Jamree Kromah believes the new start of signing college football on Wednesday is a calculated risk that he doesn’t want to take.
From the beginning, Kromah, an uneducated senior supporter of C.H. Flowers High in Prince George County, Maryland, had considered using the early signing period to his advantage, as the NCAA had planned. Signing a memorandum in December would require phone calls from coaches, visits from school staff and constant pressure to decide which school to end up voting. Most likely, it meant relief.
But with the approaching of the first signing period, Kromah decided that joining a school without investigating other options – and in some cases better ones – that could come between now and the traditional national holiday in February would be greater. Risk that he did not want to take.
“Yes, I want to wait,” said Kromah, who retired from the former Dominion on December 10, hoping to receive more offers by February. “It rolls the dice.”
As they wait to sign by February, there is an immediate opportunity to withdraw players’ current offers, a threat that Kromah and other players have heard during their recruitment process. Universities will not reach the target. Late offers are waiting for interested parties. Kromah said that even if he understands the risk, waiting from now is what he wants to do.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Kromah said. “I do not know if other schools offer it to me or not.” I’m just waiting.
In May, the NCAA approved a 72-hour period from December 20 to 22 so that 2018 high school players could sign a letter of intent. The traditional sign-up period runs from the first Wednesday in February to April 1st.
The early signing of the contract will not affect players who opt for early entry into college, which has been common in recent years. If players sign their letter of intent during the signing of the contract, they do not have to register early and vice versa.
Kromah, which also has deals from Rutgers and Connecticut, wanted to make as many opportunities as possible before the early signing period. Despite the decision to wait until February, the pressure is still there.
Susan Peal, director of the NCAA National Letter of Intent said, “This is information we need to gather. Do future student athletes feel more in a hurry or not? We’ve been talking about an early signature for years, but until we see the data and receive the comments, it’s still unknown”.
Some high school players say that they are satisfied with the first option. Offensive lineman Damascus Michael Jurgens, who is employed at Wake Forest, and offensive lineman Gonzaga Aidan Rafferty, who is employed in Indiana, want to sign early and have expressed their relief that their recruitment is finally over.
Mike Farrell, national recruitment director of Rivals.com, said he expects 60 to 65 percent of those interested to verbally sign in December. More than half of all serious eligible scholarship recipients gave verbal pledges.
“I know it’s good for us. There are many factors involved, but we think that’s a good thing, we have the majority of the class signature on Wednesday and we believe everyone has the information they need on both sides.” Californian coach Justin Wilcox said about the early contract.
Maryland Coach, DJ Durkin, who said that Maryland’s plan for all verbal commitments to sign early, pointed to the stress that would be removed by the players signed in December, plus the benefits of schools focusing their concentration in the US January restrict.
Rather than trying to constantly recruiting for one month and spending resources on children who have already made a decision, universities will have a complete understanding of who takes them seriously and who does not. are not.
“Some schools have children and end at the end of the day without signing,” said Clemens offensive coordinator Jeff Scott. “So, this perspective is learning in December and not the day before the February signing, for us we would like to have all the boys fill our class in December when everyone is ready.”
But according to some high school players who are not defined as “high-level perspectives” who usually have the luxury of waiting until February to make their university decisions, some universities told them they did not sign very well have. early exit of the program.
“What schools say, especially schools that are not Power Five, is that if you do not sign during the first signing phase, you’re not really engaged,” said Rodney Webb, Rockwall’s coach. High in Texas. “So, this kid who offers this sunbelt and who wants to wait until the day of signing to make his decision, if he does not register in the first signing session at Sun Belt School, then they will do it and let him go ”
Barclay Ford, a North Forney High Club in Forney, Texas, decided to use the signing period to close a college seat of its choice. Ford has announced that it will sign with Stephen F. Austin the football championship on Wednesday at 7:30. in the lecture hall of your school. But the process to make that decision was not easy.
“When I analyze it, I’d like to have more time because I think some athletes are pushing where they want to go,” Ford said. “And I’m not saying I’m feeling pressured now because [SFA ] is where I want to go, but others, yes, feel under pressure. ”
Ford, a two-star rookie who had offers from seven FCS schools, could have taken the same bet as Kromah. But in addition to deciding that Stephen F. Austin was the school for him, he realized that the risk of waiting and finding no place was too great.
“You do not want to try to wait and turn until February to handle anything, and you try to go back to the SFA and say, ‘I’m sorry, we filled your place,’ and then you’re stuck firm and voiceless, without a place to go, “said Ford.
There are potential benefits for players waiting for the traditional signing phase. High school students, who would normally not get an offer, could be taken to a school where the move does not take place as planned.
And Howard’s coach, Mike London, said the runoff could benefit many FSC schools that continue to offer children who neglect them to Bowl Football subdivision schools. That’s important, he said, in a sport that depends on acquiring good players.
“For children who do not want to say soon enough and see what happens, we might end up catching them,” said London. “In fact, I want to say that it’s Jimmy and the Joes, not the X’s and the O’s.”