Takeaways and notes from signing day in Texas

The drama. The iconic hat reveals. Tired fax machine jokes. The eleventh-hour changes of heart. The Derek Jeter cameos. The puppies. The parents, angry over their child's choice, refusing to sign the letter of intent. It's all a little muted this year, and the NCAA rulebook is to blame. National Signing Day is still today, the first Wednesday in February, but what may already be known as The Real Signing Day happened when you were Christmas shopping. No one knew what to expect when the commissioners and Division I Council passed recruiting reforms in April and May 2017. For the first time, recruits had a 72-hour window to sign with the school of their choice from Dec. 20-22. Coaches hoped their committed prospects would sign, but it was anyone's guess what precedent would be set. By Christmas, the precedent was clear. In the Big 12, 88 percent of committed prospects signed early. In Texas, 76 of the top 100 players signed. Only a handful of committed players elected to keep their options open. Some players were indecisive. Some being pursued by smaller programs held on and hoped for a better offer while also hoping not to offend the programs that had already extended one. But before Christmas, the reality was clear: College football's calendar has permanently shifted. Most players will be pressured to end their recruitment in December, and the six-week sprint to wrap up mostly complete classes may feature thinner and thinner fields in future years. And as for the hoopla, a random, post-Super Bowl Wednesday in February was ripe for football fans to direct their focus on incoming players for the following season. But the back half of the week before Christmas break, in the middle of bowl season? Signing day, at least the overwrought, garish spectacle we've come to love or loathe over the past two decades, is officially dead. [caption id="attachment_25620" align="alignright" width="350"] Keondre Coburn is one of the top players in the Longhorns' 2018 class. (Photo by Samuel De Leon)[/caption] Texas is king again Tom Herman reeled in one of the greatest Group of Five recruiting classes ever in 2016, convincing Ed Oliver and three more four-stars to sign with UH. So with Texas' burnt orange brand behind him, it was easy to dream big. And despite going an ugly 7-6 in Year 1, Herman's built the foundation to start constructing a giant in Austin. A quick glance at the best players in Texas shows the Longhorns' dominance. Last year, the Longhorns landed just one of the top 25 players in the state and five of the top 50 in the state. This year, Herman showcased a run of dominance we haven't seen since 2012, when five of the top 10 players and eight of the top 20 in Texas signed with the Longhorns. He called it a "pretty historic day" for Texas, and the next four years will tell us if he's right. "Adding the eight guys we added today really solidifies the class," he said of his 27 signees, "especially on the defensive front." This year, 11 of the state's top 15 prospects in this class signed with Texas. That's how you turn a top 25 class into a top three class. "That needs to not be an aberration," Herman said. "That needs to be the new normal." It's the most dominant story in the state this year and it's not a recent development. The Longhorns jumped out to a good start and maintained it through a disappointing first season on the field. This year, Herman's first full class in Austin finished behind only Ohio State and Georgia. Only one other Big 12 team (OU at No. 7) finished in the top 20. Texas still has plenty to prove, but if this is the start of a trend, the Longhorns will have the elite talent to make it happen. But can the Longhorns shake loose of Mr. February mode? The dominance in this recruiting cycle highlights the biggest challenge ahead of Herman and the Longhorns. Mack Brown was top five great on the recruiting trail for most of his tenure, but until winning the national title in the 2005 season, he'd won zero Big 12 titles and played in just one BCS bowl. That earned him the infamous Mr. February moniker, but since playing in the 2009 BCS Championship game, the Longhorns have had serious talent development issues. Since that season, here's where Texas' recruiting classes have been ranked: