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National Signing Day 2015 live updates: Byron Cowart picks Auburn – SportingNews.com

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National Signing Day 2015 live updates: Byron Cowart picks Auburn – SportingNews.com

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National Signing Day 2015 is finally here, and Sporting News has you covered with the latest news, rankings, reaction and scouting reports from what will be another memorable day in the college football world.

Keep this tab open in your browser or bookmark the page as we provide live updates and links to all of our NSD coverage.

NATIONAL SIGNING DAY: Ranking the top recruiters | Top 25 recruits | 25 best uncommitted prospects | 5-star studs, duds past 10 years

5:00 p.m. ET: Every top-100 player scheduled to announce his commitment has made their decisions, and with the exceptions of some possible evening flips and the status of UCLA linebacker commitment Roquan Smith, the top 10 of 247Sports’ Composite Team Rankings is set.

MORE: Bender: Butch Jones fulfilling ‘vision’ at Tennessee with another strong class | 10 impact freshmen for 2015

Here’s a quick look at the top 10:

And here is a recap of all the commitments from today:

No. 2 OT Martez Ivey (11 a.m.): FLORIDA

No. 3 DE Byron Cowart (9 a.m.): AUBURN

No. 4 DB Iman Marshall (4 p.m.): USC

No. 7 DE CeCe Jefferson (2 p.m.): FLORIDA

No. 13 DE Terry Beckner Jr. (10 a.m.): MISSOURI

No. 14 DT Daylon Mack (12:30 p.m.): TEXAS A&M

No. 23 DT Rasheem Green (2 p.m.): USC

No. 32 ATH Soso Jamabo (9 a.m.): UCLA

No. 43 WR Damarkus Lodge (noon): OLE MISS

No. 47 LB Roquan Smith (11 a.m.): UCLA

No. 49 LB John Houston (2:15 p.m.): USC

No. 77 RB Chris Warren (TBA): TEXAS

No. 85 TE Chris Clark (9 a.m.): UCLA

No. 87 DE Joseph Wicker (4 p.m.): ARIZONA STATE

No. 94 RB Dexter Williams (11 a.m.): NOTRE DAME

This post will have any major updates that may break in the next hour or so, but it appears the dust has settled from this year’s National Signing Day frenzy. Be sure to check out all of Sporting News’ coverage of today’s events and keep an eye out for more reaction throughout the week. 

4:15 p.m. ET: USC’s incredible run on National Signing Day was just capped by its biggest signing of the class.

Five-star cornerback Iman Marshall, the No. 4 recruit in the country, announced Wednesday afternoon that he will be a Trojan. How big of a pickup is he for USC? Sporting News contributor Brian McLaughlin called him the closest to a sure thing we have in this cycle.

MORE: New Notre Dame WR speaks in three languages, has incredible name | Snoop Dogg’s son picks UCLA over USC

USC’s strong finish in the last 24 hours pulled them close to having the nation’s No. 1 class, according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. The Trojans picked up three consensus 5-star recruits in the span of a few hours.

Meanwhile, down South, Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn confirmed that #CowartWatch2015 is complete. He will officially be a Tiger.

There is still no update, though, on the status of Roquan Smith and his internal battle between UCLA and Georgia.

2:25 p.m. ET: Florida is getting at least one top-10 defensive end today.

Five-star recruit CeCe Jefferson is headed to Gainesville after his announcement Wednesday afternoon. The nation’s No. 7 overall player picked the Gators over SEC rivals Alabama, Auburn and Ole Miss.

MORE: Bender: Meyer wins first recruiting battle with Harbaugh. What’s next? | RB chooses modeling over football on NSD

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, a pair of five-star high school teammates – linebacker John Houston and defensive tackle Rasheem Green – are going to be Trojans. USC won’t be able to catch Alabama for the No. 1 class, according to 247Sports, but the Trojans are closing strong once again for a second straight Signing Day.

As for #CowartWatch2015, there are no new updates at this time. Cowart’s National Letter of Intent has not arrived in either Auburn or Gainesville.

