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What's Changing in Recruiting? Just About Everything

The Best of Sports Illustrated takes a long look at the challenges of recruiting during the coronavirus, and will sports wave goodbye to the handshake?

There were two important recruiting developments on Thursday, both of which will have a big impact on Alabama.

The first was 2022 linebacker Robert Woodyard verbally committing to the Crimson Tide. He'll almost certainly be considered one of the best in-state prospects in the signing class, and might spark a string of Crimson Tide summer additions. 

The other was the NCAA's Division I Council Coordination Committee announcing it had extended the recruiting dead period through Aug. 31 for all sports.

"The full Council and the Council Coordination Committee will continue to review the recruiting dead periods on a regular basis," it said in a statement. "A dead period precludes all in-person recruiting. Phone calls and correspondence can continue to occur.

"Men's and women's basketball will allow schools to hold 'athletically related activities' beginning on July 20, and can include up to eight hours per week of weight training, conditioning and skill instruction, with no more than four hours of skill instruction.The NCAA has also granted a waiver that modifies the start of preseason practices for all sports other than football. Typically, fall sports can begin practicing a set number of days before the school's first scheduled regular-season game. Now, the waiver will allow teams to practice from the first day games are allowed, instead of a team’s actual scheduled first game."

The committee previously had extended the recruiting dead period through July 31.

We're already way into uncharted territory, but with each subsequent move like this extends the time period for getting back into what's familiar. 

However, add in the social issues that have also come to the forefront, and it's already clear that recruiting will never quite be the same.

SI All-American's John Garcia Jr. discusses with former college and NFL head coach Jim Mora on changes we should expect to see in college football. 

Mora describes how parents will now be more likely to ask better questions about how college programs will support their athletes. Parents will also be asking their children more questions about their on-campus experience and how they are being treated.

As for the teams, programs will need to learn how to be more inclusive and educate their teams to address the cultural changes needed for social change. 

"You have to have a cohesive unit, on the same page, thinking the same things, active the same way, adhering to the same [team] culture if you want to have success," he said. 

With that in mind, he probably would have really liked Alabama's video released Wednesday, which included numerous players and Nick Saban. Written by offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood, it concluded with "All lives can't matter until black lives matter." 

If you haven't checked out SI All-American TV, here are three other recent segments about recruiting: 

Jim Mora Says College Football Coaches 'Have to Be Vulnerable'

John Garcia, Jr. and Jim Mora on why newcomer expectations in college football should be tempered.

John Garcia, Jr. and Jim Mora identify the broad challenges of college football recruiting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

An Ode to the Handshake

When Jorge Posada was the New York Yankees catcher, he would pee on his hands to toughen them up — and he wasn't the only one. 

“You don’t want to shake my hand,” he'd say. 

The handshake was never hygienic, but has long held sports in its grip, from pregame handshake lines in soccer to postseason handshake lines in hockey at the end of a series.  

In this pandemic, though, the shake is shelved. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci: “I don’t think we should ever shake hands ever again.” 

Steve Rushin goes deep on a sporting world without the the soul shake, the hand slap, the high (and low) five, and so on.

Did you notice

• ESPN's Bomani Jones takes Will Cain to school in debate Over Bubba Wallace incident

• Would MLB be better off trying to play this season in a “bubble” like the NBA?

• The most important player for each Eastern Conference NBA team.

• Jarome Iginla and Marian Hossa are part of the 2020 Hockey Hall of Fame class

The lighter side 

• Indiana self-reported an NCAA violation after a wrestler made $14 from a YouTube channel about Fortnite.

• English soccer team Leeds United is filling its stands with cardboard cutouts of photos submitted by fans but some guy sent one of Osama Bin Laden.

• Speaking of which ... 

• The new stadium for the Texas Rangers looks a lot like Chase Field in Phoenix, but only on the inside.