The Late Signing Period is wrapping up the 2024 recruiting class. There’s no better time to hand out some hardware in the latest edition of The Gorney Awards.
NO DRAMA: Terry Bussey
Bussey committed to Texas A&M in late September and then endured so much including another disappointing season for the Aggies, the departure of former coach Jimbo Fisher and then major flip attempts by LSU and Georgia.
The Timpson, Texas, five-star athlete went on Instagram Wednesday morning and with little drama announced he’s sticking with the Aggies, giving new coach Mike Elko a huge win – and momentum – heading into the offseason.
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CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR: LSU
In the days leading up to Bussey’s announcement, the whispers were that Bussey was legitimately torn between LSU and Texas A&M, and while the five-star ended up sticking with the Aggies, coach Brian Kelly and his staff have to get some credit for not backing down.
The celebration in Baton Rouge Wednesday came when five-star Dominick McKinley signed with the Tigers so Bussey would’ve just been icing on the cake.
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SLEEPER WATCH: Kahmir Prescott
Prescott is the type of seek-and-destroy safety that should be a great asset in Nebraska’s secondary. The former Wisconsin pledge plays with some of that Philadelphia toughness in his game as the Neumann-Goretti standout likes to headhunt from his secondary position but he’s also good at playing in space and in coverage.
His commitment to the Huskers didn’t get a lot of national fanfare but Prescott is a player.
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SLEEPER WATCH II: Quintavion Norman
I’ll admit it: I never heard of Norman before he signed with Kentucky on Wednesday. But when his decision came across the board, I watched the tape of the Covington (Ga.) Newton linebacker and it was really, really impressive.
All of 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Norman can play inside or outside, he can come off the edge and he’s always in the backfield chasing people down. Did the Wildcats find a total sleeper east of Atlanta? We think so.
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RECLASS WATCH: Stanford
Stanford did something unusual on Wednesday: The Cardinal didn’t add any prospects except for two 2025 prospects who reclassified early in the day to 2024 and now join the class.
Four-star offensive guard Charlie Hoitink was one and the other was Grand Rapids (Mich.) Forest Hills Central three-star athlete Maxwell Richardson. Stanford sits at a very-respectable third in the Pac-12 team rankings.
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SNEAKY WIN: Dayshaun Burnett
Not to be a lost in a day that’s nowhere near as busy as December but still has some pace to it was the commitment of four-star linebacker Dayshaun Burnett, who picked Penn State over Pitt and others.
The Pittsburgh (Pa.) Imani Christian Academy standout in the 2025 class is great off the edge and in coverage, but where Burnett is best is tracking players down and making the tackle. It’s another strong linebacker pickup for the Nittany Lions.
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SURPRISE, SURPRISE: Josaiah Knight
There was almost no talk about Knight picking Mississippi State on signing day and he admittedly got lost in the shuffle after he signed with Illinois in December so it came as a big shock Wednesday morning when Knight popped up on Mississippi State’s X handle that he signed with the Bulldogs.
It’s a big win for first-year coach Jeff Lebby and staff as the Havana (Fla.) Gadsden County three-star defensive end is a great edge rusher and provides more depth on Mississippi State’s defensive line.
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NOTHING TO SEE HERE: Ryan Williams
Essentially, five-star Ryan Williams has been committed to Alabama since October 2022 except for a two-week window over the last few weeks when he reopened his recruitment and took a serious look at Auburn, Texas A&M and others.
But the prolific five-star receiver, who finished No. 2 at the position nationally, went back to the Crimson Tide and after a slight delay Wednesday morning, signed with Alabama during a ceremony at his school.
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WINNER, WINNER: Texas A&M
There was not a ton of commitments or moves on the second signing day as mostly everything was wrapped up in December but Texas A&M has to like how things settled on Wednesday. Coach Mike Elko and his staff closed on Bussey the five-star athlete who can play anywhere on the field. They also landed four-star receiver Ashton Bethel-Roman, who got out of his Arkansas NLI and then picked the Aggies after a late push from from Baylor.
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