Early signing adds an X factor

The overhauled NCAA recruiting calendar and its new December signing period could significantly affect the SEC and the rest of college football in 2017. As proposed, prospects would have the option to sign from Dec. 20-22 instead of waiting for February.

The changes are potentially so major, in fact, that not even coaches know what to expect. The uncertainty makes it difficult to project how the early signing period will play out.

Based on what several SEC coaches said Monday during the spring football teleconference, however, we can draw a few conclusions.

Most SEC coaches like the early signing period, but don’t like changing the recruiting calendar. Why? That forces teams to speed up their player evaluations. Some coaches also believe they would have less time to build relationships with their targets. That certainly would be the case for the 2018 recruiting class.

An early signing period, however, could allow coaches to get a head start on future classes. So while December and January would’ve been spent mostly on that February’s signing class in previous recruiting cycles, now programs can dive right into the 2019 and 2020 classes during those months.

Most schools probably will pressure recruits to sign in December rather than wait until February. More than one SEC coach said prospects who delay their signing merely have a “reservation,” not a full commitment to the school. “I truly think it’ll call some people’s bluffs,” Florida coach Jim McElwain said.

Early December will be nuts. Players on top high school teams could be in the middle of deep playoff runs. They will also be studying for finals as they wrap up the fall semester. Coaching changes will be taking place, while other programs will be preparing for the College Football Playoff or New Year’s Six bowl games. “It’s a time when we’re not used to having that much intensity in recruiting,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said.

Recruits will continue to make commitments earlier and earlier. This could potentially hurt “late bloom- ers” who don’t emerge as SEC prospects until their senior years.

Late spring and summer, a relatively slow time for coaches, suddenly become much busier as schools can now welcome official visits in April, May and June. This opens the door for, say, a West Coast fivestar to take an all-expenses-paid trip to Alabama in the spring, whereas before he would have had to wait until September.

It also allows a five-star Alabama recruit to visit Michigan for free. That could create an interesting dynamic. (Schools cannot cover the costs associated with unofficial visits.)

The major caveat underlying every coach’s opinion, however, was this: None of them can predict all of the effects these changes might have.

There could be unintended consequences that nobody sees coming. But at least for now, these are the breaks and programs will have to adjust.

The payoff could be huge for coaches who adapt the best.