ESPNU Plans 11 Hours of Signing Day Special Coverage

ESPNU Signing Day Special (8 a.m. – 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Feb. 4) will be highlighted by the No. 1 recruit, DE Byron Cowart, and entertainment icon Snoop Dogg’s son WR Cordell Broadus, and 15 more impact players announcing their college destination live. All 17 players are in the ESPN 300, six in the top 10, and five ranked No. 1 at their position. The entire 11-hour special will also be available on WatchESPN.

Snoop & Son:  ESPN will simulcast ESPNU Signing Day Special from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. when Broadus, whose college recruitment has been documented in the ESPN mini-series Snoop & Son, will make his college announcement. Broadus is expected to decide between Arizona State, LSU, UCLA and USC. The fourth episode of Snoop & Son will air on Signing Day at 7 p.m. on ESPN

Top 10 Announcements: Cowart will be the first top 10 recruit to announce (9 a.m. hour) when he chooses between Auburn and Florida. Other players announcing in the top 10 include:  No. 2, DT Terry Beckner Jr. (10 a.m. hour), No. 4, CB Iman Marshall (4 p.m. hour), No. 5, OT Martez Ivey (11 a.m. hour), No. 6, DT Daylon Mack (12 p.m. hour) and No. 9, DE CeCe Jefferson (2 p.m. hour)

Announcements on Twitter: Player announcements will be shared in real time via @ESPNCFB, with @CollegeGameDay providing the video link to each player’s announcement shortly thereafter. Also, @ESPNRNFball will offer player commitment predictions and updated class rankings throughout the day. Fans can take part in the conversation by tagging their tweets with #SigningDay.

Luginbill’s Take: ESPN national recruiting director Tom Luginbill heads into his 10th year as ESPN’s National Signing Day expert. Luginbill oversees the ESPN high school player rankings, which includes the evaluation of 1500 players who are underclassman. His take on the 2015 class: “For the 2015 class, one of the biggest strengths is along the defensive line, particularly at defensive tackle. It’s a premium position and with the likes of No. 1 ranked overall player DE Byron Cowart, DE CeCe Jefferson and DT Daylon Mac, amongst others, set to make their college choice, it should be an exciting day for college football.”

Head Coach Interviews:  With reporters on 16 college campuses*, ESPNU National Signing Day Special is expected to have  on-campus updates and interviews with more than 25 head coaches, including all four coaches from the inaugural College Football Playoff.

Studio Coverage: ESPNU National Signing Day Special will originate from ESPN’s studios in Charlotte with Rece Davis and Matt Schick serving as hosts. ESPN national recruiting director Tom Luginbill will be a staple throughout the day with college football analysts Mike Bellotti, Desmond Howard, Danny Kanell, and David Pollack. Recruiting analyst Craig Haubert will also be in studio.

Recruiting Nation: Before the kick off to the 2015 season, fans can learn more about the No.1 recruit in the in ESPN 300, defensive end Byron Cowart from Seffner, Fla., in this video feature: Student of the Game. On February 4, fans can interact with experts on RecruitingNation.com via live chats starting at 8 a.m. and continuing throughout the day. Additionally, at the conclusion of National Signing Day, Recruiting Nation will rank the top 75 recruiting classes and provide grades for all major conference programs.

ESPN3: ESPN3 will carry six exclusive school-produced specials on National Signing Day at Buffalo (7 a.m.), Georgia Tech (8:30 a.m.), Duke (9 a.m.), Monmouth (12 p.m.), Northern Illinois (3 p.m.), and Florida State (6:30 p.m.). Each show will also be available on replay via ESPN3.