6:30 p.m. -- We now have video of Boise State's recruits. The videos are going up one at a time — Chris Potter is already posted — and we'll be adding to them throughout the night.

Enjoy.

6:19 p.m. -- For the first time since 2001, Boise State did not sign a quarterback.

6:11 p.m. -- Time for more absolutely meaningless rankings.

Rivals.com calls Boise State's recruiting class, which they number at 20, the 87th-best (tied) in the country and the fifth best in the WAC.

Rivals.com's WAC rankings:

60. Fresno State

75. Louisiana Tech

79. Nevada

84. Hawaii

T-87. Boise State (tied with Washington State)

T-101. Idaho

T-101. Utah State

115. San Jose State

117. New Mexico State

Could be another long season for the teams at the bottom of the WAC.

6:03 p.m. -- Time for the absolutely meaningless rankings.

Scout.com calls Boise State's recruiting class, which they number at 18, the 66th-best in the country and the second best in the WAC.

Scout.com's WAC rankings:

59. Fresno State

66. Boise State

81. Idaho

91. Louisiana Tech

93. Hawaii

113. Nevada

115. New Mexico State

116. San Jose State

119. Utah State

5:36 p.m. -- Not really related to recruiting, but Georgia Tech quarterback Taylor Bennett — who once had orally committed to Boise State — is seeking a transfer from the Yellow Jackets' program, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Bennett, who is a senior and has redshirted. New coach Paul Johnson runs an option offense, something that Bennett is not suited to do.

There is a similar case happening with Ryan Mallett, who transfered from Michigan to Arkansas after the Wolverines hired coach Rich Rodriguez. Mallett is petitioning the NCAA that he be granted immediate eligibility.

Bennett would have to do something similar.

On National Signing Day, players sign up with coaches they believe will be there in four or five years.

But what happens if the coach leaves? It's the ugly underbelly of recruiting.

5:09 p.m. -- One of the more interesting recruits in this class is defensive tackle Greg Grimes. Grimes definitely feels like he should have been recruited by teams in the Pac-10.

"The recruiting process has not made me mad," Grimes told the Sacramento Bee. "But it was frustrating. Now, I'm more motivated to go out and prove that I'm a quality player."

That's music to the ears of Boise State's coaching staff.

"That's our whole team. That's exactly the guy we want. That he thinks he should be going to the New York Giants right now and how in the heck did he end up at Boise State. That's the profile," Boise State coach Chris Petersen said. "He seems to fit our profile."

Grimes had orally committed to Utah State before Boise State "stumbled on him late," Petersen said.

4:39 p.m. -- Mitch Rudder, who spent the 2006 and 2007 seasons at Boise State, is among 26 players in Idaho State's recruiting class.

5A All-Idaho player of the year A.J. Storms, who led Meridian to the state championship as a quarterback, is also in the class as a defensive back.

4:26 p.m. -- With five senior linebackers in the program, Boise State is looking for reinforcements at the position.

Tim Brady, Kyle Gingg, David Shields, Dallas Dobbs and Ellis Powers are in their final year with the Broncos — and there are question marks about Shields' health.

Behind them, Boise State has sophomore Derrell Acrey, who must make a step this season.

Redshirt freshmen Hunter White and Austin Tevis should get on the field this season, even if it's just on special teams.

Boise State added four linebackers Tuesday — junior-college transfer Daron Mackey, Lake City standout Byron Hout, Georgia athlete Tommy Smith and greyshirt Dan Paul.

Whoever is on the field at linebacker, Boise State needs more production from the group.

4:19 p.m. -- Borah's Caleb McSurdy has signed with Montana.

4:12 p.m. -- Here's the list of Top 10 recruiting classes from Rivals.com.

1. Alabama

2. Notre Dame

3. Florida

4. Miami

5. Oklahoma

6. Georgia

7. Florida State

8. Ohio State

9. Michigan

10. USC

A lot of familiar names. Wonder how far Ohio State or Michigan will jump if they land dual-threat QB Terrelle Pryor?

4:08 p.m. -- Thaddeus Brown is listed among Nevada's 22 recruits. Nevada's full list.

4:03 p.m. -- Traditional powers and teams from the Southeast are dominating Scout.com's Top 10 list for best recruiting classes on this National Signing Day.

