National Signing Day 2023: South Carolina, Arizona State among winners as Pac-12 powers miss on key targets

The traditional National Signing Day headlined the college football calendar on Wednesday as some of the top uncommitted prospects in the 2023 recruiting cycle confirmed their destinations. While the heavy lifting largely took place in December when the early signing period opened, there were still a couple programs who had every reason to celebrate on Wednesday and a couple that were left wanting more. 

Two upstart teams with fiery young head coaches in the SEC and Pac-12 were among those making the biggest splashes during the traditional National Signing Day, while two powerhouse programs from out west had uneven results as they targeted some of the top prospects available to help push them over the hump come the 2023 college football season. 

Let’s have a look now and the biggest winners and losers from the traditional National Signing Day for the 2023 college football recruiting cycle. 

Winners

Alabama & Georgia: The two teams who have won the last three national titles remained atop the rankings with most of their prospects having already enrolled on campus in early January. The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs were able to merely sit back and celebrate the finality of the cycle — especially Alabama, who signed the third-highest rated class in 247Sports history.

South Carolina: Shane Beamer had some big wins in Year 2, but none were bigger than the one on National Signing Day when Nyckoles Harbor, perhaps the biggest signee for the Gamecocks since Jadeveon Clowney in 2011, announced his commitment. The five-star athlete inked with Beamer amid a late push from Oregon as well heavy interest from Michigan and Maryland.

Arizona State: The long and winding roller coaster ride that was Jaden Rashada’s recruitment came full circle as the former Florida signee announced he would play for Arizona State. Rashada immediately becomes the signature recruit for first-year head coach Kenny Dillingham as he heads to play for his father Harlen’s alma mater. 

Colorado: Sure, the Buffaloes were confident that five-star cornerback Cormani McClain was heading to Boulder, but remember, Miami believed it had him locked in before he abruptly opted not to sign with the Hurricanes on the day the early signing period opened. So when Deion Sanders and Colorado got the NLI from McClain, fears of history repeating itself were put to rest. 

Mississippi State: There was a dark cloud cast over…