We’re now just one day away from national signing day as recruits across the country prepare to sign their national letters of intent with the school of their choice. ESPNU and Watch ESPN will provide 11 hours of continuous coverage throughout Wednesday beginning at 8 a.m. ET, and ESPN’s RecruitingNation will provide one-stop shopping for breaking news, announcements and a day-long chat. Fans of Pac-12 programs will be especially interested in the televised announcements on Wednesday, as of the 17 recruits scheduled to announce on ESPNU, Pac-12 programs are potential destinations for 10. While a majority of each conference class will sign on Wednesday without any drama, there are still several top prospects who could shake up the conference rankings and signing day is always good for a few interesting twists.
For team-by-team coverage of the Pac-12, check out the conference’s recruiting pages:
One storyline to watch: All eyes will be on the two Los Angeles programs, as UCLA and USC have a chance to dominate the televised announcements. The Bruins are contenders for tight end Chris Clark, athlete Soso Jamabo, linebacker Jeffery Holland, offensive guard Josh Wariboko, outside linebacker Roquan Smith, wide receiver Cordell Broadus and defensive tackle Joseph Wicker. The Trojans are finalists for linebacker John Houston Jr. and defensive tackle Rasheem Green. And both schools are among the finalists for cornerback Iman Marshall. In 2014, signing day finished on two completely different notes for the crosstown programs, as UCLA swung big and missed at a number of out-of-state recruits, while USC scored with its three top local targets. This year, save for Marshall perhaps giving one program the edge, there could be plenty of happy coaches in Los Angeles.
One recruit to watch: Marshall. It’s unlikely many recruits have frustrated more fan bases than Marshall during this recruiting cycle, but that’s mostly because he’s been so difficult to read and still has so many options on the table. With six schools left -- and perhaps all of them feeling as though they have a shot at landing the nation’s top cornerback -- Marshall could have just about everybody guessing when it’s his time to announce on Wednesday. He would be a significant addition to either Los Angeles program, and would give either Jim Mora and UCLA or Steve Sarkisian and USC bragging rights when it came to landing the region’s top prospect in this class. But Florida State, LSU, Michigan and Notre Dame remain in the mix as well.
One signing day surprise: It might sound like something of a cop-out, but the surprise of signing day in the Pac-12 could turn out to be just how few surprises there actually are. In terms of commitments into the conference, there could be fireworks all day, with a number of ESPN 300 prospects and dynamic three- and four-star recruits set to make their decisions. But when it comes to shocking flips between conference programs, it appears that Wednesday could be relatively quiet. The recruiting carousel spun rapidly throughout the Pac-12 in January, but the music appears to be slowing and just about everybody appears to have found a seat, with very few committed prospects having taken official visits elsewhere and seriously considering a flip. If there is a shock, it could come from the state of Texas, where UCLA holds a commitment from ESPN 300 wide receiver Ryan Newsome. While it would be surprising if Newsome made the flip, it can be difficult to go through with going away to school when the hometown team comes charging late.