College football signing day: Who is headed to Notre Dame, Illinois, Northwestern and NIU — plus incoming and outgoing transfers
College football programs across the country welcomed new classes of high school recruits during the Dec. 20-22 early signing period — which has, in reality, become the main signing period.
Bringing in the country’s best high school seniors, however, is only one part of the equation these days with the explosion of the NCAA transfer portal and college athletes no longer having to sit out a year after transferring.
Now coaches also must “recruit” their incumbent players to remain in the program while perusing the portal to fill needs often created by outgoing transfers.
Here’s a look at the classes signed by Notre Dame, Illinois, Northwestern and Northern Illinois, along with the transfers each school is bringing in — and those who have left through the portal. (Class rankings from the 247 Sports composite as of Jan. 16; *-January 2024 enrollee.)
Notre Dame
Ranking: No. 11 nationally
High school signees: 23
Taebron Bennie-Powell, S, Cincinnati
*Micah Gilbert, WR, Charlotte, N.C.
Karson Hobbs, CB, Cincinnati
Tae Johnson, ATH, Fort Wayne, Ind.
*Peter Jones, OL, Coatesville, Pa.
Bodie Kahoun, LB, Roanoke, Va.
*Anthonie Knapp, OL, Roswell, Ga.
Guerby Lambert, OL, Boston
*Jack Larsen, TE, Charlotte, N.C.
Leonard Moore, CB, Round Rock, Texas
*Cole Mullins, DL, Hoschton, Ga.
*Styles Prescod, OL, Fishers, Ind.
Teddy Rezac, LB, Omaha, Neb.
Logan Saldate, WR, Gilroy, Calif.
*Sean Sevillano Jr., DL, Clearwater, Fla.
*Loghan Thomas, DL, Lakewood, Ohio
*Kennedy Urlacher, S, Chandler, Ariz.
*Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, LB, Bellflower, Calif.
*Aneyas Williams, RB, Hannibal, Mo.
*Cam Williams, WR, Glenbard South
*Bryce Young, DL, Charlotte, N.C.
*Kedren Young, RB, Lufkin, Texas
Transfers in: 8
Jordan Clark, S, Arizona State
Beaux Collins, WR, Clemson
Jayden Harrison, WR, Marshall
Rod Heard, CB, Northwestern
Mitch Jeter, K, South Carolina
Riley Leonard, QB, Duke
Kris Mitchell, WR, Florida International
RJ Oben, DL, Duke
Transfers out: 14
Ryan Barnes, CB (Massachusetts)
Michael Carmody, OL
Antonio Carter II, S
Zeke Correll, OL (N.C. State)
Rico Flores Jr., WR (UCLA)
Ramon Henderson, S
Braylon James, WR (TCU)
Aidan Keanaaina, DL (California)
Tobias Merriweather, WR (California)
Nana Osafo-Mensah, DL (TCU)
Holden Staes, TE (Tennessee)
Joey Tanona, OL (Purdue)
Chris Tyree, WR (Virginia)
Nolan Ziegler, LB (Central Michigan)
Illinois
Ranking: No. 44 nationally, No. 14 in Big Ten
High school/junior college signees: 19
Easton Baker, DL, Stansbury, Utah
*Joe Barna, LB, Wheaton North
*Daniel Brown, LB, Hutchinson CC (Kan.)
*Chase Canada, DB, Trinity Valley CC (Texas)
*Andrew Dennis, OL, Mount Pleasant, Mich.
*Tysean Griffin, WR, Morgan Park
Tanner Hollinger, TE, Stromsburg, Neb.
*Demetrius John, DL, Columbus, Ohio
*JoJo Knight, LB, Bainbridge, Ga.
*Angelo McCullom, DL, Pickerington, Ohio
Carlos Orr, WR, Etowah, Tenn.
*Trey Petty, QB, Starkville, Miss.
Amar Reynolds, DB, Fort Pierce, Fla.
*Mario Sanders II, WR, Iowa Central CC
Zafir Stewart, OL, Philadelphia
Ca’Lil Valentine, RB, Hayward, Calif.
*Vernon Woodward III, DB, DeLand, Fla.
Transfers in: 6
J.C. Davis, OL, New Mexico
Anthony Johnson, DL, Youngstown State
Melvin Priestly, OL, Grambling State
Cole Rusk, TE, Murray State
Enyce Sledge, DL, Auburn
Kevin Wigenton, OL, Michigan State
Transfers out: 7
Zachary Barlev, OL (Old Dominion)
Jean-Marc Etienne, RB
Reggie Love III, RB (Purdue)
Sed McConnell, DL (Boston College)
Shawn Miller, WR (New Mexico)
Tahveon Nicholson, CB (Mississippi)
Fabrizio Pinton, K
Northwestern
Ranking: No. 101 nationally, No. 18 in Big Ten
High school signees: 15
Callen Campbell, DL, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Idrys Cotton, OL, Canton, Mich.
Terrion Curry-Hicks, CB, Lexington, Ky.
Hayden Eligon II, WR, Lakewood, Calif.
Carson Grove, WR, Hersey
Qayvier Johnson, LB, New Haven, Conn.
Sean Martin, S, Cleveland
Timi Oke, CB, London
Dashun Reeder, RB, Greer, S.C.
Troy Regovich, DL, Chesterland, Ohio
Patrick Schaller, TE, Glenbrook North
Matthew Smith, LB, Durham, N.C.
Braxton Strong, DL, Peru, Ind.
Tito Williams Jr., S, Chattanooga, Tenn.
Transfers in: None
Transfers out: 8
Alex Doost, OL (Arizona)
Zachary Franks, OL
Cole Freeman, QB
Rod Heard, CB (Notre Dame)
Matt Lawson, DL
Josh Priebe, OL (Michigan)
Anthony Tyus, RB
Nigel Williams, CB
Northern Illinois
Ranking: No. 90 nationally, No. 6 in MAC
High school/junior college signees: 20
La’Don Bryant, WR, Savannah, Ga.
George Dimopoulos, WR, Crystal Lake Central
*Dashaun Gibson, CB, Manassas, Va.
AJ Guida, LB, Highlands Ranch, Colo.
Ben Gustafson, OL, Elkhorn, Neb.
Lance Ingold, DL, Rochester, Ill.
Telly Johnson Jr., RB, Augusta, Ga.
Ross Liegel, DL, Rock Springs, Wis.
*Kenny Leuth, QB, American River CC (Calif.)
Lane Mahnesmith, OL, Troy, Ill.
Luke Marble, QB, Smyrna, Ga.
KJ McRae, LB, Covington, Ga.
Ivan Moore Jr., DL, Kenwood
*Aiden Olson, OL, Clinton, Wis.
Taylor Powell, S, East St. Louis
Grey Rumohr, OL, Wales, Wis.
Ahmir Smith, RB, Santee, S.C.
Joe Stein, TE, Grand Island, Neb.
Adrian Thomas, S, Milwaukee
Transfers in: 6
Jake Appleget, TE, Nebraska
Christian Fuhrman, LB, Southeast Missouri State
Kenji Lewis, WR, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Jalen Macon, QB, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Andrew McElroy, WR, St. Thomas
Mark Pretto, LB, Fordham
Transfers out: 10
Phillip Baynes Jr., LB (Tyler JC)
C.J. Brown, S
Mike Florentine, LS
Louis Frye, S (Temple)
George Gumbs, DE (Florida)
Bryce Harrison, TE
Devin Lafayette, S (Jackson State)
Rashon Myles Jr., LB
Pete Nygra, OL (Louisville)
Trey Urwiler, WR (Aurora)