William Nylander scored twice and added two assists, and Matias Maccelli and Steven Lorentz also scored for Toronto. Bobby McMann added an empty-netter to give Toronto its third win this season against the Penguins.

Bryan Rust, Rutger McGroarty and Anthony Mantha scored for the Penguins, who have lost nine of their last 10.

Nylander scored the icebreaker for his first in 11 games, midway through the first period. But Rust drew the Penguins even 44 seconds later, getting behind Nicolas Roy and Chris Tanev for a successful breakaway.

Tanev returned after a 23-game absence. He was stretchered off the ice after a collision on Nov. 1 in Philadelphia.

Toronto fired 31 shots on goal while the Penguins registered 32, with Joseph Woll picking up his sixth win in 11 starts. Pittsburgh goalie Stuart Skinner has yet to win in three starts, with 12 goals against since being traded by the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 15.

Savard steered the Maple Leafs to the NHL’s worst power play (12 for 90 with four short-handed goals against), and on Tuesday, Toronto went 0 for 2 against Pittsburgh. Assistant coach Derek Lalonde has been tasked with fixing the team’s power-play struggles.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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