What would national signing day be without singing fax machines, puppy dogs, paint ball and parachutes? Wednesday had them all.
Dogs’ up-and-down day
Shortly after Derrick Brown answered the last question of a live TV interview, the state’s No. 1 recruit leaned back in his chair and exhaled. He was officially an Auburn Tiger, much to Georgia’s dismay.
Brown, an athletic defensive tackle from Lanier High, was the second Georgia target to pass on the Bulldogs on Wednesday afternoon. Archer offensive tackle E.J. Price picked USC over Georgia just minutes before Brown said he also was headed out of state.
New Georgia coach Kirby Smart didn’t miss on many other Bulldog targets, though, and even got an Alabama commitment to switch. Plus, there’s still another five-star recruit with Georgia interest on the board.
Georgia’s class is ranked seventh, by 247Sports.com
Switching
In the end, Alabama coach Nick Saban and his helicopter was bested for a dynamic receiver by Saban’s former defensive coordinator and a puppy dog.
McEachern receiver Tyler Simmons flipped from Alabama to Georgia on signing day, a week after Smart showed up at his house with a bulldog puppy. In December, Saban landed in a helicopter at McEachern to visit Simmons, who committed to the Crimson Tide in January.
“It was cool, but that didn’t play a big part of my decision,” Simmons said of the puppy dog. “This was more about starting something new.”
Georgia also convinced three-star linebacker David Marshall to flip. The Upson-Lee product left his commitment to Auburn to join Georgia’s class.
UGA remains in hunt for undecided five-star
Demetris Robertson, a five-star receiver out of Savannah Christian, elected not to sign Wednesday, while he assesses his options. Georgia, Notre Dame and Alabama are in the mix.
Another Bulldog
Defensive tackle Michail Carter of Jackson was accompanied by a bulldog for his signing ceremony. You can guess where the 6-foot-4, 304-pounder signed.
New Yellow Jackets
Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson signed a balanced class with talent on offense and defense, highlighted by four-star defensive end Jordan Woods and speedy future A-back Xavier Gantt of Buford. Per usual, the Yellow Jackets’ class didn’t impress many analysts. Georgia Tech came in at No. 54, two spots behind Iowa State.
Richt’s first Miami class
For the first time in 16 years, Mark Richt signed a recruiting class without a player from Georgia. Richt, now head coach at Miami, signed 17 players in his first class the Hurricanes. Miami’s class is ranked 20th.
Top class
Alabama, with three five-star and 14 four-star signees, landed the top recruiting class for the sixth consecutive season (as of 5:30 p.m. Wednesday), according to 247Sports.com. Florida State was No. 2, followed by LSU, Ohio State and Michigan. Ole Miss, Georgia, Auburn, Clemson and Texas rounded out the top 10.
Michigan man
Five-star defensive tackle Rashan Gary of Paramus Catholic High School in New Jersey, the consensus No. 1 recruit in the nation, said he didn’t know whether he’d choose Michigan or Clemson when he walked on stage Wednesday to announce his decision. The 6-foot-5, 293-pounder picked the Wolverines.
'G' for Gamecocks
Mays superstar receiver Randrecous Davis got a tattoo of a Georgia “G” before committing to the Bulldogs over the summer. That ‘G’ will stand for Gamecocks, after Davis signed with South Carolina on Wednesday.
Fax malfunction
Ohio State coach Urban Meyer landed another highly ranked recruiting class, despite an issue with office equipment. According to an ESPN report, the Buckeyes were waiting for their last signature from Florida receiver Binjimen Victor, when the fax machine ran out of paper. “All we could do was laugh about it,” director of player personnel Mark Pantoni told ESPN. “The fax is a staple of signing day, and that’s part of the fun.”
Speaking of fax machines …
Florida set up a Twitter account for its fax machine, @Gatorsfax, and the hilarity ensued. “Fax Facts: The 1st fax machine was invented in 1842 by Alexander Bain. Unfortunately, he had no one to send a fax to.” Florida’s fax also managed a squeaky cover of singer Adele’s “Hello.”
Rapid-fire commitment
Brandon Burton, a four-star safety out of California, dressed his friends up in the jerseys of his college choices and then bested his buddies in a game of paint-ball capture the flag. Burton won and waved the UCLA flag, announcing that he be a Bruin.
Dropping in on Ole Miss
Texas safety Deontay Anderson jumped out of an airplane, parachuted down and, upon landing, showed off a “Hotty Toddy” T-shirt. He’ll be a Rebel.
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