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WALLY HALL: Signing day also special for those sans stars

Now everybody can turn their attention back to the lunacy known as the Super Bowl.

At least in the South, everyone seemed to put Sunday's game between the old and the new -- Peyton Manning and Cam Newton -- on hold until college football's national signing day was over.

It was a huge day in Arkansas, and not just in Fayetteville, Jonesboro, Conway and Pine Bluff.

Arkansas signed four recruits and gained a grayshirt commitment from the state. Arkansas State inked one, UCA eight and UAPB three. The Golden Lions added a fourth from Arkansas on Thursday.

Also, 16 Arkansans signed to play Division I out of state, including Kenyon Jackson, Keith's son, but the focus today is on those kids who are going to play college football in their home state at a smaller school -- and often for less than a full scholarship.

Those are the Division I schools, and they get the major play in the media, but for guys such as Jake Riddle at Baptist Prep and the more than 90 other guys it was also a big day. Riddle signed to play for Harding, and he's one of five in-state players whom the Bisons signed.

Interest in Harding is a bit more national from athletes because of its reputation and roots as a Church of Christ college.

One example is the University of Arkansas-Monticello, which signed 58 players, more than double what the NCAA allows D-I schools.

Of the 58 who are going to be Boll Weevils, 23 are homegrown, the most Arkansans any school signed Wednesday.

Arkansas Tech added 42 newcomers, 17 of whom are from Arkansas.

Harding signed 30, and as mentioned only five are from Arkansas. The Bisons signed eight from Texas and six from Florida.

Henderson State signed 53, and 22 are from Arkansas. The Reddies seem to have almost as many football players as students in the union on any given day.

Ouachita Baptist also attracts players and students from all over the country because of its religious ties. The Tigers signed 23, 18 of whom are from the state.

Southern Arkansas added 29 to its roster, and eight of those are from Arkansas. The Muleriders signed 10 players from Louisiana because of their proximity to the state.

Last, but certainly not least, was Arkansas Baptist, a junior-college football program.

Athletic Director Charles Ripley and President Fitz Hill have always shown a strong loyalty to educating young people in Arkansas. The Buffaloes signed 22 players, and every one of them is from Arkansas.

There are Arkansans who also signed with other schools from outside the state ranging from junior college up to Football Championship Subdivision programs. Plus Hendrix plays football, but it is Division III and there are no scholarships.

Signing day is not just for the big schools, but every recruiting class at every school in the country shares one thing: the recruits are unproven.

Only time tells of a recruiting class's impact. Injuries, academics and other issues always take a toll.

It would be interesting to see what star ratings players get two years after they get on campus. There will always be guys who get another growth spurt, or discover real strength training and diet and overachieve.

Yet, not every five-star recruit is guaranteed a spot in the NFL. A study for the classes between 2002 and 2010 showed of the 262 five-star recruits, only 116 made it to the NFL Draft.

Signing day is fun on all levels, but now it is up to every one of those young men to earn their stripes.

Follow instructions on and off the field, make good grades, play hard and remember they all are blessed to play college football.

Sports on 02/05/2016

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