National Signing Day Awards

Every big decision on National Signing Day brings its own ups and downs depending on whether your team added or lost a top prospect. But of course, some developments loom larger than others. Let's hand out some awards to the day's biggest news-makers.

Biggest Flip

Drew Richmond gave Butch Jones and Tennessee a nice boost on National Signing Day.

Five-star offensive tackle Drew Richmond had been one of the top targets for Butch Jones since he arrived at Tennessee in December of 2013, and the talented prospect officially visited the Volunteers on the final weekend before National Signing Day. Richmond then de-committed from Ole Miss and completed his flip Wednesday. In the process, Tennessee locked up the top in-state player. The 6-foot-5, 323-pound Richmond should be a candidate for immediate playing time, especially since he's a player at a position of need. During his on-campus press conference, Jones said Richmond's choice to join "completed the class."

Best Drama

It wouldn't have been National Signing Day without a bit of extra buildup from the No. 1 overall prospect, Seffner (Fla.) Armwood DE Byron Cowart. The five-star wasted little time putting on an Auburn hat during his announcement ceremony but then held off on sending in his signed letter as he met with various people at his school. The Tigers eventually received the paperwork, but not before hours and hours of speculation that he would end up at Florida alongside good friend CeCe Jefferson.

Biggest Surprise

Despite visiting UCLA last, Joseph Wicker signed with Arizona State.

Four-star defensive lineman Joseph Wicker committing to Arizona State was a stunner given everything the Long Beach (Calif.) Poly standout had said about nearby UCLA at the recent B2G West Coast Bowl. Wicker visited the Bruins last and appeared set on staying close to home, but the Sun Devils added another passenger to their renowned "Boom Bus." Wicker said he had a great time on his official visit to the desert in late November, and head coach Todd Graham likened his newest asset to "a taller Will Sutton" during his chat with reporters.

Biggest Miss

The Gators missing on Cowart could come back to haunt them, especially since former head coach Will Muschamp, now an assistant at Auburn, was the one who lured him out of state. It was a long and grueling battle, and seeing the most coveted prospect choose the coach who had just been let go only added salt to those wounds.

Biggest Need Filled

USC head coach Steve Sarkisian needed to build on momentum and recruiting buzz he created last year when he landed Adoree' Jackson, Juju Smith and Damien Mama on National Signing Day, and he did exactly that. The Trojans cleaned up, signing five-star prospects Iman Marshall, John Houston and Rasheem Green on Wednesday. They also picked up a signature from fast-rising defensive lineman Kevin Scott, assuring them the top spot in the Rivals.com team recruiting rankings. For the second straight year, Sarkisian capped his class with a monster finish.

Most Disappointing Team

Texas looked to have turned the tide within its borders when it locked up five-star outside linebacker Malik Jefferson in December, but the Longhorns didn't quite have the finish they had hoped for. They did flip in-state receiver Ryan Newsome and got four-star RB Chris Warren on Wednesday, which was good enough for the No. 12 spot in the team rankings, but they missed on a few prospects on decision day, including Soso Jamabo and Daylon Mack.

Biggest TBD

Roquan Smith was all set to sign with UCLA, but now he could end up at Georgia.

Four-star linebacker Roquan Smith put on a pair of UCLA gloves during his televised announcement but never faxed his letter of intent as reports spread that Bruins defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich would leave Los Angeles to become an assistant coach with the Atlanta Falcons. Georgia would appear to be the beneficiary, as Smith has made it known his commitment is entirely dependent on Ulbrich's decision.

Best Commitment Reveal

After joking for weeks that his top two schools were ITT Tech and the University of Phoenix, five-star running back Soso Jamabo continued his entertaining stretch on National Signing Day, pulling out two UCLA hats when he announced the "real" contenders. Texas was also a possibility late in the process, but when the Longhorns were unable to flip quarterback Kyler Murray from Texas A&M, their chances with Jamabo dropped considerably. The two-hat trick -- which UCLA quarterback signee Josh Rosen actually pulled in his own announcement ceremony back in the spring -- served as further proof that the Bruins were the runaway favorite. Chris Warren choosing Texas over Washington via a coin flip gets honorable mention.

Surprise Team

Soso Jamabo was part of a strong closing kick for UCLA.

UCLA was set up for some major additions on Wednesday and locked up a top-20 spot in the rankings with a solid close. The Bruins beat Michigan for No. 1-rated tight end Chris Clark, Texas for Jamabo, Oklahoma for four-star offensive guard Josh Wariboko and ASU for four-star receiver Cordell Broadus. After a disappointing National Signing Day in 2014 when he whiffed on the likes of Rashaan Evans, Malachi Dupre and Solomon Thomas, head coach Jim Mora did all he could to offset the noise USC made across town.

Best Fit

Ole Miss appears to have gotten its heir apparent to Laquon Treadwell with the signature from Texas-based wide receiver DaMarkus Lodge. The former Texas A&M commit is physical and a good route runner, so the Rebels could be getting an early impact type in Lodge.