The next major announcement will be from USC cornerback Iman Marshall, scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.

1:40 p.m. ET: Update on #CowartWatch2015 – according to Mike Farrell of Rivals, it appears Cowart is going to send his Letter of Intent to Auburn after all:

According to 247Sports’ Justin Hokanson, Auburn is “very confident” in Cowart’s signing.

Either way, stay tuned. Five-star DE CeCe Jefferson makes his announcement just after the top of the hour.

1:05 p.m. ET: Byron Cowart committed to Auburn this morning. His National Letter of Intent has not been faxed into Auburn yet.

What follows is a five-act play of pure confusion over the No. 3 overall player in the country:

Stay tuned for more coverage of #CowartWatch2015.

12:45 p.m. ET: Daylon Mack’s December decommitment from Texas A&M and recruitment by several in-state rivals caused a bit of panic in Aggie Land.

But Mack, the No. 14 overall player and the No. 4 defensive tackle, is back with the Aggies after his announcement Wednesday. He will immediately bolster a struggling A&M defense that has a few bright young stars, including former 5-star defensive end Myles Garrett.

MORE: Four-star RB chooses Texas by flipping a coin | Katy Perry’s left shark commits to Boise State

Meanwhile, in Georgia, that morning UCLA announcement from 4-star linebacker Roquan Smith might not be set in stone:

Last time I checked, a commitment is a decision – but this is National Signing Day. Anything can happen.

12:15 p.m. ET: The mornings are always the most hectic on National Signing Day as the number of top recruits usually take care of their announcements earlier in the day. However, there are still a handful of top 100 prospects still waiting to make their decisions, so here’s a recap of scheduled announcements and the NSD commitments so far:

No. 2 OT Martez Ivey (11 a.m.): FLORIDA

No. 3 DE Byron Cowart (9 a.m.): AUBURN

No. 4 DB Iman Marshall (4 p.m.): USC

No. 7 DE CeCe Jefferson (2 p.m.): FLORIDA

No. 13 DE Terry Beckner Jr. (10 a.m.): MISSOURI

No. 14 DT Daylon Mack (12:30 p.m.): TEXAS A&M

No. 23 DT Rasheem Green (2 p.m.): USC

No. 32 ATH Soso Jamabo (9 a.m.): UCLA

No. 43 WR Damarkus Lodge (noon): OLE MISS

No. 47 LB Roquan Smith (11 a.m.): UCLA

No. 49 LB John Houston (2:15 p.m.): USC

No. 77 RB Chris Warren (TBA): TEXAS

No. 85 TE Chris Clark (9 a.m.): UCLA

No. 87 DE Joseph Wicker (4 p.m.): ARIZONA STATE

No. 94 RB Dexter Williams (11 a.m.): NOTRE DAME

We’ll also use this time to look at the updated 247Sports Composite Team Rankings. UCLA and Auburn have been the biggest movers of the day by breaking into the top 10, while Georgia and Clemson have made some small slides in the downward direction. LSU, on the other hand, has soared into the top five:

11:40 a.m. ET: Florida has finally gotten a major in-state recruit over Auburn – and he’s the biggest one of the day.

No. 2 overall player Martez Ivey, a 5-star offensive tackle from Apopka High School, got right down to business over on ESPNU and quickly picked the Gators over the Tigers. Ivey is definitely the biggest recruit so far for new head coach Jim McElwain and will most likely play early and often in Gainesville.

MORE: Hayes: The Muschamp Effect for Auburn and Florida on NSD | BYU picks up 6-7, 410-pound commitment

Meanwhile, Jim Mora and his UCLA staff might start singing from the LEGO Movie soundtrack. The Bruins snagged 4-star outside linebacker Roquan Smith from Montezuma, Georgia over several finalists, including the in-state Bulldogs and some place called “Michigan University.”

UCLA has already jumped eight spots today in 247Sports’ Composite Team Rankings and could make a run at the top 10 with another big-time signing or two.