Here's Scout's list:

1. Alabama

2. Notre Dame

3. Miami

4. Georgia

5. Florida State

6. Louisiana State

7. Ohio State

8. Michigan

9. UCLA

10. Clemson

It's an interesting list when you consider that Alabama, Notre Dame, Miami, Florida State and UCLA have been down in recent years.

It hasn't stopped them from landing top-notch recruiting classes.

Question: When is Charlie Weis going to turn these recruiting classes into victories on the field?

3:46 p.m. -- Boise State coach Chris Petersen is not happy with the state of college football recruiting. And he thinks the constant reporting about it — from Internet sites and newspapers — is hurting the Broncos' program.

"It really hurts a school like us, I think. It’s just amazing when people find out that we’re on a guy," Petersen said. "Now all of a sudden everybody’s on him and now all of a sudden people are offering him. There’s been so many time after time that you're going, ' It’s not a coincidence.'"

The Broncos lost at least three players who, at some point, had committed to the Broncos.

Petersen said it is difficult for coaches, who are not allowed to speak about recruits before they sign a letter of intent, to see the information out there.

"There’s just so many things always going on behind the scenes and that’s what makes it hard for us with the newspapers and the Internet. That everybody is trying to be the first guy with the information and it’s not solid information a lot of times," Petersen said.

"I know everybody’s got to do their job and most of the time it’s accurate and it’s going to hold up, but a lot of times, it’s not what it appears to be."

I hate to say it, but every coach in the country is dealing with the same pressures.

You think the WAC is bad. Really? Try coaching in the SEC or Florida or Texas or California. Players are being snatched away all the time.

And to blame it on the media is unreal. We're responding to the marketplace and there is an insatiable appetite for recruiting news out there from fans, who have allowed these programs to build cathedrals to football and pay coaches more than $1 million per season.

"You hope it’s going to get better, but I’m not sure how it’s going to get better," Petersen said.

Petersen said he is in favor of an early signing period in December to help alleviate some of the problem.

3:08 p.m. -- Idaho signed six defensive linemen, including four defensive tackles, to help reinforce a position that was depleted last season by suspensions.

Akey talked long and hard about defensive ends Charles Smith Jr. (6-foot-5, 238 pounds) out of Las Vegas and Hank Bryant (6-3, 222) from Tumwater, Wash.

“We signed two defensive ends that will play together for four years. I like what those guys bring to the table,” he said. “... We have some good defensive tackles, too. ... I think that group will help out with the defensive front.”

Defensive coordinator Mark Criner had to play more 3-4 alignment than his preferred 4-3 because of the lack of defensive linemen.

This class should begin to change that.

Akey also hopes the class can help restore a winning attitude in Moscow.

“I think the fact that every guy on this list comes from a winning program says a lot,” he said. “... In regards to helping teach how to win and change expectations of winning, recruiting winners helps add that.”

3:07 p.m. -- Some news from Idaho's press conference: Coach Robb Akey said running back Jayson Bird will not play again because of continuing knee problems.

3:01 p.m. -- Checking in with recruiting classes around the WAC.

Fresno State

Hawaii

San Jose State

2:58 p.m. -- Looks like Raphiel Lambert will begin his Bronco career at cornerback and Tommy Smith, an interesting find out of Atlanta, Georgia, will begin his career at linebacker.

Spencer Gerke will get his first chance at offensive guard. With Gerke, the Broncos have six offensive linemen in the class.

Chris Petersen said he hopes one can make an impact this season, something that he said "has never happened" because of the physical and mental adjustment it takes.

"It would be awesome if we could get an offensive linemen in the mix," Petersen said.

Which linemen do you think is most likely to play this season?

2:42 p.m. -- Some news from the press conference: Chris Petersen said linebacker David Shields will undergo another shoulder surgery and miss spring ball.

Which means linebacker is an even bigger issue for the Broncos this fall. Petersen said junior-college recruit Daron Mackey "is an explosive guy."

Mackey battled a high ankle sprain through his sophomore season at Bakersfield College, but Petersen said he saw enough on film and had enough good reports from the Bakersfield coaches — "we trust those guys" — to take Mackey.

"We think this guy could be a factor for us early," Petersen said.

Petersen had similar things to say about Lake City's Byron Hout, who many have compared to former Boise State linebacker Korey Hall.

"He's a football player," Petersen said, a high compliment.

2:35 p.m. -- Just returned from Chris Petersen's press conference at Boise State.

Twenty-four recruits. No Thaddeus Brown.

"If you guys only knew," Petersen said in response to a question about the volatility of this year's recruiting class, especially at the cornerback position.

Trying to sort though my notes, but will be posting pretty fast and furious this afternoon.

12:28 p.m. -- No answer at Thaddeus Brown's high school. His coach Kevin Rooney told the Statesman last week that he expected Brown to honor his verbal commitment to Boise State.

"He's very fast," Rooney said. " He's a really good kid, a leader-type guy, a hard worker."

He had received scholarship offers from Washington State, Nevada, Utah State and Illinois State, Rooney said. Brown was expected to play cornerback at Boise State.

He would be the third cornerback, joining Kevin Frank (Washington State) and Mike Williams (Baylor) to change his mind about joining the Broncos.

12:17 p.m. -- Centennial's defensive back Josh Borgman, a two-time All-Idaho first-team selection, will walk on at Boise State.

"This is a dream of his to play for BSU and he is really looking forward to it," said Kent Borgman, Josh's father.

Josh Borgman had a scholarship offer from Carroll College, Kent said.

As a senior, the 5-foot-9, 165-pounder Borgman had five interceptions, 34 tackles and 10 pass breakups. He averaged 27.3 yards per punt return on 14 returns.

12:10 p.m. -- Former Boise State coach Dan Hawkins is putting together quite a class at Colorado. Hawkins landed a landed a blue-chip running back, Darnell Scott, and beat out Texas to do so.

12:08 p.m. -- Utah State has announced its class as of 10 a.m. So far, the Aggies have nine players. Here's the list.

Here's Louisiana Tech's list, so far. The Bulldogs hit Louisiana and Texas hard.

11:56 a.m. -- Hearing some rumors that Thaddeus Brown could be headed to Nevada. Checking into it. Will post when I have something more concrete.

11:38 a.m. -- The Statesman has confirmed two more players in the Boise State class — Georgia linebacker Tommy Smith and Texas offensive lineman Brenel Myers.

That brings the total class to 25, though grayshirts may change that number. We know Van Drumgoole is planning on grayshirting. We'll find out about any others in less than two hours.

11:19 a.m. -- Got a lot of good friends in the television industry, but that won't stop me from making fun of them.

Caldwell's Terence Thomas held a signing ceremony this morning at 7:30 a.m. Former Caldwell and Washington quarterback Cody Pickett was there as was Thomas' family and plenty of students and, well, you get the picture.

He signed the paper and gave a speech. The Statesman sent a photographer. This is news after all.

Turns out, however, that the TV stations couldn't make it to the early morning signing. So they'll be staging another signing this afternoon so that television can get it.

That, my friends, is not news. It's a re-enactment.

11:01 a.m. -- Looking through Scout.com's state-by-state rankings. In Idaho, Boise State landed two of the top three players in No. 1 linebacker Byron Hout (Lake City) and No. 3 defensive lineman Spencer Gerke (Bishop Kelly).

Caldwell's Terence Thomas, the state's No. 2 player, is headed to Washington. He is a player to keep an eye on. Thomas is 6-foot-8 and 310 pounds.

Meridian quarterback A.J. Storms, who is headed to Idaho State to play safety, is No. 4.

Minico quarterback Dane Broadhead (Carroll College) is No. 5. Borah's Caleb McSurdy (Montana) is No. 6.

Capital linebacker Mason Mack is No. 7 with Idaho Falls linebacker Brad Marboe (Wyoming) at No. 8. Centennial's Jake Densley (walk on at Boise State) and Meridian's Austin Deck (walk on at Boise State) round out the top 10.

Don't know what the list means, but it's interesting.

So only four players in the state are signing Division I-A scholarships today.

CORRECTION: It appears Marboe changed his commitment from Wyoming to Idaho. Also, Vallivue's Van Drumgoole (Boise State) will be signing a I-A scholarship today.

10:53 a.m. -- The Idaho Statesman has confirmed 23 members of the recruiting class. That includes 15 high school seniors, one junior-college transfer and seven high school graduates who have already enrolled. (Safety George Iloka is included among those seven).

Looking at those 23 — and yes, there is the possibility of a few other players joining the class — positionally:

QB: None

RB: Raphiel Lambert, Matt Kaiserman

TE: Chandler Koch

WR: Chris Potter, Van Drumgoole, Mitch Burroughs, Dominique Vinson

OL: Bronson Durrant, Joe Kellogg, Faraji Wright, Tom Swanson

DL: Spencer Gerke, Darren Koontz, Greg Grimes, Shea McClellin, Chase Baker

LB: Byron Hout, Daron Mackey, Dan Paul

CB: Thaddeus Brown, Jamar Taylor

S: Tyler Jackson, George Iloka

You see a real commitment to defense among the class.

Got to assume Mackey, a junior-college transfer, will make the biggest impact next season. The Broncos could use an impact linebacker in 2008.

You wonder how those wide receivers and running backs are going to get on the field. Boise State is loaded at those two positions for next year and 2009.

10:29 a.m. -- Google News is easily one of the best inventions of the decade. With a few clicks you can find anything written about a certain topic.

For example, "Boise State recruiting"

The new blog feature makes the site even better. Did a quick search for "Boise State walk on" and came up with a number of links. No telling if these guys will even make it to campus, but the Broncos have an eye out for them.

• QB Tim Ruben: The 2007 Arizona player of the year — yes, he beat out Sean Renfree — does not have any scholarship offers. According to this article,, he does have an offer to walk on at BSU and his brother is headed to Boise next year as well.

• The Salt Lake Tribune has an incredible recruiting blog. On it, I found a couple mentions of the Broncos. Snow College linebacker Shane Hunter is planning to walk on at Boise State. (Got to dig for it.)

And a safety turned down the Broncos' scholarship offer (and one from Cal, too) to walk on at BYU.

• The Nevada Appeal has a story about local athletes signing. Jake Hess, who once showed up on some of the recruiting Web sites as a verbal commitment to Boise State, is thinking about walking on in Boise.

10:02 a.m. -- Just a little housekeeping:

• Boise State coach Chris Petersen will meet with the media to discuss the Broncos' recruiting class at 1:30 p.m. We will post audio of the press conference at IdahoStatesman.com.

• Idaho coach Robb Akey will meet with the media at 2 p.m. Mountain to discuss the Vandals' recruiting class.

• Idaho State coach John Zamberlin will hold his signing day press conference at 4 p.m.

9:52 a.m. -- Promised more on Scout.com and Rivals.com, the two main recruiting Web sites, so here it is.

This is an interesting read from the Charleston (S.C.) newspaper about Grading the Graders. It's a breakdown — Clemson and South Carolina heavy — about how well (or not well) the two recruiting sites have done in the past.

Disclaimer No. 1: Larry and Travis, the two guys who wrote the story, are friends of mine.

Disclaimer No. 2: Scout.com and Rivals.com do a tremendous job in identifying and tracking college recruiting. If you work in college football — and that includes coaches and sports writers — you must check out the recruiting work done by the two sites. No question.

The sites have filled a void in college football coverage and built a loyal (and paying) readership. Hard-core fans now feel as if they know as much about recruiting as coaches and those two sites deserve much of the credit (or blame, depending on your point of view).

We (and by we, I mean the Statesman) have been questioned by fans as to why we don't have the same recruiting lists as those sites do. We have decided to confirm on our own any verbal commitments.

Those Web site are good, but not perfect. When I covered Georgia Tech, a player appeared on those lists in early November. I tried for months to track him down or find out from coaches on the staff if he was a legit recruit. No dice.

On signing day, player X was nowhere to be found. Tech coaches said they had barely heard of him and did not recruit him. I learned a lesson that day, one I do not wish to learn again.

And what good would we be as a news source if we didn't do our own fact-checking and tell our own stories. We'd be guilty of the very same poor journalistic practices that I believe other media are guilty of.

The recruiting aspects of the sites are great information sources for fans. But the star-ranking system is deeply, deeply flawed. I'm just not sure the people doing the ranking are qualified.

Example A: Aiona Key is a five-star prospect this year.

