Elite prospects frustrated by extension of dead period
When the NCAA announced a recruiting dead period and travel ban until May 31, prospects were disappointed about the elimination of the spring evaluation period but many remained hopeful about getting to take visits this summer.
However, that crumbled on Wednesday when the governing body announced that the dead period would be extended to the end of June.
MORE: NCAA extends recruiting dead period until June 30
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That allows a small window possibly in July for recruits to get out on trips but high school schedules and the uncertainty around the virus might continue to stall any travel.
And top recruits are annoyed.
“It’s very frustrating,” said four-star DB and former Alabama commit Latrell McCutchin. “The one time we get to experience this process, it’s being ruined.”
Five-star Georgia OL Amarius Mims said: “It’s been very frustrating because you get so many calls a day and I’ve had three officials get messed up.”
“It’s tough to know that I might have to make a decision based on the coaching staff and the offense without even seeing the campus or facilities in person, said four-star Colorado tight end Gunnar Helm.
Zoom meetings and FaceTime calls have replaced in-person contact. Unlimited phone calls to recruits has been approved by the NCAA, but that might only add to the annoyance.
Spring football has been cancelled, so college coaches cannot visit high schools, send out new offers after seeing players practice and maybe most importantly, prospects cannot visit college campuses.
That is an important step in the recruiting process, not only to meet with the coaching staffs but to talk with professors, academic counselors and to just get a feel for what it’s like on campus.
Imagine being a teenager, preparing to move hundreds or even thousands of miles away from home for the first time, and never actually visiting the town or the college campus where you’ll be living for a handful of years. And making that decision with NFL considerations in mind as well.
“I was going to wait until they said for sure that it was open,” five-star Texas offensive guard Bryce Foster said. “But it has been really frustrating because I've been relying on these final visits to really open up my eyes to see where i want to go.”
Four-star receiver and former Notre Dame commit Deion Colzie said: “It definitely has been a little frustrating for me. A major part in recruiting is visiting schools and getting a feel for the school and campus. I was going to try and knock out an official visit or two but now I’ll wait to do them in the fall.”
It’s the same story for four-star tight end Thomas Fidone, who has Nebraska and Iowa high on his list and he’s familiar with both programs being from Council Bluffs (Iowa) Lewis Central, but Michigan, LSU and others are involved as well.
“It’s awful,” Fidone said. “I haven’t gotten to all the places I’m really interested in and I’ve been waiting. It’s ruined my whole plans for when I was planning to take my visits and commit before the season to where now I might have to take my visits during the season.”
Five-star receiver Emeka Egbuka, from Steilacoom, Wash., said he didn’t plan any visits before June 30 for this exact scenario: Why schedule something when you’re pretty positive those trips will be cancelled anyway? Ohio State, Clemson and others are high on his list, thousands of miles away.
Four-star cornerback Jaylin Davies did not plan to make his commitment this soon but now it will have to be pushed out longer after trips to Ohio State, Oregon, Washington, Arizona State and Texas have been postponed.
McCutchin gave up booking trips out of frustration - and a realization this was going to last longer than first expected.
“I did in March but once they got cancelled I didn’t even schedule anymore,” McCutchin said.
If there’s one bright spot through this pandemic, it comes from five-star Maason Smith, who said even though he cannot take visits, recruiting has not stopped at all and this time away gives some opportunity for perspective - and to see which programs really want him the most.
“This gives me time to think and really see who loves me,” Smith said.