National Signing Day: Storylines to follow as 2020 cycle wraps up
The second Signing Day is nearly over but there are still questions left unanswered and recruitments that still aren’t finalized. Take a look at the top four storylines to track as Signing Day comes to a close.
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THE STATUS OF ZACHARY EVANS
Where do we start with Zachary Evans? The saga that is the No.1 running back’s recruitment has had as so many twists and turns that it’s been hard to keep up. To recap, Evans was rumored to be ready to commit multiple times throughout his recruitment, with possible destinations ranging from Texas A&M, Alabama, LSU and others. At the Under Armour All-America Game Evans was supposed to announce he had signed with Georgia during the Early Signing Period in December but the Dawgs reportedly let him out of his National Letter of Intent after repetitive off-field issues. It appears Kirby Smart referenced Evans without out-right naming him during his Signing Day press conference when talking about “principles and values.”
Evans ended up taking official visits to Ole Miss and Tennessee this month and he is expected to end up at one of those two programs. He can’t, however, sign a National Letter of Intent because he already did that with Georgia. Evans will likely end up signing some type of financial aid paperwork and show up at his school of choice. When that will happen is completely up in the air.
THE SEARCH FOR JORDAN BURCH'S PAPERWORK
Jordan Burch’s National Letter of Intent is MIA right now. Nobody knows for sure if the South Carolina commit signed his paperwork but the Gamecocks haven’t received it as of the writing of this article. The five-star defensive lineman verbally committed to South Carolina during a ceremony on the first day of the Early Signing Period in December. At the time he made it clear he was going to wait to sign with the rest of his teammates today. Earlier this month Burch took a secret visit to LSU, the team most people believe is the only other likely option, and then took his official visit to South Carolina last weekend.
MICHIGAN STATE FALLOUT
Perhaps the most shocking news of the week was long-time Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio resigning on Tuesday. The Spartans signed 19 prospects in December and still hold two verbal commitments. One of those verbal commitments is from running back Jordan Simmons out of Georgia. Simmons is one of the highest-ranked players in this Michigan State class. The other verbal commitment is from running back Donovan Eaglin out of Texas. When Dantonio announced he was stepping down, linebacker Jasiyah Robinson was still a verbal commitment but he signed with the Spartans on Wednesday. What will happen with Simmons and Eaglin? Will any signed prospects try to get released from their NLIs? The ripple effect from this head coach vacancy is certainly something to follow.
MARC BRITT WAITING
Defensive back Marc Britt had a more drawn out recruitment than most expected him to have but he did end up committing to Florida in November. After not signing in the Early Signing Period, Britt has decided to wait until Feb. 20 to sign his National Letter of Intent. The Gators are expected to bring in Britt with this recruiting class but the delay certainly opens the door for other teams to make a move if they want. Keep Britt in the back of your mind as the excitement of National Signing Day fades.