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College football signing day: Who is headed to Notre Dame, Illinois, Northwestern and NIU — plus incoming and outgoing transfers

Chicago Tribune staff, Chicago Tribune
·4 min read

College football programs across the country welcomed new classes of high school recruits during the Dec. 20-22 early signing period — which has, in reality, become the main signing period.

Bringing in the country’s best high school seniors, however, is only one part of the equation these days with the explosion of the NCAA transfer portal and college athletes no longer having to sit out a year after transferring.

Now coaches also must “recruit” their incumbent players to remain in the program while perusing the portal to fill needs often created by outgoing transfers.

Here’s a look at the classes signed by Notre Dame, Illinois, Northwestern and Northern Illinois, along with the transfers each school is bringing in — and those who have left through the portal. (Class rankings from the 247 Sports composite as of Jan. 16; *-January 2024 enrollee.)

Notre Dame

Ranking: No. 11 nationally

High school signees: 23

  • Taebron Bennie-Powell, S, Cincinnati

  • *CJ Carr, QB, Saline, Mich.

  • *Micah Gilbert, WR, Charlotte, N.C.

  • Karson Hobbs, CB, Cincinnati

  • Tae Johnson, ATH, Fort Wayne, Ind.

  • *Peter Jones, OL, Coatesville, Pa.

  • Bodie Kahoun, LB, Roanoke, Va.

  • *Anthonie Knapp, OL, Roswell, Ga.

  • Guerby Lambert, OL, Boston

  • *Jack Larsen, TE, Charlotte, N.C.

  • Leonard Moore, CB, Round Rock, Texas

  • *Cole Mullins, DL, Hoschton, Ga.

  • *Styles Prescod, OL, Fishers, Ind.

  • Teddy Rezac, LB, Omaha, Neb.

  • Logan Saldate, WR, Gilroy, Calif.

  • *Sean Sevillano Jr., DL, Clearwater, Fla.

  • *Loghan Thomas, DL, Lakewood, Ohio

  • *Kennedy Urlacher, S, Chandler, Ariz.

  • *Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, LB, Bellflower, Calif.

  • *Aneyas Williams, RB, Hannibal, Mo.

  • *Cam Williams, WR, Glenbard South

  • *Bryce Young, DL, Charlotte, N.C.

  • *Kedren Young, RB, Lufkin, Texas

Transfers in: 8

  • Jordan Clark, S, Arizona State

  • Beaux Collins, WR, Clemson

  • Jayden Harrison, WR, Marshall

  • Rod Heard, CB, Northwestern

  • Mitch Jeter, K, South Carolina

  • Riley Leonard, QB, Duke

  • Kris Mitchell, WR, Florida International

  • RJ Oben, DL, Duke

Transfers out: 14

  • Ryan Barnes, CB (Massachusetts)

  • Michael Carmody, OL

  • Antonio Carter II, S

  • Zeke Correll, OL (N.C. State)

  • Rico Flores Jr., WR (UCLA)

  • Ramon Henderson, S

  • Braylon James, WR (TCU)

  • Aidan Keanaaina, DL (California)

  • Tobias Merriweather, WR (California)

  • Nana Osafo-Mensah, DL (TCU)

  • Holden Staes, TE (Tennessee)

  • Joey Tanona, OL (Purdue)

  • Chris Tyree, WR (Virginia)

  • Nolan Ziegler, LB (Central Michigan)

Illinois

Ranking: No. 44 nationally, No. 14 in Big Ten

High school/junior college signees: 19

  • Easton Baker, DL, Stansbury, Utah

  • *Joe Barna, LB, Wheaton North

  • *Daniel Brown, LB, Hutchinson CC (Kan.)

  • *Chase Canada, DB, Trinity Valley CC (Texas)

  • *Andrew Dennis, OL, Mount Pleasant, Mich.

  • *Tysean Griffin, WR, Morgan Park

  • *Brandon Hansen, OL, Mundelein

  • Tanner Hollinger, TE, Stromsburg, Neb.

  • *Demetrius John, DL, Columbus, Ohio

  • *JoJo Knight, LB, Bainbridge, Ga.

  • *Angelo McCullom, DL, Pickerington, Ohio

  • Carlos Orr, WR, Etowah, Tenn.

