National Signing Day 2021: Northeast Florida readies for big day

The years of effort, the countless hours in the weight room, the stress of sports amid the coronavirus pandemic — all of that work has led up to Wednesday.

For thousands of high school athletes across the country, and dozens around the First Coast, the big day has arrived.

The first Wednesday of February has come around again, and with it, the festivities of National Signing Day, when high school seniors can sign letters of intent with NCAA programs for college athletics.

Even though the three-day early signing period has lessened some of the traditional National Signing Day hoopla for football, the excitement is far from extinguished.

In Northeast Florida, the brightest spotlight is shining on Starke, where Bradford cornerback Dontae Balfour — among Florida's fastest-rising uncommitted prospects — is scheduled to choose between Auburn, LSU and North Carolina at 5 p.m.

The four-star recruit is the Tornadoes' most prominent prospect since defensive tackle Letroy Guion, who signed with Florida State in the 2005 class on his way to a nine-year NFL career with the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings.

As the anticipation builds, Balfour hasn't been placing athletics on pause: A three-sport athlete, he sank the game-winning jumper to beat Gainesville 68-66 in overtime on Monday night.

Bishop Kenny center Michael Myslinski, a Super 11 prospect who announced his commitment to Iowa on Jan. 23, is also scheduled to put pen to paper to confirm his Hawkeyes plans at around 2 p.m.

Many of the city's leading prospects, including Trinity Christian offensive tackle Austin Barber (Florida), Trinity Christian receiver Marcus Burke (Florida), Sandalwood linebacker Branden Jennings (Maryland) and Creekside defensive tackle Luther McCoy (Minnesota), signed in December. But numerous other recruits are awaiting the chance to seal their college plans Wednesday.

Signings are expected to begin in the early morning hours and continue until the late afternoon.

The signings aren't limited to the gridiron, however.

Dozens of athletes in other sports, ranging from volleyball to cross country to swimming to sailing, are also expected to sign at multiple ceremonies throughout the day.

The coronavirus pandemic has altered plans for a multitude of events, and National Signing Day is no exception.

Instead of traditional signings inside a busy auditorium or gym, some schools are opting for a more spread-out signing to allow for greater social distancing.