The national letters of intent and self-created introductory videos from officially signed University of Washington football recruits began arriving shortly after 5 a.m. PT.

Well before most residents of our snow-laden city attempted to challenge the conditions and navigate the freeway traffic on their way to work, the next wave of UW players began sending in their paperwork and celebrating the moment with their friends and families.

It’s an upbeat day for college football programs all over the country, but still annually a strange exercise in adding manpower.

Every player is a can’t-miss recruit and every class has championship potential. The only negatives that turn up in this process are when someone flips late on a school and the talented, teenaged kid suddenly becomes a pariah in they eyes of fans rather than a savior — see South Dakota quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, an Ohio State, not UW, signee.