The Early Signing Period has taken much of the excitement from the traditional signing day in February, but there are still storylines to follow and top prospects unsigned that can influence future wins and losses. The limited amount of top available linebackers can directly be attributed to coaching changes. The greater focus will be on four-stars Harold Perkins and TJ Dudley.
BEST STILL AVAILABLE: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | OL | DT | DE
EARLY SIGNING PERIOD REPORT CARDS: ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten | SEC | Pac-12
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State | JUCO
CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
TRANSFER PORTAL: Stories/coverage | Message board
RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Info/coverage on 2021 camp series
*****
College football teams in need of a top 2022 outside linebacker may get excited seeing Perkins still available, but this race is down to three. On Dec. 2, the five-star defender took his 30 offers and a September top seven down to Texas A&M, LSU and Texas. It's hard to imagine the Aggies' class getting better but the possibility is there. The most recent Twitter shares have been of in-home visits with the Longhorns. Perkins is set to announce on Jan. 2.
*****Â Â
Another Rivals250 linebacker is available thanks to a change on the sidelines in Eugene. Once Mario Cristobal left Oregon for Miami, Dudley began his recruiting process again. The Dec. 6 decommitment has top teams scrambling to get his signature. From the outside perspective, Texas, Miami and Florida seem to be in the running.
*****Â Â
Another head coaching change opened a door of possibilities for some lucky team with Lightsey. From Aug. 16 to Dec. 11, Lightsey was set to be a Gator. Lightsey stuck with Florida through the firing of then defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and head coach Dan Mullen but with new head coach Billy Napier and staff in town, the parties have gone different directions.
Through his process, besides visiting Florida, Lightsey made stops at Auburn, Florida State and Georgia with an official visit to Georgia Tech. It’ll be fun tracking Lightsey’s potential visits in January.
