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CFB National Signing Day 2020 Preview & Analysis

Julian Fleming, Ohio State Commit
Recruiting has always been a wild, competitive and sometimes, shady, part of college football. Nowadays, its importance is as great as it has ever been, with players playing younger and younger. Just look at the National Championship in 2019, which featured a duel between a true freshman and a true sophomore quarterback. With that in mind, I decided to delve deeper into the 2020 recruiting cycle, which will conclude next Wednesday, February 5th with the second of two National Signing Days. I break down the surefire stars from the class, the players who could be flipping to different schools come Signing Day, and my own favorite sleepers.

The Future Superstars

Bryan Bresee, DL, Committed to Clemson
From: Damascus, MD
Height & Weight: 6'5", 290 pounds
Composite Ranking: 1
Clemson has become a factory for Defensive Line talent over the last few seasons, and the next in line appears to be Bryan Bresee. Bresee is rated as the No. 2 prospect from 247Sports, No. 1 from Rivals and No. 3 on ESPN. He already looks like a seasoned veteran at 6'5", 290 pounds, but it will be interesting to see whether he lines up inside at the tackle position or if the Tigers transition him to end. Either way, he has all the tools you look for in a dominant D-Linemen, and should be able to see snaps right away.

Julian Fleming, WR, Committed to Ohio State
From: Catawissa, PA
Height & Weight: 6'2", 199 pounds
Composite Ranking: 3
Ryan Day is one of the premier play-callers in college football, and he'll have the opportunity to add another dynamic piece to his offense in Julian Fleming. Brian Hartline, the former Buckeye receiver and current top-notch recruiter, was able to land Fleming away from a number of other blue bloods including Alabama and Clemson. He has the talent and route running ability to also play right away, in much the same way this year's five-star freshman receiver Garrett Wilson did. Fleming is a true multi-sport athlete, as a star in basketball and track.

Justin Flowe, LB, Committed to Oregon
From: Upland, CA
Height & Weight: 6'2", 225 pounds
Composite Ranking: 6
With USC's recent struggles, California has become wide-open for any top program in college football, and Oregon just happened to snag the No. 2 prospect in the talent-rich state. Flowe's a prototypical college football inside linebacker, with good size, excellent closing speed and incredible instincts. He'll pair with fellow five-star inside linebacker Noah Sewell in the heart of the Duck defense, assuming he sticks through his commitment. He could possibly be on flip watch, as the USC Trojans still appear to be a long-shot contender. He took an official visit to USC in mid-December just over a month ago.

Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Committed to Ohio State
From: Cincinnati, OH
Height & Weight: 6'7", 290 pounds
Composite Ranking: 9
The top-rated offensive linemen in the 2020 cycle is Paris Johnson Jr., who already looks like an NFL player. Johnson is a massive physical specimen who can fit in basically any type of offense, which will be crucial for the Buckeyes going forward. He has the look of a program staple at left tackle, and it was huge for Ohio State to keep him in-state, away from a number of SEC schools that were going after him, including Alabama, LSU and Georgia.

Desmond Evans, DE, Committed to North Carolina
From: Sanford, NC
Height & Weight: 6'6", 235 pounds
Composite Ranking: 43
Mack Brown's rebuild continues on pace in Chapel Hill, and he has two absolute studs coming in from the 2020 cycle in Desmond Evans and Myles Murphy, both D-Linemen. People are a little bit more split on Desmond Evans. ESPN has him as the No. 2 prospect in the Class, but he is a four-star in the composite rankings. Either way, you have to be impressed by his length and upper body power, which will continue to be honed in the collegiate ranks. I think he'll absolutely dominate in the ACC Coastal for years to come.


The Possible Flips

Jordan Burch, DL, Committed to South Carolina
From: Columbia, SC
Height & Weight: 6'5", 275 pounds
Composite Ranking: 8
Jordan Burch is a fascinating character to watch in this particular recruiting class. He has been rated as high as the No. 2 player in this class by a number of different recruiting services, but has dropped out of the Top 10 on both Rivals and 247Sports. Burch is also interesting because of his surprising commitment to South Carolina during the first signing period. Even as the hometown school, South Carolina was still shocking in a few ways, and Burch hasn't exactly followed through, not yet officially signing with the school. He recently took an official visit to LSU just under a week ago, and the Tigers still remain very much in the hunt. There's also still a chance that Clemson, who was once the favorite for Burch, could make a run at the elite defensive end.

Broderick Jones, OT, Committed to Georgia
From: Lithonia, GA
Height & Weight: 6'5", 298 pounds
Composite Ranking: 11
As an in-state prospect who committed to Georgia all the way back in 2018, Broderick Jones has long been projected as a future offensive tackle for the Bulldogs. Although there remains a very strong chance he still follows through and signs with the 'Dawgs, Jones is not necessarily a lock. In the last two weeks, Jones has taken official visits to Arkansas, Illinois and Auburn. There are some close to the recruit who think Auburn has a legit chance to flip him, but the Bulldogs landing Matt Luke as their new O-Linemen coach might be able to keep Jones.

Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Committed to Georgia Tech
From: Dalton, GA
Height & Weight: 5'9", 171 pounds
Composite Ranking: 75
Even though they had a tough 3-9 season on the field, Geoff Collins & Georgia Tech have hit the recruiting trail hard, and Jahmyr Gibbs is the gem of their Top 25 class. Gibbs committed to the Yellow Jackets last spring, but recently a number of other schools have been attempting a late push. Over the last few weeks, Gibbs has taken official visits to Ohio State, LSU and Florida, with the Gators also taking an in-home visit. Whoever snags the four-star running back is going to get a really impressive talent; Gibbs has home run potential, and a compact frame that should be able to hold up in big-time college football.

Jalen Berger, RB, Committed to Wisconsin
From: Ramsey, NJ
Height & Weight: 6'0", 205 pounds
Composite Ranking: 135
As a running back prospect from New Jersey who committed to Wisconsin, Jalen Berger is reminiscent of former Badger great Jonathan Taylor. However, there remains a chance that Berger could be flipped as Signing Day arrives. New Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano has made landing the running back a top priority, and locking down the state is his top priority with all the talent that flows through New Jersey. UCLA also remains on the outside looking in on the prospect, as he took an official visit there about a month ago.

The Sleepers

Marcus Henderson, OG, Uncommitted
From: Memphis, TN
Height & Weight: 6'5", 300 pounds
Composite Ranking: 340
Nashville has always been a place that produces high quality football talent, and offensive guard Marcus Henderson is one of the latest big-name talents. Henderson was a monster over his time at Memphis University School in the city and at 6'5", 300 pounds he already has pretty ideal size. He has significant interest from a number of SEC schools, but as of right now, it looks like Ole Miss has the inside track on him. He'll need to bulk up even more if he is to play interior line in the SEC, but he would be a nice get for Lane Kiffin as he attempts to round out the Rebels' recruiting class. He's the type of big mover in the middle that can help Kiffin's run attack really rumble.

Mason Garcia, QB, Committed to East Carolina
From: Myrtle Beach, SC
Height & Weight: 6'4", 218 pounds
Composite Ranking: 384
Mason Garcia has already signed with East Carolina so don't expect any fireworks from him on this upcoming Signing Day, but he's a prospect that could be a really fascinating sleeper as he begins his collegiate career. Don't let the fact that he signed at a Group of Five school fool you, this guy had the talent to end up at a Power Five. He possesses ideal size at 6'4", with a huge arm and serious upside as he polishes off his game. ECU head coach Mike Houston made a name for himself for developing great quarterbacks, which he continued during an extremely successful tenure at James Madison. He'll do great things with Garcia, who is the 14th-rated pro-style QB in this Class.

Kelvontay Dixon, ATH, Uncommitted
From: Carthage, TX
Height & Weight: 6'0", 180 pounds
Composite Ranking: 342
Much like Henderson, Kelvontay Dixon is an uncommitted prospect who sits just outside the Top 300 in this Class. However, 247Sports is even higher on him, as they have him rated as their 270th prospect and 12th-rated athlete. Dixon is a super versatile playmaker that can really be plugged in anywhere and make things happen. He's a really valuable type of recruit for any school, whether it be P5 or Group of Five. Dixon is currently projected to stay in-state and likely land with Tom Herman and the Texas Longhorns, but both Houston & UTSA seem to be in play. As the younger brother of Longhorns' tailback Keontay Ingram, it would make sense for him to land in Austin.

Savion Williams, WR, Uncommitted
From: Marshall, TX
Height & Weight: 6'5", 205 pounds
Composite Ranking: 449
Another Texas guy that I really like as a sleeper is Savion Williams, out of Marshall, Texas. Although rated as four-star from 247Sports, he's pretty low in the composite rankings, but he has huge potential. This past season, he played quarterback and led his team to the district championship, but he fits more as a receiver at the next level. Standing at approximately 6'5" with long arms, Williams has a massive catch radius, even if his athleticism isn't at the level of other receivers in this cycle. He has the tools to be a lethal red zone threat, if he can develop in the right system. Williams is also worth a watch because he is not only uncommitted, but he could go any number of places. My bet would be Sam Pittman and Arkansas, but TCU remains a heavy favorite, as well as SMU. He took an official visit to TCU last week.

Jonathan Mann, WR, Committed to Minnesota
From: Rosemount, MN
Height & Weight: 6'3", 205 pounds
Composite Ranking: 723
Mann is another prospect who has already signed, so don't expect any fireworks coming from the receiver this Signing Day. However, I think he's an important player to highlight as a sleeper in this Class, as he seems like he'll be an ideal fit in the Minnesota offense. The Minnesota native is a tremendous athlete who can be used in a variety of ways. He should be able to acclimate quickly to the Gophers and P.J. Fleck, who has a track record of producing wide out talent. Fleck, a former wide out himself, produced a first-round WR at Western Michigan in Corey Davis, and looks like he has two more in Tyler Johnson & Rashod Bateman. Mann may be going for a redshirt in 2020, but with his tools and fit in this offense, he is a future star.

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