Recruiting Wars Nearing End

MIAMI (CBS4) - The annual battle in the college football world to win the number one ranked recruiting class is about to hit its zenith when National Signing Day hits on Wednesday.

Currently, the Florida State Seminoles have the number one ranked recruiting class in the country according to ESPN and the recruiting website Scout.com. FSU's class is ranked number 3 according to Rivals.com.

FSU currently has commitments from four five-star players. The Noles have reeled in five-star safety Karlos Williams, running back James Wilder, offensive lineman Bobby Hart, and defensive end Cornellius Carradine.

The Seminoles class is already at 25, but the team can still add a few more players. The Seminoles are currently in the running for the number one player in the country, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, defensive tackle Tim Jernigan, and defensive end Jermauria Rasco. All of those players have five-star rankings according to Scout.

The Noles recruiting has been bolstered by the uncertainty that surrounded both the Florida Gators coaching situation and the University of Miami's coaching search. Add to that FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher's relentless recruiting, and the Noles are poised to pull in a stellar class.

But don't count the Gators out just yet. UF head coach Will Muschamp has a solid recruiting class that could become really special by the end of the day on Wednesday.

The Gators already have a commitment from the number one quarterback recruit in the nation and could add a pair of five-star linebackers to the equation. Plus, the Gators are also in the running to secure the services of Jernigan and Rasco.

Muschamp managed to keep most of the recruits from previous UF coach Urban Meyer. If he can add a few more players, the teams' current ranking of 22nd by Scout will likely change to a top 10 ranking.

While the Seminoles and Gators are looking at top 10 recruiting classes, the same can't be said for "the U." New head coach Al Golden's first class will not be loaded with the typical four and five-star players Hurricanes fans expect.

The Hurricanes' top rated prospect according to Scout is defensive end Anthony Chickillo from Tampa. He stands 6'4", weighs 235 pounds and runs the 40-yard-dash in 4.7 seconds. The Hurricanes are in the running for a 6'4 defensive tackle from Las Vegas, but are going to have to fight off USC and UCLA to reign in Jalen Grimble.

Past that, the Hurricanes are likely to pull in a class full of three-star players. But before Hurricanes fans begin to think the end is nigh for the program, there are tons of examples of three-star players turning into superstars through good coaching and plenty of five-star players who never amounted to anything in college.

Two of the most famous examples of the lack of clarity on recruits came from two highly recruited players, Fred Rouse and Willie Williams. Rouse was a five-star, can't miss receiver who went to FSU. He had the talent, but became a distraction for the Noles and was eventually kicked off the team.

Williams was the superstar of superstars in his recruiting class. He was said to have NFL potential and would rejuvenate the Hurricanes' defense. However, he had a string of arrests that were made public and he never made it on the field for UM. He kicked around for a few years before ending up at Louisville where he never made an impact.