The possibility of two early signing periods. Richard Davenport

[luke hawg]

It appears that on top of paying for parents on officials and 10 days of satellite camps, we might soon be able to lock up our early commits in July and December. THis would end the days of getting burned at certain position groups because kids flip or string us along in hopes of a better offer. We also would be able to zero in on elite prospects at key positions of need without worrying about another recruit not getting enough love. Nick Saban and Urban Meyer are both against it which tells me it's a good thing for us.


http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2016/10/05/ncaa-division-1-council-proposes-early-signing-periods-satellite-camps-recruits/91627604/

[LRHawg]

This is fantastic news for us, if true. we were striking out bad on the kids that wanted to wait till signing day to commit anyways.

[jackflash]

this may hurt schools like Alabama and Ohio State if they want a 3 star kid they may have to offer early instead of waiting because they missed on someone else

[King Kong]

I think this will be a mess when coaches start getting fired after the season and kids then have to ask and wait for their release.

I can see some situations where this would both hurt and help Arkansas.

[JaketheSnake]

I think this will be a mess when coaches start getting fired after the season and kids then have to ask and wait for their release.

I can see some situations where this would both hurt and help Arkansas.

Kids are not generally released from their signing schools bc of stuff like that.  Baylor was an exception last year, but that was a different situation than just getting fired for productivity.  IMO it would help us be able to focus in on fewer high profile recruits, rather than chasing several.  More focus on a couple should yield better results.

[Richard Davenport]

I know some high schools coaches aren't going to be too keen on a June or August signing period. They think kids will slack during the season.

If they allow kids to take officials before the June period I see it being fine. If not, the schools closest to the talent will benefit more so than a school like Arkansas because of the travel distance.

The plus would be getting in a kid and locking him in before he might blow up on the national scene.  That has happened quite a bit to Arkansas.

This will accelerate the evaluation process even more.

[SemperFi]

This actually protects both the school and the kids; the schools from losing kids that only accept a scholarship from school A in hopes of getting a scholarship from school B. Commit and sign on the dotted line to end the recruiting process. It also protects the kids from tactics like "grey shirting", which Bama has made a living at doing. It makes sense why Meyer and Saban are against this proposal. It forces them to make a decision on a kid and then hold to their commitment. Neither want to be forced to do that and I promise you that it has nothing to do with the kid changing their minds, but instead it is a matter of Meyer and Saban changing theirs. Great find luke hawg!

[luke hawg]

I think this will be a mess when coaches start getting fired after the season and kids then have to ask and wait for their release.

I can see some situations where this would both hurt and help Arkansas.

It will encourage more stability in the coaching profession which is a good thing.

[luke hawg]

I know some high schools coaches aren't going to be too keen on a June or August signing period. They think kids will slack during the season.

If they allow kids to take officials before the June period I see it being fine. If not, the schools closest to the talent will benefit more so than a school like Arkansas because of the travel distance.

The plus would be getting in a kid and locking him in before he might blow up on the national scene.  That has happened quite a bit to Arkansas.

This will accelerate the evaluation process even more.

I see Alabama or LSU evaluating their regional talent and signing them earlier as only as plus to us. We aren't going to get those kids anyways more times than not. It allows us to tell the kid the truth about the Bama or LSU offer. We want you right now where they want to wait and see if you get hurt or a better option presents itself for them. The current system allows them to evaluate longer therefore increasing their hit rate on prospects. We undoubtedly end up scrambling for the prospect, they don't want. If they go ahead and sign the kid, we will know he is off limits and move on to the next prospect instead of wasting valuable resources while competing against teams with more. We should be getting compensated for how much leg work were doing for our SEC "brethren". We are the perfect school to pick recruits off of late. All those close heartbreaking losses don't just happen on the field. It all begins on national signing day when Saban swoops in and try to offer Dejon Harris at the last minute.

[ShadowHawg]

Kids are not generally released from their signing schools bc of stuff like that.  Baylor was an exception last year, but that was a different situation than just getting fired for productivity.  IMO it would help us be able to focus in on fewer high profile recruits, rather than chasing several.  More focus on a couple should yield better results.

That's only because they sign in February and very few coaches are fired after that.

It happens in basketball all the time so it is only logical to believe that it would also happen in football.

[luke hawg]

http://www.omaha.com/huskers/nebraska-s-shawn-eichorst-others-in-big-ten-favor-earlier/article_68beb1e3-aba9-5faf-86a9-2182e811435a.html

The creation of a goverence committee has given schools like Nebraska a voice. I hope Jeff Long is pushing hard for this deal. There is a total lack of fairness under the current system,

[Rzback]

Let them sign when they commit and end the games being played with and by recruits and coaches

[nwahogfan1]

This will lead to more mistakes in evaluating players.  So those schools who sign early have better be very good at evaluating.  I dont know if it helps us or not.  I guess it depends on who our coach is a time.

[luke hawg]

This will lead to more mistakes in evaluating players.  So those schools who sign early have better be very good at evaluating.  I dont know if it helps us or not.  I guess it depends on who our coach is a time.

Any change from the current system is better than this one. Alabama at the end of the season in a college football semifinal pounded Michigan St 38-0. College football creates the most unlevel playing field in all of sports. Many seasons I honestly believe we would be better off just forfeiting to reduce risk of injury.

[Smokehouse]

You could easily just make it officially part of the system that early signees are automatically released if the head coach is fired and they make the decision in X amount of days. They'll have some risk with position coaches but I think that's acceptable. I think kids should have as much freedom as possible in the process, and there's some risk early signing periods could be abused by the blue bloods with the most power, but it could also help kids who want to commit early and get it over with.

