The first day of college football's early signing period came and passed with drama, chaos and a ton of suspense as Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia and Texas were battling for the No. 1 class.
Deion Sanders made a big splash with one of the biggest flips in recruiting history, and a ton of top prospects made commitments throughout the day.
This was as wild a signing day as ever. Some programs were on the winning end of that chaos. Others were not and, largely due to the coaching carousel, a few programs weren't successful in adding to their rosters Wednesday.
Here is a look at the programs and coaches that won the early signing period and the schools that missed out.
Winners
The Aggies landed four ESPN 300 commitments on Wednesday and moved up to take over as the No. 1 class. Coach Jimbo Fisher and his staff got commitments from ESPN 300 defensive linemen Enai White and Anthony Lucas, ESPN 300 offensive lineman Kam Dewberry and ESPN 300 tight end Jake Johnson.
The staff was also able to hold on to the No. 1 recruit overall, defensive tackle Walter Nolen, who was being targeted by Tennessee. Fisher still has some big names on the board who are announcing after the first day and could further secure Texas A&M's position as the No. 1 class.
The Crimson Tide are always at or near the No. 1 class, and this 2022 cycle is no different. Alabama added five-star wide receiver Shazz Preston, the No. 14 prospect overall.
Nick Saban also got commitments from ESPN 300 defensive lineman Khurtiss Perry, who had been considering Auburn, as well as linebacker Jihaad Campbell, who was committed to Clemson but decommitted once defensive coordinator Brent Venables left for Oklahoma. The staff also added ESPN 300 defensive back Earl Little Jr.
Alabama now has 19 ESPN 300 commitments, three of whom are five-stars and 11 of whom are ranked in the top 100. The staff still has the chance to add more to the class in January and February, but the Crimson Tide already have a ton of talented prospects committed.
You read that right. Jackson State makes the list because coach Deion Sanders was able to flip five-star corner Travis Hunter from Florida State. It's the first time an FCS program has signed a five-star since ESPN started its rankings in 2006, and it also moved Jackson State into the top 50 of the class rankings.
This was a historic signing for Sanders and Hunter, and the commitment could have a lingering impact on the recruiting landscape as a whole.
The Longhorns have been steadily moving up the class rankings over the past few weeks and helped their case even further on Wednesday. Steve Sarkisian and his staff climbed to No. 4 in the class rankings with the help of several flipped commitments.
ESPN 300 defensive back Terrance Brooks flipped to Texas from Ohio State on Wednesday, as did four-star athlete Xavion Brice, who flipped from Oklahoma. The Longhorns' staff was also able to flip three-star defensive end Ethan Burke from Michigan.
Sarkisian had already gotten commitments from ESPN 300 offensive linemen Kelvin Banks and Cameron Williams prior to Wednesday, and also got quarterback transfer Quinn Ewers, who left Ohio State to join the Texas program. This was a much-needed class for Sarkisian as he tries to build a foundation and add talent to the roster.
The Wolverines are riding a wave of momentum from their win against Ohio State and their victory in the Big Ten championship game against Iowa. The outlook of the Michigan program has completely changed from last season to this season, and that showed on Wednesday.
Michigan added a commitment from ESPN 300 defensive end Derrick Moore, the No. 23 recruit overall, who decommitted from Oklahoma when Lincoln Riley left for USC. Jim Harbaugh and his staff were also able to secure a commitment from ESPN 300 safety Keon Sabb, who decommitted from Clemson when defensive coordinator Brent Venables took the Oklahoma head-coaching job.
Michigan also flipped ESPN 300 quarterback Alex Orji from Virginia Tech and got commitments from ESPN 300 wide receiver Darrius Clemons and four-star receiver Amorion Walker. Michigan was able to move up into the top 10.
Coach Bryan Harsin and his staff put in a lot of work to build relationships and establish a good foundation in this recruiting cycle. Their efforts paid off as they pulled in quite a few recruits on Wednesday.
The coaches landed ESPN 300 linebacker Robert Woodyard, who had been committed to Alabama. Auburn also got a commitment from ESPN JC50 corner Keionte Scott, the No. 4 junior college recruit. The coaches also brought in three-star wide receiver Camden Brown.
Prior to Wednesday, Auburn flipped ESPN 300 corner JaDarian Rhym from LSU, and the staff also added ESPN 300 corner Austin Ausberry and defensive tackle Enyce Sledge. The Tigers also hung on to running back Damari Alston, who had been targeted by other programs.
Teams that missed out
The Gators are on the list mainly because the staff finished with 10 total commitments in the class on Wednesday. That's not new coach Billy Napier's fault, and he's not going to be judged for it, but the program has a small group as of now.
Napier deserves credit for landing five-star safety Kamari Wilson, who many thought was headed to Georgia. The new coach also won't fill the class with prospects just to fill it up. Napier has been strategic in recruiting in the past, and he will likely do the same here.
That said, Florida lost 11 commitments since October, which is an indictment of the previous staff and put Napier and the new coaches in a bind for this early signing period. Napier didn't have enough time to correct that, and because of the departures and lack of time, the Gators land in the "missed out" category.
There was a lot of excitement around Lincoln Riley's arrival at USC, especially among Southern California recruits. Riley landed in a similar situation to Napier's, however, and won't be judged on this class because of the circumstances he inherited.
After Wednesday, USC has only seven total commitments. Riley brought in ESPN 300 running back Raleek Brown and ESPN 300 safety Zion Branch after he was hired, but hasn't had much time to add much else. The Trojans are in on the recruitment of five-star corner Domani Jackson, who announces on Friday and very well could pick USC.
Adding Jackson would help tremendously, but it doesn't erase the fact that the program has only seven commitments at this stage in the cycle. Riley has built up a ton of momentum in the 2023 class, so there is no reason to panic, but the Trojans' class is currently ranked outside the top 50.
While the Seminoles added ESPN 300 safety Azareyeh Thomas, the coaches lost five-star corner Travis Hunter. His historic decommitment and flip to Jackson State wasn't exactly what coach Mike Norvell needed in what was looking like a promising class.
The coaches also missed on legacy recruit ESPN 300 linebacker Marvin Jones Jr. There are 16 total commits in the class, five of whom are ranked in the ESPN 300, with the class sitting at No. 20 in the rankings.
The Ducks lost eight commitments in the 15 days leading up to signing day, as head coach Mario Cristobal left to take the coaching job at Miami.
Some big names left the class, including ESPN 300 offensive linemen Kelvin Banks and Cameron Williams, ESPN 300 quarterback Tanner Bailey and a handful of other recruits who would've helped Oregon.
On top of that, ESPN 300 wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan will wait to sign his national letter of intent and is now considering Arizona. Only seven of the 12 total commitments ended up signing on Wednesday, leaving the rest in flux.
This is not new coach Dan Lanning's fault, as he is subject to the circumstances, similar to Riley and Napier. It is a setback, however, and is not how Oregon has been finishing over the past few years.
The coaching change disrupted all of that and has put the Ducks, who once sat in the top 10, at No. 21.
The Tigers are finishing with the No. 14-ranked class and 12 total commitments. Clemson lost commitments from ESPN 300 defensive back Keon Sabb, ESPN 300 linebacker Jihaad Campbell and ESPN 300 defensive back Daylen Everette after Brent Venables left for Oklahoma, and didn't replace them with anyone on Wednesday.
Signing ESPN 300 quarterback Cade Klubnik will add quarterback depth and competition, but as far as fanfare, given what has happened in the past few weeks, there wasn't much of it.