Schools debate early enrollment

Programs weigh pros and cons of move

With its associations to good grades and getting-a-jump-onthe-competition drive, early enrollment has typically engendered respect — even awe — for high school football players moving on to college play.

But not at St. Thomas Aquinas.

The Raiders are expected again this year to send a bumper crop of football players to college on scholarship, a feat that will be highlighted in a grand National Signing Day ceremony on Wednesday, with the 2017 class easily surpassing double digits. But the Fort Lauderdale private school, which this season counted 18 alumni on NFL rosters, does not allow seniors to graduate early.

St. Thomas Aquinas athletic director George Smith sees the trend growing, but has no plans to change his stance: High school, he says, is an experience athletes can never have again.

Aquinas is becoming a rare exception. All around the country, college programs are welcoming in more prospects ahead of the traditional high school academic schedule. Some teams’ incoming classes loaded with early enrollees: Alabama has 12 of its 2017 class

players already enrolled, Michigan has 11 and Ohio State nine.

The Miami Hurricanes brought in 10 players early — up from five last year. Five of the players newly enrolled at the University of Miami come from the South Florida tri-county area, including defensive end Jonathan Garvin out of Lake Worth and safety Amari Carter from Palm Beach Gardens.

Thirteen Class of 2017 football players from Broward and Palm Beach have enrolled at least four months early, most to get acclimated to college classes, college life and college football before fall.

Flanagan held a ceremony in December for three top seniors signing with Football Bowl Subdivision programs — Stanford Samuels III with Florida State, Clevan Thomas with Kentucky and Faion Hicks with Wisconsin.

Samuels said enrolling in college early had long been a goal. For the Falcons four-star cornerback, transitioning to college in January would help in “getting all the freshman jitters out of the way and just making sure everything is smooth sailing once it’s time for the regular season.”

Thomas said if he waited to enroll, “I’m going to get there and kind of rush — and I’m trying to get on the field and play. Early signing, it gets me to learn the offense. It gets me to learn my school.”

Deerfield’s Jerry Jeudy (Alabama), Deslin Alexandre (Pitt) and Leroy Henley (East Carolina), American Heritage’s James Houston (Florida), Dwyer’s Todd Centeio (Temple) and Cedrick Dort (Kentucky), Palm Beach Gardens’ Jerry Drake (Pitt) and Atlantic’s Marquis Waters (Duke) are also among the Class of 2017’s early enrollees.

Joining Aquinas in bucking this trend is its Fort Lauderdale sister school, Cardinal Gibbons.

“We are creating the high school experience. That is lost with the early enrollment,” Cardinal Gibbons coach Matt DuBuc said. “Let these kids be kids. College can wait three months.”

In addition to the final academic requirements St. Thomas students must fulfill, Smith points to once-in-a-lifetime experiences — prom, graduation, a senior class field trip to Universal Studios in Orlando — that seniors can never go back in time to participate in.

“I think colleges are telling these guys, ‘We want you to enroll in January so you can get acclimated to academics and go through spring football.’ That’s exactly what they’re being told.

“That’s a great thought, but a lot of these kids do get redshirted and then they [still] can do all those things.”

For college teams, many of their summer and fall arrivals end up contributing immediately without an additional semester’s preparation time.

The debate will go on about the pros and cons, and proponents on both sides can lay out countless examples of past success stories.

One thing is for sure. Though the trend continues its growth, don’t expect Smith to adjust what the Raiders do. He’s not changing his mind.

“I guarantee it,” he said.