Roughly five years ago, when my partners and I started running websites for Scout.com, we would huddle by our computers, multiple phones in hand and wait on signing day for recruits to call us saying what school they had committed to. For the most part those days are over. Being the recruiting nerds we are, we still huddle with our phones and computers and except for the occasional uber high profile player such as Terrelle Pryor or Bryce Brown, the drama is over long before letter of intent day in February. In some ways, late June and early July have become the equivalent of signing day, as top players return from college camps, get a call, get an offer and make verbals. College head coaches have made it a priority to tie up recruiting loose ends by the end of the summer and have their classes on board. Texas, the king program of early verbals, already has right at twenty kids with unofficial commits. Stanford, an aggressive new player in the recruiting wars under Jim Harbaugh, has already received commits from over twenty recruits.
In Colorado, most of the top recruits are sealed and delivered and will be signed in February. Ultra athletic QBs Danny Spond and Kain Colter committed in April as did big OT Mike Moudy. QB Austin Hinder came off the boards in May. This week, lineman Dillon Bonnell became part of Harbaugh’s early haul at Stanford. Already ten Colorado prep prospects have made their college choice.
In Arizona, the players are being more patient with only six athletes having made their choice. This week, safety Devon Carrington became part of the Stanford parade as he opted to become a Cardinal. Top copper state prospects Nick Rowland and Marquis Flowers are bidding their time, but tight end Josh Fulton, linebacker Austin Arias, QB Kevin Spain and back Taylor Walstad have already picked their schools.
Due to its population, New Mexico is not as deep in D1 talent as neighbors Colorado and Arizona, but size has not stopped the early commit craze as Onate linebacker Zach Daugherty, the consensus top prospect in New Mexico, opted to commit last week to the University of New Mexico. In New Mexico, the recruiting class of 2011 looks very strong and I expect many of these player to make early choices.
Looking at the top prospects in the country, of Scout’s top 50 players, 27 have already made their college choice with more likely to come. So for all you recruitniks out there, forget about February and keep an eye on June.