No In-Person Recruiting Visits Could Mean Early Signing Period Doesn’t Happen
Student-athletes might be returning to respective college campuses soon but high school prospects will not be able to take in-person visits until at least July 31 per a release from the NCAA on Wednesday.
With the NCAA extending its dead period through the summer, that only increases the likelihood that the early signing period in December might not happen.
In football, we have already seen more than double the amount of verbal commitments from this point last year. Currently, some prospects are having to make their decisions before they can even step foot on campus.
The summertime is normally filled with official visits for rising seniors because, for most people, those months provide more flexibility in one’s schedule.
Just having the fall months to visit campuses in person might not be ample time for some prospects to make decisions on their future.
If the early signing period is pushed back or just does not happen this cycle, there is also the chance we would see many more de-commitments compared to recent years due to prospects taking their official visits in the winter and beyond.
In the past, the University of Alabama has had a knack for flipping prospects, who were committed to former schools, before joining the Crimson Tide. For example, almost half of the 2020 recruiting class were flips.
For now, all contact between coaches and prospects will remain virtual. FaceTime, Zoom, and text messages will have to do in the age of COVID-19.
