Signing Day 2010: Fast and furious

National Signing Day has become National Signing Morning. While the football letter of intent signing period actually lasts for many days and additional signatures could come in before this day is out, it's likely that Iowa State's entire signing day process was in the books before 10 a.m.

The Cyclones signed 24 prospects on Wednesday to go with four prospects who had signed in December as mid-year junior college transfers. Wednesday's haul of new Cyclones include three more JUCO players plus 21 high school products. As is usually the case, there were some signing day surprises and the biggest for ISU was not a good one.

Three-star linebacker prospect Cqulin Hubert from Houston (Tex.) ditched his verbal commitment to Iowa State and instead signed with Texas Tech. Hubert had told CycloneReport.com as recently as January 25 that he was "100 percent" on his commitment to ISU and planned no additional visits. But the new Tech coaching staff apparently convinced him otherwise. Hubert is ranked by Rivals.com as the no. 33 inside linebacker prospect in the country and was among the Cyclones' highest-rated high school commitments.

Iowa State signed two high school prospects who were not previously known to be verbal commitments, but both will likely be in junior college come fall. Urbandale (Iowa) athlete Jevoury Wedderburn rushed for over 2,000 yards as a senior in leading the J-Hawks to their best season in many years. Wedderburn is expected to end up at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge as a non-qualifier.

DeLand (Fla.) linebacker Dentrell Pate signed with Iowa State on Wednesday and, according to the Orlando Sentinel, will also sign with Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs. Division I schools sign expected non-qualifiers in hopes it will give them an edge when and if the player is available again as a JUCO prospect two years down the road.

Junior college wide receiver Chris Young was the highest-rated player that Iowa State signed on Wednesday. Young is a four-star prospect according to Rivals.com and is expected to come in and compete right away for a starting slot receiver position for the Cyclones. The only other four-star in ISU's class is defensive back Anthony Young (no relation to C. Young), who signed in December and is already enrolled for the spring semester.

Iowa State signed twelve three-star high school prospects on Wednesday with nine of them on offense. Quarterback Jared Barnett, running back Shontrelle Johnson, tight end Pierce Richardson and linebacker Jeremiah George were among the most heavily recruited of that three-star group.

ISU will probably finish ranked in the 50s nationally when Rivals' team recruiting rankings are finalized. The Cyclones should check in at No. 9 among Big 12 schools. That will represent Iowa State's highest-ranked recruiting class in many years.

CycloneReport.com will have plenty of post-signing day insight and analysis that only it can provide as the landslide leader in year round coverage of Iowa State football recruiting.