Chan Gailey, the former Georgia Tech coach, once told me that he trusted his system of ranking players over the recruiting Web sites system. So he wasn't going to worry about not landing any so-called four- or five-star players.

If fans of a team trust their head coach and his coaching staff, then those recruiting stars shouldn't matter all that much.

Gailey, a very smart football coach if not the dynamic personality now required in college football, also said anyone can pick out the very best players. The real skill is in identifying players in the middle and picking the ones who will get better and help your program.

Sound reasoning.

9:31 a.m. -- Scout.com ranks Boise State as the 59th-best recruiting class in the country and second in the WAC. Fresno State is ranked No. 58, according to the Web site.

What is not promising is that Nevada (113), New Mexico State (114), Utah State (115) and San Jose State (117) all rank among the worst teams in the nation. Keep in mind that those schools all have 11 or fewer verbal commitments and the rankings are influenced by that number.

Scout ranks junior-college linebacker Daron Mackey as the Broncos' top recruit. He is considered a four-star prospect.

Before you get too excited, consider that Aiona Key, who washed out at Boise State, is a five-star recruit by Scout.com.

I'll have more on Scout.com and Rivals.com as the day goes on.

7:54 a.m. -- Chris Potter made his decision to attend Boise State in June — and never wavered.

“I didn’t visit anywhere after I committed,” Potter said. “Once I committed that was it. That was something we talked about. I didn’t feel the need to go to any other school because I had given them my word.”

Potter, who will play wide receiver at Boise State, played quarterback during his senior season at Oaks Christian High in Westlake Village, Calif. Potter ran an Oregon-style offense with a lot of option.

At 5-foot-9 and 152 pounds, it will be interesting to see where Potter fits in to the Bronco offense.

Perhaps a Wes Welker type role as a slot receiver?

“I think I’m going to fit in just fine. I think if I work hard and just have heart when I’m out playing and just practice all the techniques that I’ve been taught and if I work hard, I can be out there with anyone,” Potter said.

7:39 a.m. -- Terrelle Pryor, one of the most highly regarded dual-threat quarterbacks in the country, might not sign today.

Pryor is choosing between Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and, possibly, Oregon.

Talk about drama. Pryor's saga has been chronicled by papers all around the country, notably the Detroit Free-Press.

It seems like Michigan, with new coach Rich Rodriguez, is desperate for his services. Penn State coach Joe Paterno visited yesterday.

Tuesday, Feb. 5

2:38 p.m. -- Safety George Iloka, from Sugar Land, Texas, enrolled at Boise State for the spring semester, the school confirmed Tuesday afternoon.

Iloka made a late decision to graduate from Kempner High early, his high school coach James Brown said Tuesday. Iloka finished his high school classes on Jan. 18, just a few days before Boise State started classes.

Brown said Iloka was carrying 210 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame by the time he left Texas. Iloka played wide receiver throughout high school, but moved to safety for his senior season when Brown installed the wishbone offense.

1:42 p.m. -- Caldwell High's Terence Thomas will sign with Washington on Wednesday morning. Thomas (6-8, 310) will play offensive tackle, likely right tackle, for the Huskies.

Thomas committed last April. A lifelong Huskies fan, he didn't wait long to sign up when Washington coach Tyrone Willingham offered him a scholarship. He had offers from Idaho, Idaho State (where his father played offensive line), Utah, Oregon State and Montana.

12:40 p.m. -- Boise State has gotten a commitment from defensive lineman Greg Grimes out of Sacramento. Grimes (6-foot-1, 285 pounds) had picked Utah State.

In reading this Sacramento Bee story (registration required) on Grimes, you get the sense that he will arrive in Boise with a chip on his shoulder.

12:32 p.m. -- It doesn't look like Boise State will be signing a quarterback in this class. Ohio high schooler Zack Stoudt — who had committed to Pittsburgh, but visited Boise last week — has opted for Louisville, according to the Pittsburgh Review-Tribune and the Louisville Courier-Journal.

The Broncos have four quarterbacks in the program already. Missing out on one this year won't be the worst thing.

12:31 p.m. -- Yes, I know National Signing Day is tomorrow, but we're going to get started a little early. There is a lot of news out there about Boise State.