OTF Premium It's National Signing Day ... A Sign of a Changing Times (Wednesday AM)

[CJ Vogel]

It's National Signing Day

***

What once was a revered holiday across the country for college football fans alike, has become just another Wednesday morning in February.

The changing in the college football landscape has taken away the significance of the February signing period, often leaving teams with just a couple of outstanding national letter of intents, rather than a full class.

In a way it's a shame. I remember reading the Dallas Morning News with my dad growing up on Thursday and Friday of each first week in February waiting to see how the classes shook up. The DMN would have their own top 50 prospects in the area, and comparing how many were signed with each school in the state was something that I to this day remember doing each year.

To be honest, that was really my introduction to the world of recruiting. It was a blast. The whole week was.

But things change.

College football still does, almost by the hour.

Texas signed one prospect in the February window – 2026 St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy DL Elijah Ali (Downey, Calif.). 

In fact, 22 members of the 2026 class are already on campus enjoying their first semester as student-athletes at Texas. Ali will join Nicolas Robertson as the only two members of the 2026 class to move-in during the summer.

With the excitement and importance of the transfer portal in today's game, I hope the enjoyment shared over celebrating a faxed NLI doesn't disappear. High school recruiting will always matter, even when it doesn't feel like it.

“You can win a battle with mercenaries. You win a war with people who believed in the mission from day one.”

-

With that said, Texas has officially received the NLI of Ali. 

He becomes the 24th Longhorn in the class of 2026 and will join the team in the summer. 

[CJ Vogel]

 

[Sarah O]

 

[Ace Recruiter]

2 hours ago, CJ Vogel said:

It's National Signing Day

***

What once was a revered holiday across the country for college football fans alike, has become just another Wednesday morning in February.

The changing in the college football landscape has taken away the significance of the February signing period, often leaving teams with just a couple of outstanding national letter of intents, rather than a full class.

In a way it's a shame. I remember reading the Dallas Morning News with my dad growing up on Thursday and Friday of each first week in February waiting to see how the classes shook up. The DMN would have their own top 50 prospects in the area, and comparing how many were signed with each school in the state was something that I to this day remember doing each year.

To be honest, that was really my introduction to the world of recruiting. It was a blast. The whole week was.

But things change.

College football still does, almost by the hour.

Texas signed one prospect in the February window – 2026 St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy DL Elijah Ali (Downey, Calif.). 

In fact, 22 members of the 2026 class are already on campus enjoying their first semester as student-athletes at Texas. Ali will join Nicolas Robertson as the only two members of the 2026 class to move-in during the summer.

With the excitement and importance of the transfer portal in today's game, I hope the enjoyment shared over celebrating a faxed NLI doesn't disappear. High school recruiting will always matter, even when it doesn't feel like it.

“You can win a battle with mercenaries. You win a war with people who believed in the mission from day one.”

-

With that said, Texas has officially received the NLI of Ali. 

He becomes the 24th Longhorn in the class of 2026 and will join the team in the summer. 

Times are changing for sure. I used to either work from home or take the day off on NSD and watch the "experts" rank the classes, etc.

Nowadays it's even hard to get too excited about the December signees as a high percentage of them are unlikely to finish out their days as Longhorns.

Thanks for the update CJ 🤘

[CJ Vogel]

1 hour ago, Sarah O said:

 

Good young man. 

[CJ Vogel]

9 minutes ago, Ace Recruiter said:

Times are changing for sure. I used to either work from home or take the day off on NSD and watch the "experts" rank the classes, etc.

Nowadays it's even hard to get too excited about the December signees as a high percentage of them are unlikely to finish out their days as Longhorns.

Thanks for the update CJ 🤘

There are plenty of good things about college football right now. 

I just miss how fun NSD was to follow

[Lnghrn]

I used to buy Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle and Austin Am Statesman the day after signing day to get a view from across the state.  I remember when newspapers actually broke commitment news.  The days of calling Jerry Scarborough 1-900 number and the NRA (national recruiting advisor) for recruiting info are way behind us.  

[jkates]

Dylan Berymon - http://on3.com/rivals/dylan-berymon-238624/ - committed to Nebraska today. 

[Alex Butler]

40 minutes ago, jkates said:

Dylan Berymon - http://on3.com/rivals/dylan-berymon-238624/ - committed to Nebraska today. 

Saw this, his options dwindled quickly after he decommitted from us. Might do well with Rhule.

[Hix Green made the Catch]

5 minutes ago, Alex Butler said:

Saw this, his options dwindled quickly after he decommitted from us. Might do well with Rhule.

Sorry, but I missed why he decommitted...would anyone enlighten me?  Thank you.