Every year as college football’s National Signing Day approaches, recruits all across the nation make one of the biggest decisions of their lives and choose pick where to go to college.
Most recruits have already made their decisions but are still receiving visits and phone calls from opposing coaches trying to win them over. Without fail there are multiple recruits flipping schools on or near National Signing Day. Some of these players have been committed for months and all it takes to win them over is some last minute persuasion. That is not how recruiting should be.
I strongly believe that the NCAA should implement early signing periods. This will let players who have been committed for a long time sign with the school and end their recruiting process. This will also allow coaches to stop worrying about that player, whether he’s coming to your school or you’re trying to win him over, and move on to the next prospect. Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy had a strong opinion on the matter.
“I’ve said for years that we should sign July 1,” Gundy said. “Guys that want to come in in the spring can sign July 1. Then we need to sign again in December and again in February. It’ll also save money, because the ones that are signed, you don’t have to get in a car, airplane, hotel, all the things in the budget.”
In Gundy’s suggestion, programs will likely not see too many recruits sign in July, but those are recruits who are wanting to go the school regardless of coaching staff. The majority of recruits will likely wait to see how the season turns out and to see if any coaching changes are made. With most coaching changes taking place in December there could a late December or early January signing day.
All of this will get rid of all the speculation and hype that leads up to National Signing Day. ESPN may not like the idea, but I think it’s right for college football.
