Talk of an early signing period for football recruits, much like the one that exists for basketball recruits, is a near-annual occurrence. But one Alabama high school coach has an even more radical solution, one that would go a long way toward cleaning up the recruiting process (which is precisely why it would never fly). Mobile Davidson coach Fred Riley says that prospects should be able to sign a letter of intent -- and lock in their scholarship -- on whatever day of the year they decide to commit. This would make players honor their word, it would force them to make 100 percent sure they wanted to go to a school when they decide to make a commitment, it would keep schools from pulling offers, it would keep schools from taking more commitments than they have scholarships to give, it would keep coaches from having to scramble to replace late defectors, and it would keep other schools from poaching committed recruits. It certainly sounds like a win-win situation all around, though we suppose kids could still choose to announce a commitment and not sign. But it is an interesting notion, creating a world where a commitment -- from a player or a school -- actually is a commitment.