I'm not sure it would end up having much of an impact on the Hogs, though. Locking up the guys we evaluate early before they blow up would help, but I don't think we have the clout to slow play too many guys. They know they can tell us they want to wait until after the early signing period and we'll likely still need to consider them.

[King Kong]

Kids are not generally released from their signing schools bc of stuff like that.  Baylor was an exception last year, but that was a different situation than just getting fired for productivity.  IMO it would help us be able to focus in on fewer high profile recruits, rather than chasing several.  More focus on a couple should yield better results.

For early enrollees in football and in Basketball it is common practice for kids that want out.  The only reason we don't see it in football now is because all new HC are in place by Signing Day

[luke hawg]

You could easily just make it officially part of the system that early signees are automatically released if the head coach is fired and they make the decision in X amount of days. They'll have some risk with position coaches but I think that's acceptable. I think kids should have as much freedom as possible in the process, and there's some risk early signing periods could be abused by the blue bloods with the most power, but it could also help kids who want to commit early and get it over with.

I'm not sure it would end up having much of an impact on the Hogs, though. Locking up the guys we evaluate early before they blow up would help, but I don't think we have the clout to slow play too many guys. They know they can tell us they want to wait until after the early signing period and we'll likely still need to consider them.

I think you make a great point schools with elite status will sign who they want early then tell others to wait. We don't have the clout to pressure a blue chip kid early. But look at our current class which is filled with some great prospects. Most of them aren't blue chip recruits but undoubtedly some will be in February. If we could lock just 2/3 of them in now we would know exactly what we need to fill out our class. I think there is a lot of value in this.

[East TN HAWG]

I don't know if this helps us.  It moves the time line forward, so we are evaluating on less data.  Seems like it will lead to more whiffs.

Seems like the 5 stars are already established themselves.  The 3* need more tape for evaluation.  Rushing on these athletes might not be good.

[Smokehouse]

I think you make a great point schools with elite status will sign who they want early then tell others to wait. We don't have the clout to pressure a blue chip kid early. But look at our current class which is filled with some great prospects. Most of them aren't blue chip recruits but undoubtedly some will be in February. If we could lock just 2/3 of them in now we would know exactly what we need to fill out our class. I think there is a lot of value in this.

Yes, to the extent we can evaluate early and convince those kids to sign to us it'll help. But also adds an element to risk if we predict a certain amount of growth and then the evaluation ends up being off by the end of their senior year.

I think most likely it ends up being a wash. Helpful in some parts, not in others. I don't think we should count on it hurting the blue chip programs too much. They have the clout and resources to make sure they can work a situation to their favor either way.

[luke hawg]

I don't know if this helps us.  It moves the time line forward, so we are evaluating on less data.  Seems like it will lead to more whiffs.

Seems like the 5 stars are already established themselves.  The 3* need more tape for evaluation.  Rushing on these athletes might not be good.

It places a lot more value on a coaches ability to evaluate talent which could be detriminal to us if this is not a strong point of our current coach. But it at least gives us a better chance of landing impact players instead of just identifying them for power programs. We currently are the perfect program to pick recruits off of late. We have everything the bigger schools have except proximity to talent and tradition. Larger schools sell being a more prestigious, closer option late and we end up scrambling. It's why we have so much difficulty building depth here. If you scramble two years in a row at the same position group it will show up as a major hole.

[Smokehouse]

IMO the one overwhelming positive is the reduced capacity of a flag$hip program swooping in and making a move on late-blooming commits.

Assuming you can get them to sign in the early period and not bet on their senior years giving them more options. Not sure most schools will be too successful at getting recruits to make it official early (but, then again, maybe we would be able to get some guys to jump at their first SEC offer and sign on the dotted line. Hopefully that'll be the case.)

[luke hawg]

The ugly truth is us and a lot of other institutions are tired of identifying and spending money on prospects that sign with the elite. The argument against it is that kids shouldn't be pressured and should have the right to choose an elite school if the option presents itself. The problem with this logic is assuming the decision made abruptly before signing day in a flip from State U to Ohio State is an informed one. Urban Meyer is correct 17 year old do change their mind on a whim and he takes advantage of it.  When is making a quick life decision a good idea.

[JaketheSnake]

For early enrollees in football and in Basketball it is common practice for kids that want out.  The only reason we don't see it in football now is because all new HC are in place by Signing Day

And kids that are going to sign the summer before their senior season are gonna be instate kids that have grown up wanting to play for team X.  Those won't waiver

[luke hawg]

http://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/pros-cons-and-possibilities-of-college-footballs-early-signing-period-proposal/

This gives more information and makes it sound like summer visits are part of the package. I really like the idea of a limit being placed on the number of signees during the early period. This would almost create rounds to recruiting which would really level the playing field. WE can hold a big 3 day camp in Arkansas and two or three others in big Metro areas with another school. We also can bring their parents in on an official visit after identifying them. We can then sign them and not have to continue recruiting them with the knowledge of knowing exactly where we stand in our current class with 2 rounds to go. I love it.

[Vantage 8 dude]

It appears that on top of paying for parents on officials and 10 days of satellite camps, we might soon be able to lock up our early commits in July and December. THis would end the days of getting burned at certain position groups because kids flip or string us along in hopes of a better offer. We also would be able to zero in on elite prospects at key positions of need without worrying about another recruit not getting enough love. Nick Saban and Urban Meyer are both against it which tells me it's a good thing for us.


http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2016/10/05/ncaa-division-1-council-proposes-early-signing-periods-satellite-camps-recruits/91627604/

Pray tell why would old Nickie and Urban be against it? Not as if they can sign unlimited 4 and 5 stars players (although if they could don't think they wouldn't try). They already load the boat as it is. An early signing period would do absolutely no harm to their classes. Makes no sense whatsoever they'd fell this way.