FSU, Miami try to flip narrative

Florida State and Miami were hoping signing day could help put to the negativity of 2018 to rest and provide a push toward better times.

Coming off a 5-7 record in their first season under coach Willie Taggart, the Seminoles landed a top 20 class but struck out on a much-needed quarterback Wednesday

Miami, coming off a 7-6 season and coach Mark Richt’s surprising retirement, managed to finally provide some good news for Hurricanes fans. New coach Manny Diaz bolstered the ’Canes recruiting class with some high-profile transfers.

This is the second year for college football’s early December signing period and it’s made the traditional signing day in February something of an afterthought. More than 80 percent of the scholarships in FBS were scooped up in December, and the vast majority of the highly touted prospects were off the board.

Still, the usual suspects made some noise, especially in the SEC. Alabama, which had already pretty much locked up another recruiting national title, had a couple of four-stars flip to other schools, but the Tide also pulled 330-pound defensive tackle Ishmael Sopsher out of Louisiana and away from LSU.

Georgia had the day’s biggest surprise, getting five-star receiver George Pickens to drop his Auburn verbal commitment to sign with the Bulldogs.