It’s almost unbelievable that the early signing period begins the Wednesday before conference championships are played. Still, thanks to a new recruiting calendar, the December college football craziness starts early.
This year’s first day of the signing period could be wild. Who flips, and who stays? College Football Network has the 10 most impactful players on “Flip Watch.” This goes beyond the number of stars by each player’s name and looks at the most consequential potential recruiting flips.
Recruiting Rumors: Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele Headlines Top 10 Players on Flip Watch
10) Linkon Cure | TE, Kansas State Commit
When an elite talent emerges close to home, non-Blue Bloods have to try to beat the national powers. The Kansas State Wildcats are trying desperately to fend off the Oregon Ducks for their local star, Linkon Cure, the top player in Kansas and one of the top players in the country.
Sources indicate their lead may be slipping, and they’ll try to hold on in the last hours before he signs on Wednesday.
9) Bryce Baker | QB, North Carolina Commit
The No. 10 quarterback on our top 2025 quarterbacks list is reportedly delaying his signing and might not even sign in the early window. That’s good news for the Penn State Nittany Lions and perhaps even the LSU Tigers, who popped up out of nowhere as a potential suitor.
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Obviously, the local North Carolina Tar Heels would like to secure Bryce Baker’s signature, but it’s looking like he’s going to wait out the coaching search before deciding.
8) Na’eem Offord | CB, Ohio State Commit
At one time, Na’eem Offord was all but guaranteed to end up somewhere other than Columbus, Ohio. But, Offord visited for the Michigan game, and the Ohio State Buckeyes seem to have a bit of momentum.
On the flip side, the Auburn Tigers are the only team with a losing record in the top 20 of On3’s Industry Rankings and could still finish with some momentum. The best way for a potential hot-seat coach to earn good favor is to bring in talent. If the Tigers can flip Offord, he’d add to an already strong recruiting class.
7) Solomon Thomas | IOL, Florida State Commit
There’s a lot to unpack with Solomon Thomas’ recruitment.
Three teams are in it, and his commitment would mean different things to each school. If Florida State can hold on, Thomas is a guy not only who could play early but who saw the mess of a season the Seminoles endured and still made it to campus.
If he flips to LSU, it would soften the blow of some of the Tigers’ recent misses, while Florida lurks after flipping 10 players in this cycle.
6) Kevin Wynn | IDL, Florida State Commit
I’m genuinely interested to see where Kevin Wynn ends up. A long-time Florida State commit, Wynn is hearing from the South Carolina Gamecocks and Georgia. We know that the Bulldogs love high-profile defensive tackles, while the Gamecocks’ defensive line has been among the best in the country this season.
He’s another guy Florida State wants to keep in the class, while Georgia has missed on a few defensive linemen and the Gamecocks have no interior linemen under the age of 20 on their roster.
5) Jaime Ffrench Jr. | WR, Texas Commit
Jaime Ffrench Jr. has had an odd recruitment but seemed to shut things down when he committed to the Texas Longhorns. However, the Florida Gators are the hottest team on the recruiting trail in college football and are looking to flip Ffrench.
If they can, it’s a testament to how Ffrench feels about the program’s direction. DJ Lagway would undoubtedly play a role in this, and Florida’s strong finish proves that Billy Napier has survived a rocky year.
4) Michael Fasusi | OT, Oklahoma Commit
I’m always intrigued when a top player is committed to a team that has struggled while considering other teams that haven’t. Michael Fasusi is committed to the Oklahoma Sooners but is still considering the Texas A&M Aggies and Texas Longhorns.
He’s visited each of the top in-state schools in the last two weeks, and Oklahoma is desperate to hold onto the gem of its class.
3) Ryan Montgomery | QB, Georgia Commit
Florida could be closing in on one of the best final stretches in recruiting rankings history. Just over a month ago, the Gators had one of the worst classes in the Power Four. Now, they’ve flipped double-digit prospects, have their eyes set on others on this list and feel confident enough to make a run at Ryan Montgomery, who has been solidly committed to Georgia since April.
Florida was in Montgomery’s original final three and a flip would be huge for the Gators, even with Tramell Jones in the mix. Georgia has recently been in the mix for a second quarterback commit, but struck out. If the Bulldogs lost Montgomery as well, it’d be a significant development.
2) Derek Meadows | WR, LSU Commit
The Alabama Crimson Tide and Michigan Wolverines are pushing to flip 6’6″ wide receiver Derek Meadows from LSU. A few weeks ago, the Tigers looked like a lock to have a top-three recruiting class. Now, the Tigers are scratching and clawing just to hold onto their position in the top 10.
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A potentially unique consequence of the earlier signing date is that current players will have plenty of time to see the direction of the team’s recruiting before deciding whether or not to enter the transfer portal. I mentioned in the last flip watch that LSU’s 2025 class feels like Florida’s 2024 class, but the Gators were able to hold onto their five-star quarterback while the Tigers lost theirs to Michigan.
If Meadows or others flip, especially to a conference rival like Alabama, it could bode poorly for Brian Kelly’s future.
1) Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele | QB, Cal Commit
The No. 5 quarterback in our 2025 quarterback rankings is the top player here, not because he’s undoubtedly going to flip, but because he might not.
Just a week ago, it looked like Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele would be a lock to flip to the Oregon Ducks. Still, The California Golden Bears have done an excellent job here and have a real chance to fend off the top team in the country for a five-star quarterback commit.
Sagapolutele is a program changer, and if he makes it to campus, the Bears have a guy who could start early next season.
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