The Early Signing Period is Providing a Changeup to the College Football Recruiting Process

If you were as confused as I was at the beginning of this new “early signing period,” I wouldn’t worry too much. Judging by early indications of fans, they seem to like it so far.

With the addition of an early signing period in mid-December as well as the main signing day in February, it looked as if a wrench had been thrown into the mix of decision-making for some high school athletes.

So far in this early signing period at the time of this writing, 58 out of the Top 100 ESPN prospects for 2018 have signed with their respective teams. With just a quick look off of various social media platforms, it seems that this signing period will be the new commitment time for high-profile prospects.

For Tennessee, it’s been a very exciting time with a few prospects committing who weren’t expected. So far some highlights for Tennessee on early signing period:

• JT Shrout: 3-star QB
• Jerome Carvin: 4-star OL from Cordova
• Jeremy Banks: 4-star RB also from Cordova
• Dominick Wood-Anderson: 4-star JUCO TE

For myself, not only is it a breath of fresh air for college football recruiting, but it also adds a few extra elements that look to be a hit so far. As always with recruiting, you have the expected flips and excitement from signing a prospect, but it also adds a little extra element to a dead period of college football where we’re in between the conference championships and the College Football Playoff.

The early signing period can only grow from here and looks to be a big date to look at for Tennessee fans in the future.