The 2018 college football recruiting cycle has been unlike any before thanks to the creation of an early signing period in late December. That three-day window for high school prospects to turn in their national letters of intent led to a large number of recruits making it official nearly two months earlier than normal.
That includes a majority of the top 100 players in the 2018 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. Many of them have already enrolled in order to get a jump on their careers via spring practice, while others signed but won't join the program until summer.