National Signing Day in February: A Tradition Losing Its Grip on College Football
For decades, the first Wednesday in February was circled in red on every college football calendar. It was the day - National Signing Day - when top high school prospects made their commitments official, coaches finalized their classes, and fan bases either celebrated or hit the message boards in panic. But in today’s college football world, that once-prime date has become more of a formality than a frenzy.
The shift didn’t happen overnight, but it’s now undeniable: December is the new Signing Day. And February? Well, it’s hanging on more out of tradition than necessity.
December Has Taken Over
Since the NCAA introduced the early signing period in 2017, the recruiting timeline has been steadily pulled forward. Now, most of the top talent doesn’t wait until February to sign - they’re already locked in before the holidays.
In fact, all but two of the players on the USA TODAY Florida Network Top 100 signed in December. And even the rare exceptions, like Booker wide receiver Tyren Hornes, who waited until the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 2 to make things official with UCF, are still operating within the early signing window.
This trend isn’t slowing down. If anything, it’s accelerating.
Why? Because getting players on campus early is a huge advantage.
Enrolling in January means they can participate in spring practice, get acclimated to the playbook, and start competing for playing time right away. Add in the pull of NIL opportunities and the chance to make an immediate impact - like we’ve seen from Jeremiah Smith at Chaminade-Madonna or Malachi Toney at American Heritage - and it’s easy to see why waiting until February just doesn’t make much sense anymore.
The Transfer Portal Adds Another Layer
The NCAA’s latest tweak to the transfer portal has only further diminished the February signing period. This year, the portal was open for just two weeks - from Jan. 2 to Jan. 16 - down from the previous two-window system that included an April period after spring football.
That change has created a sense of urgency for programs looking to finalize their rosters. If a school wants a transfer to contribute in spring ball, they need that player enrolled by the start of the semester. That means decisions - and signings - need to happen fast.
Even in cases like Darian Mensah, who transferred from Duke to Miami in late January, schools are bending over backward to get those players into classes and onto the field. But those are the exceptions, not the rule. For most programs, the roster is already set heading into spring.
And that’s the problem for unsigned high school prospects still waiting in February. It’s not that they lack talent - it’s that the timing no longer works in their favor. With rosters largely full and no April portal window to tweak things later, coaches are less inclined to hold spots open or take late fliers.
A Year Makes a Big Difference
Just one year ago, February still had some juice. Bill Belichick - yes, that Bill Belichick - signed four Florida players in February to round out his first class at North Carolina.
Florida State added Cocoa center Sandman Thompson. Iowa State picked up Middleburg’s BJ Carter.
N.C. State landed Norland edge rusher Adrian Farrow.
And UCF, which didn’t have a head coach during the early window in 2024, used February to sign Lakeland defensive lineman Trenton Turner.
There were real, meaningful additions made during that second window.
This year? Don’t expect anything close to that.
So, Is February Signing Day Dead?
Not officially. It’s still on the calendar.
But for most FBS programs, it’s little more than a leftover date from a different era. The action has shifted to December, and the portal has reshaped how and when rosters are built.
There will still be a few signings on Wednesday. A handful of late bloomers or under-the-radar prospects will find homes. But the days of February being a national spectacle - with hats on tables, televised announcements, and classes hanging in the balance - are long gone.
College football has evolved. The recruiting calendar has changed.
And February’s National Signing Day? It’s not dead, but it’s definitely not what it used to be.