It's that time of year again, where 17 and 18-year-olds take center stage, while fan bases across the country wait in anticipation on which school they plan to commit to as National Signing Day is shaping to be a good one.
Watch the National Signing Day preiview courtesy of ESPN , click here.
Every recruiting class is defined by its top prospect, and 2013 is no exception. Just one year after No. 1 overall recruit Dorial Green-Beckham signed with Missouri. This year it would appear that SEC program Ole Miss Rebels are the top college football recruiting storyline for the 2013 cycle.
Defensive end Robert Nkemdiche's Nkemdiche's recruitment has been a highly publicized whirlwind. The 6-foot-5, 260-pounder originally committed to Clemson last February, leveraging his scholarship to help teammates land offers.
In July Nkemdiche gave Clemson and ultimatum for the school to offer Ryan Carter, a two-star defensive back out of Grayson High in Loganville, Ga., or they could let Nkemdiche walk. By November he wound decommitting amid family pressure to join older brother Denzel, a rising sophomore linebacker who racked up 82 tackles in 2012, in Oxford, Miss. And though Robert was courted by the likes of Alabama, Florida and Georgia, among others, he has remained a heavy Rebels' lean.
Ole Miss has put the full-court press on the nation's No. 1 offensive lineman, Laremy Tunsil (AC100 No. 4), fast-rising star defensive end and longtime Mississippi State commitment Chris Jones (No. 18) and elite defensive backs Mackensie Alexander (No. 30) and Antonio Conner (No. 32). If the Rebs can land just one of these names in addition to Nkemdiche, National Signing Day 2013 would be considered a massive success and would make Freeze the toast of Oxford.
Other top recruits include:
Laquon Treadwell a wide receiver who amassed 1,450 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior, committed to the Rebels on Jan. 17.
Laremy Tunsil a top-ranked offensive tackle in this year's cycle, will choose Ole Miss, Alabama, Florida State or Georgia.
Antonio Conner a safety who will choose between 'Bama and Ole Miss, or Prattville
Austin Golson an offensive tackle who will pick either Ole Miss or Florida State.