10:50 a.m. ET: There’s nothing wrong with some tears on a highly emotional day.

Five-star Illinois native Terry Beckner Jr., one of the nation’s top defensive tackles, had tears streaming down his face as he announced he was staying close to home with Missouri over Ohio State, Auburn and a laundry list of offers.

Meanwhile, things kept coming up well for Auburn in their battle against Florida as the Tigers landed 4-star linebacker Jeffery Holland, who was a target of the Gators under Muschamp’s staff. Muschamp, in case you didn’t know, is now the defensive coordinator at Auburn.

Up next: No. 2 overall recruit Martez Ivey picks between Auburn and Florida. Can the Gators win a major battle today? Stay tuned.

10:15 a.m. ET: Tennessee just landed 4-star offensive tackle Drew Richmond, who decommitted from Ole Miss on Monday night.

MORE: Signing Day’s biggest storylines | Jamobo picks UCLA with Childish Gambino line

The Volunteers’ recruiting class keeps rising under Butch Jones, who also signed the best outfit of the day in Preston Williams. You may remember Williams from such hits as “The Time I Tried to Recruit for Tennessee While Visiting Auburn.”

Meanwhile, Auburn’s wins over Florida keep coming with the signing of the 4-star Davises (no relation) – wide receiver Ryan Davis and cornerback Carlton Davis.

Next big announcement: 5-star defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. Stay tuned.

9:35 a.m. ET: Five-star running back/athlete Soso Jamabo has spurned in-state power Texas – and ITT Tech and the University of Phoenix – and decided to head west to UCLA.

It’s not even 7 a.m. yet on the West Coast, but the Bruins already have two major signings here on National Signing Day.

Jamabo threw in a line from rapper Childish Gambino in the standard “I signed” tweet, confusing middle-aged recruiting analysts and college football reporters everywhere:

9:15 a.m. ET: Auburn is a prime candidate to make the biggest move in the country on National Signing Day, and the Tigers’ latest signing will go a long way in getting Gus Malzahn’s team a Top 10 class.

Five-star defensive end Byron Cowart, the nation’s No. 3 overall player, picked Auburn over Florida, moving the Tigers up to No. 9 in the latest class rankings and sending their war room into a frenzy.

Between Malzahn and new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, there were definitely plenty of “booms” in that room.

9:05 a.m. ET: We have good news and bad news out of Ann Arbor this morning for new head coach Jim Harbaugh.

First off, in keeping with tradition, here’s the bad news. Four-star tight end Chris Clark, ranked by some services as the No. 1 player at his position, picked UCLA over Michigan during an announcement on ESPN U. 

MORE: Signing Day’s biggest storylines | Hayes: Can USC turn top classes into titles again?

Clark was once committed to the Wolverines, but he opened his recruitment back up after the firing of Brady Hoke and his staff.

However, there’s some good news, Michigan fans. The Wolverines flipped Florida running back Karan Higdon, a borderline 4-star/3-star recruit, from Big Ten rival Iowa for their first surprise signing of the day.

Higdon’s not lacking in confidence, either, Wolverine fans.

Up next – No. 3 overall player Byron Cowart makes his pick between Auburn and Florida.

8:20 a.m. ET: Defending national champion Ohio State is looking like the early winner of the first couple hours of National Signing Day.

The Buckeyes picked up a commitment from 4-star wide receiver K.J. Hill from North Little Rock, Arkansas over Hill’s in-state Razorbacks and Alabama. The speedster is the No. 16 wide receiver in the country.

MORE: Signing Day storylines to watch | Where do OSU’s assistants rank in our Top 10 recruiters?

A few minutes later, 4-star athlete/quarterback Torrance Gibson announced he was sticking with his commitment to the Buckeyes. With Ohio State likely returning all three of its starting quarterbacks from the 2014 championship season, there were doubts Gibson would sign with the Buckeyes and instead pick nearby Miami, Auburn or LSU.

After all, he did open the morning with this cryptic tweet:

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