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Get today's
last-minute update
on East
Carolina football recruiting and read thumbnail sketches on
players committed to don the Purple and Gold...
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Later today, new East Carolina coach John Thompson will unveil his first
class of Pirates newcomers, which should put an end to all the recruiting
banter and Signing Day speculation.
Or will it?
Since the emergence of the Internet as a medium of discourse about the
subject, recruiting has become a big business, one which, believe it or not,
is a recognized occupation in mainstream sports. All you need is a
telephone, computer, and broadband connection.
A few friends in the coaching business doesn't hurt, either.
Recruiting information has always been of high demand, but until about
five years ago, the supply was limited. Outside of the daily news and a few
periodicals, fans had little access to information.
Now, up-to-the-minute updates are right at their fingertips.
Large recruiting networks hit cyberspace in the late 90s, carving their
niche by seemingly plotting the day-to-day activities of budding high school
stars. By subscribing to an online service, fans can quench their thirst for
recruiting knowledge and get the rundown on who visited their school and
what they liked about it, not to mention all the data which seems to drive
where players fall in the national pecking order.
But just how reliable is the information published by all these
recruiting dotcoms? Not very, according to Bill Buchalter, who provides
recruiting coverage for the Orlando Sentinel.
Buchalter has covered recruiting since 1962 and is one of the pioneers in
this bustling genre of sports media. He says the presence of the Internet
has multiplied the amount of information exponentially, though much of it
can be misleading.
"It seems like there are more (de-commitments) than ever before,"
Buchalter said. "A lot of it has to do with the constant calls by internet
providers. The players are telling them what they want to hear and the
translation seems to be that if the trip was very good, it is akin to a
commitment.
"Or, they tell them they committed to keep the phones from ringing. Then
they continue to take trips and finally sit down with parents and coaches to
make a final decision."
NCAA should tweak rules
When Thompson reveals his first class this afternoon, at least four names
will be missing from the list of verbals Bonesville.net has published in the
months leading up to signing day.
Deon Adams, Matt Brim, William Brown, and Frank Johnson initially cast
their lots with East Carolina, but reneged on those commitments after Steve
Logan was removed as the Pirates' head coach.
It has become increasingly common for non-BCS schools such as ECU to
receive early commitments while higher profile programs sit back and monitor
a player's performance, then offer late in the game. That sometimes results
in a change in hearts, and moves some athletes — who are not bound by their
verbal commitment — to change directions and opt for the conceivable chance
at the BCS brass.
Such a scenario severely handicaps schools like East Carolina, which
sometimes has to reshuffle its recruiting strategy in the late stages of the
process because of broken pledges.
Perhaps it is time for the NCAA to institute a new rule for football
recruiting, adopting an early signing period during the late summer or early
fall, much like it does in basketball. De-commitments aren't nearly as
wide-spread on the hardwood, considering most like to secure a scholarship
early in the process by signing on the dotted line.
Similar legislation in football could go a long way towards promoting
good faith up front by prospects and schools and leveling the playing field.
Florida Sunshine
Thompson made it clear in his opening press conference that East Carolina
would concentrate heavily on recruiting the Sunshine State. And for good
reason.
According to Buchalter, Florida manufactures an average of 300 Division-I
signees per year, which is three times as many as North Carolina. Some
analysts have even suggested that earning Top 100 status in Florida is the
equivalent to a top 25 ranking in NC.
At least seven Florida products, including juco transfer Kevin Fain, are
expected to ink with the Pirates today.
Chuck the 'Voice'?
Hialeah-Miami Lakes defensive end Brandon Jones turned a few heads when
he announced Monday he would attend East Carolina over Miami, N.C. State,
Auburn, and Missouri. The 6'5" 240-pounder was a three-year starter and led
his team in sacks this past season with nine.
New Pirates defensive coordinator Jerry Odom, a former Florida high
school coach, has strong connections in the Sunshine State and got a strong
recommendation on Jones from a former staff member at UF.
Don't celebrate just yet, though. Wolfpack coach Chuck Amato has been
known to tune his pipes for high-pitched solo performances in an attempt to
detour recruits to West Raleigh.
It will be interesting to see if The Chest makes a final operatic push
for Jones. Stay tuned.
Memory Lane
I'll never forget Signing Day 2002. Not so much because it was my first
opportunity to cover recruiting's biggest day, rather the one hour I got to
spend with coach Keith LeClair earlier that morning.
That conversation was one of the most memorable in my life, as I
constantly replay his insightful, heartfelt words. Baseball consumed only
half our discussion, with life and religion owning the rest.
Chances are, I'll likely forget the basic principles of his coaching
strategy, such as when to bunt or hit-and-run. Rest assured, though, I'll
always remember the lessons I learned on that cold, cloudy day.
Keith LeClair truly taught me How to Play the Game.
