The first Wednesday of February used to be one of the most anticipated dates on the college football calendar, its importance only surpassed by the season’s biggest games.
National Signing Day was a national holiday for college football fans who eagerly awaited faxes from their favorite teams’ newest blue-chippers.
That is no longer the case. The February signing period comes and goes with a whimper. December is now the time that coaches and recruiting coordinators spend sleepless nights putting the finishing touches on recruiting classes. And high school players aren’t always the singular focus.
In the age of the transfer portal, coaches are just as interested in established talent that can help fill gaps on their current rosters. On Wednesday, the University of Toledo signed three players — two transfers and one high school senior, joining 18 high school recruits from December and 14 transfers announced in January.
“Excited about our class,” UT coach Jason Candle said. “In recruiting, you always want to do a great job of self-evaluating where your program is at, where are the holes, and where are the needs that need to be filled. Obviously, the times are changing in college football, how you do that in today’s world is a little bit different than it was before.
“I thought we added some really good pieces in the portal that would fill some needs with some veteran bodies. And then we signed some really good high school players that in time will develop and, hopefully, be on the same path as some of these guys we just mentioned [Kareem Hunt, Quinyon Mitchell, and Dallas Gant].”
Toledo announced the arrival of Northern Illinois wide receiver Trayvon Murphy and East Carolina safety Andrew Wilson-Lamp, an Ohio native who began his career at West Virginia, and the signing of three-star Avon defensive end Sam Toniolo.
The Rockets have the No. 71-ranked recruiting class in the country, ahead of Purdue, Vanderbilt, Central Florida, Kansas, Tulane, Washington State, and San Diego State. UT ranks first in the MAC by a wide margin. Northern Illinois is second, ranking 82nd nationally.
This is the seventh time in Candle’s nine years as head coach that UT signed the MAC’s top-ranked class.
Toledo’s transfer portal class is third in the MAC, behind Bowling Green and Miami. On paper, it could be UT’s most productive transfer class, with players at critical positions that should produce and be starters on Day 1.
“I credit Brian Gasser. I credit our staff. I credit the people that are working behind the scenes to make this thing all come together,” Candle said. “It’s an identification process, and that is more than just a 40-time and a height and weight. Does they fit the culture of who we are and who we want to be and what we want our program to look like moving forward?
“When you identify those things and you hit on those, it allows you to have the chance to be successful. It doesn’t guarantee anything, but it’s a great starting point because it doesn’t disrupt what you already have in your locker room. And I think that’s the main thing, and that’s the tricky thing in today’s world.”
Here’s a list of five potential instant-impact players for 2025.
DE Louce Julien
The Massachusetts transfer could be the most underrated offseason move for the Rockets, who bid adieu to Deshawn Holt and D’Andre Ragin. The disruptive duo combined for 16.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 11 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, and two pass breakups. Reinforcements were needed, even with the return of Anthony Dunn, Jr., and Malachi Davis, and that’s where Julien fits in.
The 6-foot-2, 260-pound wrecking ball was named to the 2024 All-Independent defensive team by analytics website SIS Football after finishing with 6.5 tackles for loss, including five sacks, and two forced fumbles.
Analysis: “Louce is extremely dedicated to his craft and had one of the best work ethics on the team last season. That showed with his drastic improvement on the field. He didn’t play a ton his first two seasons at UMass, but this past season he burst onto the scene with five sacks, two forced fumbles, and a ton of disruptive plays in the backfield. His combination of speed and strength allow him to be effective in both run and pass situations.” — Garrett Cote, UMass reporter for the Daily Hampshire Gazette
WR Trayvon Rudolph
This could be the most consequential offseason move of the season by Toledo, which has its kick returner for 2025 and someone who can help replace Jerjuan Newton’s receptions and touchdowns. In four seasons at Northern Illinois, Rudolph caught 153 passes, the ninth-most in program history, for 2,047 yards and 10 touchdowns. He had a 14-catch game against Kent State in 2021, the second-most receptions in a single game for the Huskies.
Rudolph, who began his career as a walk-on, has 474 career rushing yards and nearly 1,500 kick return yards.
Analysis: “We will go as far as he takes us. As long as he is locked in, the group is gravitating toward him.” — Northern Illinois wide receivers coach Joseph Hawkins during preseason camp in 2024
OL Jonathan Harder
The Rockets added two transfer running backs — Chip Trayanum from Kentucky and Kenji Christian from North Carolina A&T — who should bolster an offensive backfield that had season-long struggles in 2024. But it’s the addition of multiple offensive linemen, including Cincinnati transfer Jonathan Harder, that could pay even bigger dividends for Candle and offensive line coach Mike Hallett.
The 6-foot-4, 330-pound Harder was a top-100 offensive line recruit out of Olentangy Berlin High School. The three-star recruit spent three seasons at Cincinnati, where he appeared in all 24 games the past two seasons. In 2023, he was part of the nation’s fifth-ranked rushing offense (217.1 rushing yards per game) and No. 33 total offense (426.1 yards).
Analysis: “Harder worked into the Cincinnati Bearcats offensive line rotation over the past few years under offensive line coach Nic Cardwell. The left guard manned that spot exclusively the past two seasons with 75 combined snaps in 2023 and 2024. He had his ups and downs in the run game and figures to be a better against the pass than as a run blocker in the MAC (84 Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade in 2024, compared to a 57.5 rushing mark). He could play guard or offensive tackle at Toledo. Cincinnati recruited the 6-4, 330-pound talent as a tackle during the 2022 cycle, but eventually slotted him as a guard in the Big 12.” — Russ Heltman, contributor to AllBearcats and a morning host and producer for 89.3 WMKV in Cincinnati
S Tyler Hackenbracht
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound jitterbug was listed as an athlete by recruiting services but is slated to play safety at Toledo. The All-Ohio selection helped lead Massillon to a state championship in 2023. Hackenbracht was named the Sports Illustrated national play of the week last season after scoring three special teams touchdowns in a playoff game. He averaged nearly 40 yards per punt return on the season. Hackenbracht led Massillon with 113 tackles, adding four tackles for loss, an interception, and five pass breakups.
Analysis: “Versatile and athletic defender who can run and hit. He could play safety or outside linebacker at the next level. Might be best suited as a three-down linebacker with plus speed and coverage ability. Gifted open-field tackler who arrives with bad intentions.” — Marc Givler, Ohio recruiting writer for Buckeye Huddle and Saturday Glory
DE Bryant Weatherspoon
The Detroit native helped lead Harper Woods to a state championship in 2023. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound defensive end is ranked as the No. 36 player in the state of the Michigan, according to 247Sports.
Analysis: “Bryant comes from a good high school program and his coaches have had lots of great college players over the years. He is very athletic and we saw that in a camp setting. He’s high motor, has a longer frame, and has played inside and outside. With defensive line being a premium position, Toledo really stole one because we thought there was a chance Power Four schools would go on Weatherspoon.” — Allen Trieu, Midwest recruiting analyst for 247Sports
First Published February 5, 2025, 11:00 p.m.
