5 takeaways from 1st day of early signing period

As if bowl season and a loaded transfer portal weren't enough, Wednesday marked the opening of the early signing period across college football.

Almost all of the top-100 prospects in the class of 2023 picked their future school, with a couple of notable decisions ruling the news cycle.

Here are five takeaways from the opening of the early signing period.

Loaded quarterback class makes decisions

There's talent all across the board in the class of 2023, but the quarterback position is where this year's crop really shines. The top-three overall prospects in the ESPN 300 are all passers, and nine of the top 40 play quarterback.

The star-studded duo at the top - Malachi Nelson and Arch Manning - has been among the most highly touted pair of recruits in recent years. Both players attracted a national following while in high school. Nelson is off to USC to become Lincoln Riley's latest star passer once reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams departs after 2023. Manning needs no introduction, as the nephew of Peyton and Eli was featured across national platforms for almost two years before signing with Texas.

Dante Moore, the nation's third overall prospect, is headed west to join UCLA. The Michigan native originally committed to Oregon but opted to flip to the Bruins just before signing day. That move gives Chip Kelly the perfect replacement for the departing Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

Jackson Arnold is the latest quarterback of the future at Oklahoma as Brent Venables landed the No. 8 prospect following his first season with the Sooners. Nick Saban left nothing to chance by nabbing two top-five pocket-passing quarterbacks in Eli Holstein and Dylan Lonergan for Alabama, while Florida added talented dual-threat option Jaden Rashada.

All four teams in the College Football Playoff have top-11 offensive units this season, highlighting the need for a dominant attack. The schools listed above certainly took a step in the right direction to ensure their program has one.

Flip city for Oregon

Although Oregon began its week by losing Dante Moore's commitment, Dan Lanning softened that blow with an incredible showing Wednesday. First, the Ducks flipped the 13th-ranked quarterback - Austin Novosad from Baylor - to fill Moore's spot.

However, their biggest splash came on the defensive side of the ball. Five-star safety Peyton Bowen chose the Ducks despite a previous commitment to Notre Dame, and four-star defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei pledged for Oregon just 10 minutes later. Lanning wasn't done bolstering the defense, either, as the Ducks added another flip in four-star cornerback Daylen Austin from LSU.

The potential for Nike NIL deals from company founder and Oregon booster Phil Knight certainly helps Oregon in recruiting, but Lanning still has to deliver the talent. The performance by the first-year coach and his staff Wednesday shows he's more than comfortable in doing that.

Saban reloads with incredible haul

For just the second time in eight years, Alabama won't be playing in the College Football Playoff. The on-field performance wasn't up to the usual brilliant level we're accustomed to in Tuscaloosa, but Nick Saban showed Wednesday that the program is still the absolute pinnacle of recruiting. The 70-year-old laid the foundation for what could be his best class ever, pulling in a whopping 10 players in the top 30 of the ESPN 300.

The early noise came Tuesday night with the flip of five-star offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor from Iowa, and Wednesday brought the five-star duo of linebacker Jaquavious Russaw and defensive tackle James Smith. Add safety Caleb Downs, and the Tide have four of the top-12 players in the class of 2023.

Saban also added some offensive flair with the nation's top two running backs, Richard Young and Justice Haynes, as well as highly touted quarterbacks Eli Holstein and Dylan Lonergan.

When the smoke cleared Wednesday, Alabama found itself with the nation's top outside linebacker, safety, running back, and defensive end, along with top-five players in at least 10 different positions. That should be good enough to secure the eighth No. 1 class of Saban's Crimson Tide tenure.

Offensive players flock to Riley, USC

During Riley's six seasons as a head coach, his quarterbacks have won the Heisman Trophy three times. That absurd rate gives the USC head coach the strongest quarterback recruiting pitch in the country: Sign with me, and you have a 50% chance of winning the Heisman. That paid off once again with the class of 2023 as Malachi Nelson - the top-ranked quarterback and No. 1 overall player - is headed to Los Angeles.

The California native becomes the sixth ESPN 300 quarterback to sign with Riley.

The talented passer wasn't the only top offensive recruit to join Riley and USC, as the Trojans added two potent weapons at wide receiver. Zachariah Branch and Makai Lemon rank No. 1 and 2 in the country at the position, respectively. Both are five-star players and top-13 overall prospects. That dynamic duo should contribute immediately and give Caleb Williams two new stars to look for in the passing game.

Poor seasons don't slow Miami, Oklahoma

The on-field product in both Miami and Oklahoma left a lot to be desired in Mario Cristobal and Brent Venables' respective debut campaigns, but the duo delivered on the recruiting trail Wednesday.

Despite No. 4 overall recruit Cormani McClain opting against signing with Miami on Day 1, the nation's best cornerback remains committed for the time being. That gives Cristobal 15 players signed from the ESPN 300, including No. 5 overall prospect Francis Mauigoa. With the nation's Nos. 1 and 3 offensive tackles, No. 2 tight end, and the 10th- and 11th-ranked defensive ends on board, Cristobal can further shape the roster to play the ground-and-pound football he desires.

As mentioned above, Venables' biggest haul was star quarterback Jackson Arnold, whom he grabbed out of the state of Texas. The Sooners also added star receiver and eighth-ranked wideout Jaquaize Pettaway from the Lone Star State. The defensive side of the ball drastically needed an upgrade after a third-to-last performance in the Big 12. Venables delivered by getting the athletic Jacobe Johnson on board, along with highly touted defensive ends Derrick LeBlanc and Adepoju Adebawore.

There's plenty of work to be done by both men to make the Hurricanes and Sooners competitive nationally, but Wednesday's results represented steps forward.