The 4th download from the first day of CFB |FOX sports for the first time

College football's early signing period began Wednesday.Here are Michael Cohen's four takeaways from the first day of the window.

4 Tips from Day 1 of CFB Early Signing

Massively Expanded Football Football Calendar 2026 Puzzles Organize This Week's Top Teams and College Football Playoffs Who would have thought that the modern coaching archetype would need to highlight so many things?

But here we are -- going through a never-ending stretch that includes a coaching carousel, conference championship week and the three-day early signing period that opens Wednesday for high school athletes.There are some individuals — like Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, who was recently announced as South Florida's new head coach but will stay with the Buckeyes through the College Football Playoff — working three or four jobs at once.If not more.

To catch up on all the recruiting stories, let's take a look at how things will go on the first day of the signing period.All content in this article was updated Wednesday and all rankings are from 17Sports by 247Sports.

Here are my takeaways:

1. Income sharing and NIL spread top talent across the country

In the summer of 2021, when it became clear that collegiate athletics was approaching new frontiers with the introduction of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) compensation, there were some in or around the sports world who believed that above-the-line player compensation would further bolster the talent in programs that had brought Lancush competition for years.In other words, the coaches, the media and these politicians with whom the rich only get richer.

Five years later, but the first results from the first polling period continue to show that every idea is wrong as money sharing, in particular, money sharing affects the distribution of money for all sports.They have mixed eight.

As of Wednesday, nearly 20 different schools have signed or received verbal commitments from at least five-stars.Notre Dame (Alabama (four) and Oregon (oubins) are tied for the best players, and Texas (two) is not approaching. There is no program that is suitable as an amazing destination for Top talent.

But the list also includes many non-traditional places.

– Vanderbilt flipped top quarterback Jared Curtis (No. 1 overall, No. 1 QB) from Georgia earlier this week.

-Houston manages to keep the promise of ultra-athletic quarterback Keisean Henderson (No. 3 Overall, No. 2 QB).

- Maryland got the world's best talent in Zion Elee (No. 5 overall, No. 1 finish).

- Felix Ojo (No. 13 overall, No. 2 overall, No. 2 fire) and edge rusher Lenmian Guiton (No. 15, No. 4 edge) from Texas Tech.

- Utah hits a big point in Idaho with Kelvin MEDICINE (No. 27 overall, No. 4 OT).

- Mississippi State seventh best safety Brazilian Woman signed.

Overall, this continues an exciting trend that has seen five-star talent spread from 13 different programs in 2017 to 15 different programs in 2020, 16 different programs in 2023 and now 19 different programs in 2026. This diversification is good for the sport because it means many more teams have a realistic chance to make the College Football Playoff each year.

2. The movement of the coaching carousel eventually causes a wave of changes

With so many power 4 jobs available in the middle of the night, from Penn State and Virginia Tech and Lsu, the Main Return of the players in the changes in the changes changes in real time. And when the coaching Merry-Go-round hit high gear early in the deal, the madness collapsed.

According to Penn State, the Knuts did not dismiss any Lions personnel following the firing of head coach James Franklin.4 BCAnd on Wednesday, Franklin — who had been out of the Hawkeyes for a little more than two weeks — was brutally successful, giving a testimony he had previously made at Penn State:

- Watgins Star-Littacker (189th overall, 11 pounds)

- Stars running back Messiah Mickiens (No. 209 overall, No. 14 RB)

- Four-track multi-channel receiver brown (No. 259 General, No.8 ST)

- Four-star edge Tyson Hurley (No. 262 overall, no. 26 edge)

— Four-star running back Troy Hunn (No. 309 overall, No. 21 QB)

- Pierce Piershen's Four-Star-endar ending (number 325 overall, number 16 tea)

- Four-star offensive tackle Marlen Bright (No. 437 overall, No. 40 OT)

- Three-star linebacker Mathieu Lamas (No. 496 overall, no 39 lbs.)

-I-star-star-star pirior uses-genjamin ezuka (not 516, Hayi. 41 I-IOL)

-Amori Polidor, three-star defenseman (No. 601 overall, No. 46 CB)

Franklin in the Nittany Lions with Miami Patterns, Florida Station, North Version of Restrictions and Monthly End of Date Date Date Sunday at the time of the 26th

There was a similar cancellation of players from Ole Miss to LSU, following Coach Lane's leadership that the biggest Domainel finally fell.Kiffin, who was named Coach of the Tigers' who took care of all 44 people.

However, the most surprising turn from the start of the early signing period was Hartline, who was hired Wednesday to become USF's next head coach.

(No. 10 overall, No. 1 WR), who was committed to the Buckeyes through July 28, 2023, decided not to sign with Ohio State on Wednesday after news of Hartline's move became public, sharing on social media that he needed more time to evaluate his options.His high school teammate, four-star player Kayden Dixon-White, another Buckeye commitment, reversed his commitment to USC and quickly signed with the Trojans.

