Ken Schreiber: Deion Sanders continues to make prime-time moves with signing-day shocker
The regular season may be over but there is no shortage of developments across the college football landscape.
First, the early signing day for recruits began on Dec. 15 and, as usual, the rich got richer. Alabama was No. 2, Georgia No. 3, but Texas A&M surprised with the No. 1 recruiting class.
Normally, that would have been the story but something that has never happened before stole the show. Defensive back Travis Hunter, arguably the top overall prospect with a unanimous five-star rating, flipped on a verbal commitment to Florida State and signed with FCS Jackson State. He is the first five-star player to commit to a FCS school in history. And who is the head coach at Jackson State? You guessed it, Deion Sanders — Mr. Prime Time.
How did this happen? This is like the University of Rhode Island receiving a commitment from a potential "can't-miss" NFL player. The point here is that the Tigers play at a lower level of college football. Their games are not seen on Saturday on national television and, while they play quality football, it's not against opponents with other five-star recruits. There are rumors that have not been substantiated that Hunter has been promised a lucrative NIL deal but that was probably there from Florida State if requested as well.
The reality is that Sanders never has done anything in his life quietly or without success. He was boisterous and electrifying as an NFL player and Hall of Famer and provocative as an NFL commentator. Why would we expect anything different when Sanders, without any coaching experience, took the job at Jackson State? We wouldn't. Jackson State finished 11-1, won the SWAC and played on Saturday at a sold-out Cricket Celebration Bowl against South Carolina State. Unfortunately for Sanders, SCSU won, 31-10.
For the Win: The college football world is stunned as No. 1 recruit Travis Hunter flips from Florida St
Sanders is a game-changer at anything he chooses to commit to and it is ridiculous that with all his credentials, no FBS university has reached out to him to coach its program. The other irony here is that Hunter was an FSU commit — Sanders' alma mater. That's where Sanders belongs — resurrecting the Seminole program and being on the national stage of college football.
◘Did you know there are more than 1,000 players who entered the transfer portal this year? It's not just recruiting that is important; it's about preserving your own numbers and winning the war against attrition. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney described it this way: "It's chaos right now. Tampering galore, adults manipulating young men. Education is like the last thing right now." He's right about everything except education, which has been the last thing for about decades.
Tracking the moves: College football transfer portal: Where the most intriguing players are going
◘Then there is the Urban Meyer saga. I know he's an NFL story after being fired by the Jacksonville Jaguars after just 13 games (2-11) but he's synonymous with college football.
He won three national championships at two different schools. Unfortunately, Jacksonville never did its homework on Meyer. This isn't opinion, it's fact. Meyer coached at Florida for six years, from 2005-2010. His 2008 team alone had 41 players on its championship roster who had either been arrested while at Florida or after their college careers concluded.
Then there's the fiasco at Ohio State regarding assistant coach Zach Smith's domestic violence history and what Meyer knew about it, forcing his resignation in 2019. And this year, a video surfaced of him, after a tough loss to Cincinnati, not flying back with the team and instead heading to a Columbus club that bears his name, only to be seen with a young female, not his wife, partying and dancing.
There's a plethora of other quotes, statements and developments publicly available that reflect his, at best, embellishment of the truth.
The point is that the Jaguars should have known what they were getting. Meyer was a complete embarrassment. It says here that ESPN and/or Fox will somehow overlook all of these character issues and offer him gainful employment for next season. What kind of a message is that sending? A wrong one for sure. But, remember, you didn't just hear it here first, you heard it here only — period!
Opinion: Urban Meyer's NFL tenure was an embarrassment — and Jimmy Johnson can explain how it all went wrong
◘The bowl games have started and so have the announcements of prospective NFL players saying they will not play. The latest list includes Pitt quarterback Kenneth Pickett, a Heisman finalist, and Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III. More to follow. By the way, Oregon State played Utah State in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl on Saturday, without a doubt the worst name of any bowl — and there are a lot of them — I have ever seen. A television entertainer? Seriously?
TB12: Tom Brady taps into name, image and likeness with launch of new apparel brand
◘You may have heard that Tom Brady, yes that one, is coming out with his own apparel line, "Brady." The Buccaneers quarterback announced last week that he's signed NIL agreements with Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara, Jackson State's quarterback Shedeur Sanders (yes, Deion's son), Georgia wide receiver George Pickens and Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall, among a total of nine athletes he has signed so far. Not sure how these players are selected but good for Brady in giving back. The reality is the Brady name will be the ultimate selling attraction. The line is supposed to be launched in early 2022.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Prime Time move: Deion Sanders' surprise recruitment of Travis Hunter
