With the exception of Jordan Burch's NLI and the ongoing saga of Zach Evans, the 2020 class pretty much in the books. So as we do following every National Signing Day, we turn the page to 2021, where there’s already been a few big developments.

The Top-Ranked Recruit is Already Committed

The No. 1 prospect in the 247Sports Composite is Corona (Calif.) Centennial five-star defensive lineman Korey Foreman, who already announced his pledge to Clemson on Jan. 26. That’s one of nine early commits for the Tigers staff that hasn’t had a decommitment since December of 2016. You can imagine the phone isn’t going to stop ringing at this point in the process for any of these prospects, especially for Foreman. Will distance ever factor in? We’ll see if the staying power holds true for another cycle. Clemson's built a strong pipeline in the Golden State with Foreman following receiver Joe Ngata (2019) and quarterback DJ Uiagalelei (2020). Fellow 2021 class member receiver Beaux Collins is also from California.

Program Off To The Fastest Start

If Clemson is No. 2, who is No. 1? The answer is Ohio State, who is sitting on a 10-player class that is headlined by the No. 2 over prospect in Pickerington (Ohio) North five-star defensive lineman Jack Sawyer. Ryan Day and his staff have 11 commits and with the prospects in play moving forward, has potential staying power in this position. Besides Sawyer, Day has heard 'yes' from the likes of quarterback Kyle McCord, receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jayden Ballard and offensive linemen Ben Revere and Donovan Jackson, who are all 247Sports Composite Top100 recruits. One prospect we love in the class is Reid Carrico, the No. 1 inside linebacker in the land and No. 34 prospect overall in the Top247. It won’t be long before the rest of the industry catches up there. Texas will remain important to Day and company moving forward and how they fare in the Lone Star State will play a big part in where the Buckeyes finish in February of 2021.

The Lightning Rod Recruit

The lighting rod recruit this cycle will be five-star all-purpose back Will Shipley, and the reigning North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year is already drawing comparisons to Christian McCaffrey because of his off-the-charts athleticism and ability to catch the football. The 5-foot-11, 198-pound Shipley helped lead Matthews (NC) Weddington to a state championship this past fall, using his verified 4.46 speed in the 40-yard dash to churn out 2,066 yards and 30 touchdowns with another 582 yards receiving and eight more scores. Schools that appear to be in the best position to land Shipley include the previously mentioned Tigers and Buckeyes alongside Notre Dame. Shipley’s mother played soccer at NC State so the Wolfpack have those ties going for them and Shipley is also a very high academic kid with schools like Northwestern, Duke, Virginia and Stanford all salivating.

Which New Staff Will Have The Most Success?

Mack Brown and North Carolina had an exciting first full year on the recruiting this past cycle, finishing No. 19 overall highlighted by a strong defensive line haul and a strong effort on the home front, keeping six of the state’s top 10 prospects at home. Who’s poised from this year’s coaching carousel to lead the charge in this 2021 cycle? The answer might be another ACC squad: Mike Norvell and Florida State. FSU finished No. 21 this go-round which is a modest finish with the coaching change but the program’s worst finish in the modern recruiting era. We were accustomed to seeing the Seminoles in the Top10 annually under Jimbo Fisher and that potential is there under Norvell. The Seminoles have four commits already including quarterback Luke Altmyer but perhaps this thing gets jumpstarted soon here by Top247 linebacker Branden Jennings, who is slated to commit Friday. I’m expecting a big spring for the 'Noles.

Around The Country

Following the season Brian Kelly said he thought Notre Dame could recruit at a top-5 level and the Irish are sitting at No. 3 right now with eight commits including receiver Deion Colzie and prolific quarterback Tyler Buchner, who are both ranked inside the Top50 of the 247Sports Composite. …Oregon is chasing a third straight No. 1 class in the Pac-12 and are already atop the standings with six commits including two 247Sports Composite top-100 players in all-purpose back Seven McGee and the No. 1 inside linebacker Keith Brown. …Speaking of the Pac-12, maybe this is a bounce back year for the Trojans on the trail as they sit at No. 11 including five-star quarterback Jake Garcia. The Trojans finished No. 55 in 2020, the lowest-rated class in school history. …Won’t be long before we see the likes of Alabama, LSU and Georgia move into the Top 10, but right now there are several Big Ten programs off to a fast start. Behind Ohio State we see Wisconsin at No. 6, Iowa at No. 8 and Maryland holding down the No. 10 spot. the Badgers just signed its first Top25 class since 2001. …Seven of the top eight quarterbacks are already committed in Brock Vandagriff to Georgia, Sam Huard to Washington, Garcia to USC, JJ McCarthy to Michigan, McCord to Ohio State, Buchner to Notre Dame and Preston Stone to SMU. The top-ranked dual-threat passer in five-star Caleb Williams is on the market; LSU, Oklahoma and Clemson among the schools positioned well for his signature.