Moving forward, it's fair to wonder if Hartline's departure will affect any expansion of Ohio State's roster when the transfer portal opens next month.

3. USC has the best recruiting class

There seems to be an addendum that comes with every discussion about the future of USC head coach Lincoln Riley, whose 35-17 overall record leaves a lot to be desired after four bad seasons, and that's that the Trojans' excellent 2026 recruiting class might be his biggest saving grace -- aside from a reported heft out.

For most of the year, Riley has presided over the No. 1 class in the nation thanks to an offseason restructuring of USC's recruiting department, several early commitments that have catapulted the Trojans to the top of the rankings, and solid financial commitments from both donors and the university.From the summer to the early signing period, especially with Riley's current team out of the College Football Playoff discussion, the main question was whether USC could make it across the finish line before digesting another program's core.

By Wednesday afternoon, the answer was a clear "yes," although not all commits had been officially put to paper.But with 31 signings from a class that includes 35 verbal commitments, Riley is poised to take on the Trojans' strongest high school recruiting crop since former coach Pete Carroll competed in a national championship four decades ago.Prospects and features of 15 players ranked in the top 200 nationally.Georgia and Texas A&M are the only schools with more four-star commitments than USC in the current cycle.

Jetayol in the class o reduce the Mark Bowman (No. Riley's last two teams featured only 17 appearances.

4. Big Twelve QB vs QB Recruiting Cycle 2026

Entering his first rookie season, there were 28 four- and five-star quarterbacks in this year's class.That number goes from 30 out of 30 prospects by 2025 to 3,224 such prospects in 2024. Recruiters are not aggressive or more influential.

From the perspective of 30,000 in the foot, the BIG BIG 10 can be satisfied with the performance of the wide receiver.Both conference teams have signed or received commitments from seven of the available blue chip prospects, the second only, which makes the ACC chair in third place with the highest 6 teams. The Big 12 is four in five years.

The princess's name is for the sole purpose of securing a 4-star or 5-star contract outside of official meetings.

But the very top tier of this year's crop tells a different story — one that shows the Big Ten in a very different light: Only one of the top 10 quarterbacks in the country decided to join the conference.It was four-star Jonas Williams, an Illinois product who signed with USC.He is the No. 101 overall prospect and No. 8 passer in the country.

Behind him, the other Big Ten hope is four-star Iowa sign Bessinger Tradon (No. 140 overall, No. 11 qb).The rest of the top 10 belong to the SEC (six) and, somewhat shockingly, the Big 12 (three):

#1 QB — Jared Curtis, Vanderbilt *

# 2 qb - culcini henderson, Houston *

No. 3 QB - Faizon Brandon, Tennessee *

Nr. 4 QB - Dee Bell, Texas *

নং 5 QB - Ryder Lyons, BYU

No. 6 QB: Bowe Bentley, Oklahoma

#7 QB - Jets Tumala, Alabama

8 QB - Jonas Williams, USC

Nr 9 qb - Jake Frette, Arizona State

No.10 QB — Landon Duckworth, South Carolina

* Shows a five-pointer

Improved the high standards of many ten powers such as Ohio State, Michigan and Penn Starbacks (first signed. The things that took a chescks heheey (No. 630 overall, No. 37 QB); The wolf took the Brady Smigiel (No. 343 Overall, No. 2); hiring a full time for the James Franklin, Volused by Peyton Falzone (No.

If the current numbers hold, this will be the smallest group of elite receivers in the Big Ten in three years after signing five top-10 quarterbacks in 2025 and four in 2024. It's something to keep an eye on in the coming years.

4½.Bill Belichick is ending a tough season with a strong recruiting push

For a number of reasons - some involving football, some non-Dr. Bill Belichick took national weekly attention when he moved from the NFL to the NFL's common line, to the NFL class, to the NFL columns, to the NFL class, to the federal ranks.On this pitch, his tentacles have lost their last seven of their last nine games to a 4-8 overall loss and ACC went 2-6 on record.Closing the plantation, his high-profile relationship with his girlfriend, Jordan Hudson, and his passive dispute with a new England player who provided water next to the water.

He was hired last December, which meant Belichick and the Tar Heels staff had to scramble to build their first roster.A program's 2026 recruiting class is always a good indicator of what an administration can accomplish.And the early returns on Wednesday afternoon were quite impressive.

North Carolina signed 39 players for a class that ranked 17th in the country and third in transfers behind Miami and Florida.Belichick secured 15 top-500 prospects in the country, including four of the top-200 four-star Stopson (No. 127);four-star CJ Badler (No. 162 overall, No. 7 Otto);and four-star receiver Keyann Chackman (No. 180 overall, No. 29).

It's the first time North Carolina has had a top-20 recruiting class since being ranked 11th in 2022.

Michael Cohen covers college football and college basketball for FOX Sports.Follow him @ Michael_cohen13.

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