There wasn’t much drama during the Early Signing Period when it came to the big men. Of the three five-star defensive tackles, Walter Nolen was the latest to commit – in early November – while Bear Alexander flipped back to Georgia a month earlier. Travis Shaw put an exclamation point on his recruitment over the summer.
Two of the country’s best-10 tackles remain unsigned and four of the 28 tackles rated as four-star or higher are still available. Here’s the latest on them:
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Miller had been expected to reveal his college commitment at the All-American Bowl in San Antonio on Jan. 8 but now the four-star plans to announce his decision on National Signing Day in February. Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State are all top contenders for the Peach State four-star, but he has recently expressed a desire to visit Miami and Oregon in January.
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Woody has been a longtime Florida State commitment that elected not to ink his paperwork early. The four-star from Alabama, who has been recruited to play both offensive and defensive line by various schools, will make a final decision on National Signing Day in February.
Auburn has surfaced as the team to watch. The in-state SEC program has lured Woody on campus a few times this fall. He’ll return to both Auburn and Florida State before finalizing his plans.
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The Rivals250 defensive tackle from out West did not make a decision in December. Ohio State liked where it stood with Kanu, but with recent coaching changes at another contender, Oklahoma, and at nearby USC, the nation’s No. 134 prospect needed more time to consider his options. This is another recruitment gaining new life amid the wild coaching shakeup across the country.
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Moten, a four-star South Florida defensive tackle, is unsurprisingly a top local priority for new Miami coach Mario Cristobal. Recently, the 6-foot-4, 300-pounder has drawn the attention of SEC programs like Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee as well as Oklahoma, among others. Moten has family connections to Miami and is expected to return to campus to get acquainted with the new staff and will be a major piece for one of these teams.
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Roney was considering an array of Pac-12 programs in the offseason. Of them, the same staffs remain only at Colorado and Arizona. USC and Oregon were both in pursuit of Roney, but it’s unclear whether new coaches Lincoln Riley or Dan Lanning will revisit the three-star. Arizona State is another regional program to watch.
MORE ON EARLY SIGNING PERIOD: Focus shifts to February | Notable prospects signing late | Five surprises | Five disappointments | Winners and losers | The Gorney awards | Travis Hunter spurns Florida State, signs with Jackson State | Breaking down team rankings | Where will Deion's next job be? | How teams announced their signees | Top 10 storylines of Late Signing Period | Ten best still available | NSD Blog | Ten biggest flips of NSD | Top Group of Five signees | Decompressing after a hectic Early Signing Period