  • *Trey Petty, QB, Starkville, Miss.

  • Amar Reynolds, DB, Fort Pierce, Fla.

  • *Mario Sanders II, WR, Iowa Central CC

  • Zafir Stewart, OL, Philadelphia

  • *Eddie Tuerk, DL, Lyons

  • Ca’Lil Valentine, RB, Hayward, Calif.

  • *Vernon Woodward III, DB, DeLand, Fla.

Transfers in: 6

  • J.C. Davis, OL, New Mexico

  • Anthony Johnson, DL, Youngstown State

  • Melvin Priestly, OL, Grambling State

  • Cole Rusk, TE, Murray State

  • Enyce Sledge, DL, Auburn

  • Kevin Wigenton, OL, Michigan State

Transfers out: 7

  • Zachary Barlev, OL (Old Dominion)

  • Jean-Marc Etienne, RB

  • Reggie Love III, RB (Purdue)

  • Sed McConnell, DL (Boston College)

  • Shawn Miller, WR (New Mexico)

  • Tahveon Nicholson, CB (Mississippi)

  • Fabrizio Pinton, K

Northwestern

Ranking: No. 101 nationally, No. 18 in Big Ten

High school signees: 15

  • Ryan Boe, QB, Batavia

  • Callen Campbell, DL, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

  • Idrys Cotton, OL, Canton, Mich.

  • Terrion Curry-Hicks, CB, Lexington, Ky.

  • Hayden Eligon II, WR, Lakewood, Calif.

  • Carson Grove, WR, Hersey

  • Qayvier Johnson, LB, New Haven, Conn.

  • Sean Martin, S, Cleveland

  • Timi Oke, CB, London

  • Dashun Reeder, RB, Greer, S.C.

  • Troy Regovich, DL, Chesterland, Ohio

  • Patrick Schaller, TE, Glenbrook North

  • Matthew Smith, LB, Durham, N.C.

  • Braxton Strong, DL, Peru, Ind.

  • Tito Williams Jr., S, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Transfers in: None

Transfers out: 8

  • Alex Doost, OL (Arizona)

  • Zachary Franks, OL

  • Cole Freeman, QB

  • Rod Heard, CB (Notre Dame)

  • Matt Lawson, DL

  • Josh Priebe, OL (Michigan)

  • Anthony Tyus, RB

  • Nigel Williams, CB

Northern Illinois

Ranking: No. 90 nationally, No. 6 in MAC

High school/junior college signees: 20

  • La’Don Bryant, WR, Savannah, Ga.

  • George Dimopoulos, WR, Crystal Lake Central

  • *Dashaun Gibson, CB, Manassas, Va.

  • AJ Guida, LB, Highlands Ranch, Colo.

  • Ben Gustafson, OL, Elkhorn, Neb.

  • Lance Ingold, DL, Rochester, Ill.

  • Telly Johnson Jr., RB, Augusta, Ga.

  • Ross Liegel, DL, Rock Springs, Wis.

  • *Kenny Leuth, QB, American River CC (Calif.)

  • Lane Mahnesmith, OL, Troy, Ill.

  • Luke Marble, QB, Smyrna, Ga.

  • KJ McRae, LB, Covington, Ga.

  • Ivan Moore Jr., DL, Kenwood

  • Grey Rumohr, OL, Wales, Wis.

  • Ahmir Smith, RB, Santee, S.C.

  • Joe Stein, TE, Grand Island, Neb.

  • Adrian Thomas, S, Milwaukee

Transfers in: 6

  • Jake Appleget, TE, Nebraska

  • Christian Fuhrman, LB, Southeast Missouri State

  • Kenji Lewis, WR, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

  • Jalen Macon, QB, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

  • Andrew McElroy, WR, St. Thomas

  • Mark Pretto, LB, Fordham

Transfers out: 10

  • Phillip Baynes Jr., LB (Tyler JC)

  • C.J. Brown, S

  • Mike Florentine, LS

  • Louis Frye, S (Temple)

  • George Gumbs, DE (Florida)

  • Bryce Harrison, TE

  • Devin Lafayette, S (Jackson State)

  • Rashon Myles Jr., LB

  • Pete Nygra, OL (Louisville)

  • Trey Urwiler, WR (Aurora)