New rules in college football are bringing a significant change to the recruiting process and schools like Syracuse are the most likely schools to reap the rewards. This new rule will create a three-day early signing period in December that will allow players to put pen to paper about two months earlier than they had been able to do in the past with National Signing Day being the first day that recruits could make their commitments official.
Syracuse head coach Dino Babers was strongly in support of the new rule, saying that he believes that this is a “huge advantage for SU”. Babers pointed to two things that would make the early signing period beneficial for Syracuse. One of which seems a bit silly but the other is quite legitimate.
The first thing is that Babers beliefs that the early signing period, which will allow recruits to come to campus for official visits in April of their junior year, will get recruits on campus in what he called the “unbelievable” months in terms of weather in Central New York. This seems to be funny because the fact that a recruit visits in April doesn’t change the fact that Syracuse is one of the snowiest cities in the country. And it gets quite chilly.
No, the real reason that Syracuse fans should be excited about the new rules in college football recruiting is that it may limit the ability of big-time programs to “poach” Syracuse’s recruits. If a recruit signs on in December, there is no chance that another school who previously did not make an offer can come in and try to pry him away from the Orange. A mediocre power-five team like Syracuse is particularity vulnerable as recruits are more likely to be tempted should a big program come knocking. Of course, poaching doesn’t always work, as shown by 2017 quarterback Tommy DeVito, but these new rules will certainly not increase poaching.
Babers also pointed out that when players who are prime candidates for poaching, the program has to spend extra money doing what he calls “babysitting”, remaining in constant contact with the recruit to make sure that he is not swayed. Whether you buy into Babers’ weather argument or not, the early signing period is only good news for Syracuse.
