Thirteen East Metro football players signed on with Division-I football programs — including non-scholarship ones such as St. Thomas — on Wednesday, “National Signing Day” at the highest level of college football.

Two Rivers defensive lineman Max Mogelson signed with UNLV, Hill-Murray defensive back Simon Seidl joined the Gophers and East Ridge offensive lineman Kene Anene signed with Kansas, among others.

The Gophers rounded out the first wave of their incoming class. It was a day of celebration for many.

But recruiting is far from over, as so many futures are yet to be determined. For instance, East Metro Player of the Year Savion Hart remains unsigned. The St. Thomas Academy star running back is patiently awaiting the perfect opportunity of where to play college football next season.

It’s hard to think that hasn’t yet arisen. Hart ran for 2,642 yards and 39 touchdowns in the 2023 season. He recently was named MaxPreps state player of the year. He is Minnesota’s best pure high school running back.

Yet that’s a position often overlooked in this part of the country. A number of great ball carriers have dominated the high school scene here, only to go unnoticed by larger universities. Emmett Johnson posted gaudy numbers for Holy Angels, and his first and only Power Five offer came from Nebraska, just four days prior to the early signing date.

Evan Hull was an all-around back who helped Maple Grove contend for state championships. Yet he did not receive any Power Five offers until after the early signing date. Hull finally committed to Northwestern in January of his senior season, and was the Wildcats’ only February signing that year.

Hull was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts last spring. Johnson was Nebraska’s lead back over the team’s final six games this fall. When given the opportunity, Minnesota running backs produce. But the results haven’t led to more high-profile opportunities. Not yet, anyway.

The sentiment seems to be that athletes from Minnesota surely don’t compare to those hailing from other more prominent football states around the country.

Chanhassen’s Max Woods — who was the ball carrier for the Class 5A state champion Storm this fall, but is less of a pure running back and more of a football athlete who can be used all over the field — won the Mr. Football award this year, and just recently committed to FCS powerhouse South Dakota State.

Hart’s recruitment didn’t really pick up until this summer and fall. He is still waiting for a Power Five offer to trickle in. Teams have been impressed by his tape, but it’s difficult for schools at this point to make offers when they aren’t sure about their roster makeup. If an offer from a larger program comes, it may not be until the Division I transfer window closes Jan. 2.

Because the reality for a lot of programs is, at this time of year, when you’re looking at available talent, it’s a lot more intriguing to nab a proven, more mature player who has produced elsewhere collegiately than it is to take a chance on a high school recruit you’ll likely have to develop into a high-level college player.

From a coach’s perspective, why not get someone who can help you now, versus potentially recruiting a player who shines in two or three years for the next coach who gets your job?

Like in the case of the Gophers, who supplemented their running back room by adding Sieh Bangura, who tallied nearly 1,000 yards of total offense and eight touchdowns for Ohio University this season.

And that’s not to say it was the Gophers, specifically, who should give local playmakers like Hart an opportunity. The U can’t take everyone. It’s running back room with Darius Taylor and Bangura is stout as is. But surely there’s a Power Five program out there that could use Hart’s scintillating combination of speed, elusiveness and tough-nosed running.

Until that program reveals itself, he’ll wait, as will so many others in the area who watched the first National Signing Day come and go, and are still eagerly awaiting their time and opportunity.

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