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Get Scouted Scouting CareersToday was the day hundreds of elite high school football players were expected to start signing National Letters of Intent –- the first day of the NCAA’s new three-day early signing period for college football.
But it wasn’t to be.
The Collegiate Commissioners Association, which administers the National Letter of Intent, was expected to vote on and pass the proposal last June during its annual conference in Asheville, N.C. Instead, the commissioners voted to table the issue until they meet again next summer.
“I would expect there would be something up or down [in a vote next year], but we’ll see what the body wants,” MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher, chairman of the committee that made the recommendation, told reporters after the decision last summer. “People want to put this issue to bed, but they want to do it in the right way and do it in a thoughtful manner that takes into consideration all of the issues on the table.”
Many conferences were in favor of establishing an early signing period for football prospects who already had committed and didn’t want to wait until the first Wednesday in February to sign. However, the December signing date, which coincides with high school football playoffs and college football bowl preparation, was cause for concern.
Larry Perrin, National Football Director for National Scouting Report, said he would prefer the signing date remain status quo.
“I’m a traditionalist,” Perrin said. “I like having the first Wednesday in February for National Signing Day. “It creates energy, excitement and anticipation. It also gives a little more time for some of the colleges to make decisions on prospects.”
Perrin said he still remembers the excitement generated during National Signing Day in February 2015.
“It was crazy,” said Perrin, who doubles as NSR Area Director in Northern Mississippi. “I was constantly sharing information with [college] coaches and prospects. Every [NSR] scout in the country was sharing information with me. But it was good crazy. The energy created that day was wonderful. [NSR] had such good coverage of it [on social media] and such success with prospects signing.”
Perrin sees the pros and cons of an early signing period.
An early signing period would save college coaches time and money, not to mention lots of headaches. It would allow committed prospects to seal the deal seven weeks before the current signing date. It also would allow coaches to spend more time on uncommitted prospects and less on committed ones who may be reconsidering.
In addition, signing early would speed up the recruiting process.
“The biggest D-I schools get most of their commitments early,” Perrin said. “The FCS, D-II, D-III and NAIA schools kind of catch what shakes out. An early signing date could open doors for some of those prospects who aren’t on bigger college’s [recruiting] boards. It also would give NSR another window of opportunity to promote them more.”
A small percentage of early signees who already have enough credits to graduate high school could enroll in college early, Perrin said. In the past, most signees waited until the summer. In the future, they could enroll in the spring.
“It’s a win-win for prospects and the coaches,” Perrin said. “The prospects can get an early start in college, attend spring practices and participate in the offseason regimen.”
However, an early signing period also could cause problems for prospects and coaches.
Some college coaches think the recruiting process already starts too early. They aren’t comfortable offering scholarships to prospects they don’t know very well. The addition of an early signing period could result in even more guesswork regarding players’ character.
An early signing period also would force earlier official visits to college campuses, which could conflict with high school football season. College coaches likely would pressure recruits to visit earlier, commit earlier and sign earlier – right in the middle of their senior season.
“Most official visits now come in January,” Perrin said. “Coaches have time to study film and evaluate prospects. There’s a significant dead period at that time. When the dead period ends, many prospects take official visits and receive offers.”
Because the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, most college football administrators, coaches and recruiters agree that it’s only a matter of time before the December signing period becomes reality – probably next summer. If so, the early period likely would start on a two-year trial basis, so conference commissioners can evaluate the effectiveness of the change.
“I think it will pass eventually just to clear up some of the clutter on National Signing Day,” Perrin said. “It will benefit the kids who want to enroll early and alleviate the pressure from the first Wednesday in February.”
National Scouting Report is dedicated to finding scholarship opportunities for athletes who possess the talent, desire, and motivation to compete at the collegiate level. We’ve helped connect thousands of athletes with their perfect college.