FILE – Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, center, enters the stadium during a ceremony celebrating the Bulldog’s second consecutive NCAA College Football National Championship on January 14, 2023 in Athens, Georgia. The first Wednesday in February was the biggest day on the college football recruiting calendar. Now that’s an afterthought. Ahead of the championship game, TCU’s Smart and Sonny Dykes both called for changes to the crowded college football schedule without going into specifics. (AP Photo/Alex Slitz, File)
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The first Wednesday in February was the most important day on the calendar for college football recruiting. Now that’s an afterthought.
The December signing period, which is now when almost all major prospects finalize their plans, is still relatively new but is causing enough headaches for busy coaches that many are trying to think of an alternative.
“It’s become the premier signing period for football,” American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco said. “February is apparently now when they plug the holes. It’s a secondary thing.
Indeed, more than 95% of the nation’s top 250 high school prospects had signed with schools by Wednesday, according to the composite ranking of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports. This continues a trend that began as soon as the early signing period arrived in December 2017.
The difference now is that the transfer portal has made December busier than ever. The early signing period for this class began on December 21, just over two weeks after the portal window opened and just as the bowling games began.
Ahead of the college football playoff championship game, Georgia’s Kirby Smart and TCU’s Sonny Dykes both called for changes to the busy college football schedule. Smart noted that the arrival of a 12-team playoff series in 2024 will only make things busier.
“I think with the playoff system coming up it’s going to be really interesting to see what happens are you going to play games while you’re trying to sign guys at the start of the signing period in December ?” said Smart. “It’s become more competitive than ever.”
Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey, who criticized the early signing period when it went into effect, said it should be moved to clarify that December schedule.
Todd Berry, executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, said a “high majority” of coaches had recommended moving him. Berry said coaches like to have an early signing period, but want it at a different time.
“I think everyone knows now that’s ridiculous,” Berry said. “Where we are now is total chaos. The whole university enterprise is in total chaos right now – and it’s getting worse every year.
The question is exactly where to move it.
Berry suggested having the early signing period shortly after the end of the regular season so it doesn’t happen at the same time teams are making bowl trips and signing transfers. The most recent portal window was open from December 5 to January 19.
“It’s in the discussion phase, but (coaches) might like to have a weekend to bring in high school players and then have the signing date right after that,” Berry said.
Aresco said he hasn’t asked conference coaches about the issue yet, but suggested having an early signing period after the playoffs — or just eliminating him altogether.
Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Jim Phillips said he was inclined to keep the early signing period as is because the other options no longer make sense.
Phillips noted that there wasn’t a lot of support for having the signing period during the regular season. He also noted that the fact that high schoolers and transfers are finalizing their decisions at the same time gives them at least an idea of what’s going on at each college they’re considering.
“It’s not a difficult position,” Phillips said. “We continue to speak with other leagues. I speak to other Commissioners about it. I know the coaches do the same thing in our league. But at the moment, there doesn’t seem to be a better alternative.
High school coaches wouldn’t mind seeing changes.
Dan Sabella of Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, New Jersey, said he had mixed emotions about the signing period. He’d like to see that moved earlier so prospects can eliminate their college selection process ahead of their senior seasons. But he acknowledged it could cause some of the top seniors to skip their final seasons of preparation, a potential consequence that Berry and Phillips also mentioned.
Sabella also touched on a way the early signing period has made things more difficult for prospects.
“It’s helped high-level players, but hurt guys who aren’t being recruited as much or have really good senior years,” said Sabella, whose program has New Jersey’s top prospects for 2023 (the player A&M offensive lineman Chase Bisontis) and 2024 (defensive lineman Jordan Thomas). “It really took a lot out of the last year.”
Dana Zupke of Pinnacle High School in Phoenix accepted. Pinnacle has two of Arizona’s top three prospects in 2023 in tight end Duce Robinson, plus Southern California offensive tackle Elijah Paige and quarterback Dylan Raiola, the nation’s No. 1 rookie in the class. 2024.
“If you don’t show anything by your freshman year, it’s really hard to get a scholarship by your senior year, I think because of the early signing date and because the recruiting got more and more more accelerated,” Zupke said.
High school and college coaches both see downsides to having the early signing period at the end of December. The problem is to find a better solution.
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