The class of 2024 will conclude formally on February 8, the traditional National Signing Day, when the final college plans of the few seniors who did not sign during the three-day Early Signing Period back in December are finalised.
In addition to paying close attention to the transfer portal and making all the right moves at the conclusion of the cycle, college football programmes have also been heavily investing in the class of 2025. Additionally, there has been a lot of movement involving several of the best juniors in the country.
Five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood of Belleville, Michigan, is ranked as the top recruit by 247Sports, and he has committed to LSU. The top receiver and fifth overall pick, Dakorien Moore of Duncanville (Texas) High, has also done so. They both hope to wrap up their exceptional prep careers before starting their next chapter in Baton Rouge. They have both won two state championships. Having said that, Texas and Oregon are making every effort to persuade Moore to reconsider.
Five-star quarterback George MacIntyre of Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy, ranked No. 9 overall and ranked No. 247Sports, decided to stay home and play for Tennessee. Elite players Devin Sanchez, a cornerback ranked first, and Tavien St. Clair, a quarterback ranked third, have both committed early to Ohio State.
In today’s Blue-Chip Buzz we look at some of these guys peers and where things stand with the biggest names in 2025.
Jeff Hafley jumping to NFL shows college football’s untenable situation is frustrating coaches
The sport’s top two coaches have stepped down, and Boston College’s Jeff Hafley made the move to the NFL on Wednesday. These developments, which are a reflection of the frustrating norms associated with the never-ending grind that NIL and the transfer portal have only compounded, have left college football players recovering from two black eyes and an uppercut to the chin in recent weeks.
Nick Saban, the all-time greatest college football coach, announced last month that he was tired and that it was time for him to retire from Alabama. This came after Saban won 11 SEC titles and made eight trips to the College Football Playoffs. Jim Harbaugh of Michigan asked for an immunity clause and stated that his desire to win a Super Bowl was the main reason he left the Wolverines for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Both Hafley and Harbaugh have extensive experience coaching in the NFL, so they are aware that these changes will probably allow them more time off the field during the “offseason”—more time to spend with players and donors, manage their rosters and avoid worrying about player retention, and have value discussions with athletes.
College football as it exists now is unsustainable for long-term coaching. In the transfer portal age, managing a roster is nearly hard, as some programme leaders have acknowledged in public statements.
