For the average high school senior, committing verbally to a school after an acceptance offer is not an option.
But in the world of college football, the word of mouth breeds stronger vibes than sending an envelope through the mail.
While the present focus for Northwestern football followers is on this Saturday's road showdown with Michigan State, the Wildcats' coaching staff consistently maintains a focus toward the future. That focus has drawn attention earlier and earlier in recent years from one central element of modern-era recruiting: the early commitment.
Early commitments come from athletes who verbally state their intent to play for a school prior to college football's universal signing day in February. It is a non-binding agreement that allows universities to set aside scholarships in exchange for having an idea of the positions they will fill in their upcoming freshman classes.
It is a window that narrows uncertainty for players, while bumping up the start of recruiting efforts by coaching staffs.
"Kids are hearing from schools early in their junior year, and that's when they start visiting campuses," NU offensive line coach Bret Ingalls said. "By the time the summer starts, they've seen four or five campuses. They may have not taken an official visit but they've met the coaches, met the players and been on the campus. If it's the right fit, they go for it."
This is especially true for national powerhouses, where 18 players who are current high school juniors have already committed to programs for the Class of 2013, according to Rivals.com. Texas A&M, BYU, and USC lead the way so far, with each school receiving three commitments for next year's class.
With four months between now and signing day, Rivals.com currently has NU holding nine recruits who have verbally committed to the Class of 2012. The Cats stand with the fewest commits in the Big Ten - a product of NU's triad of factors that the program prides itself upon. Tier one academics, access to a large city, and a top flight conference all come into play, representing a unique situation that superbacks coach Adam Cushing believes can't be captured until recruits make an official visit.
Spring Break
The DAILY encourages you to share your thoughts on this story. Please help us keep the discussion lively, but civil. Comments that are abusive to others, off-topic or vulgar, or comments that misrepresent someone's identity, will not be tolerated. We reserve the right to delete any comments in violation or to close comment threads on articles.
Please e-mail online@dailynorthwestern.com to flag a comment or for more information.
Be the first to comment on this story