National signing day in college football is less than a week away (Feb. 1), although it would be easy to miss that little news item here in North Carolina.

Sure, basketball is king on Tobacco Road, and that has something to do with it. Among the in-state football programs, only UNC appears to be on track for a particularly strong class, and that doesn't help, either.

But another factor is at work. There's no drama. People like drama. Headlines follow drama. In sports, the line between pure competition and pure entertainment has never been more blurry, and how many people are going to tune into a show if they already know the ending?

Consider this: Whereas about one-third of the top-rated football prospects in Florida hadn't announced decisions as of about a week ago -- and perhaps 20 percent still haven't revealed their choices -- only TWO of the prospects ranked in North Carolina's top 30 remain undecided.

East Wake defensive lineman Aleric Mullins will select either Tennessee, Auburn or UNC after taking an official visit to Chapel Hill this weekend. Lee County tight end Dennis Godfrey will choose either Clemson, South Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech or Wake Forest after taking his final trip (to Blacksburg) this weekend.

Here's a quick breakdown of the college destinations for the top 20 seniors in North Carolina, according to the ACC Sports Journal's postseason rankings.

UNC (8): Charlotte Independence wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, Jacksonville White Oak wide receiver Deunta Williams, Tarboro High athlete Shaun Draughn, Asheville High tailback Johnny White, Charlotte Providence Day tight end Vince Jacobs, Richmond County defensive lineman Tavares Brown, Havelock High linebacker Bruce Carter, Southwest Onslow defensive back Kendric Burney.

Florida (2): Shelby Crest linebacker Brandon Spikes, Southern Durham offensive lineman Carl Johnson. Both are rated among the top five seniors in North Carolina.

Virginia (2): Winston-Salem Mt. Tabor athlete O.C. Wardlow, Raleigh Wakefield defensive tackle Gavin Smith.

Clemson (1): Asheville High defensive back Crezdon Butler.

Georgia (1): West Columbus defensive tackle Ricardo Crawford.

N.C. State (1): Wallace-Rose Hill linebacker Nathaniel Irving.

Notre Dame (1): Davie County defensive back Raeshon McNeil.

South Carolina (1): Lumberton High offensive lineman Hutch Eckerson.

Wake Forest (1): Cary High tailback Josh Adams.

Undecided (2): Mullins, Godfrey.

All over the country next week, top gridiron prospects will call press conferences to announce their college decisions. A few will induce circus-like atmospheres. Many of the events will be televised live, some nationally.

Meanwhile, it figures to be relatively quiet here in North Carolina, at least on the football recruiting trail. That appears to be good news for the Tar Heels, and it may mean lots of difficult questions for everyone else.