The day after Ohio State hoisted the College Football Playoff trophy began America's break from college football. While no games will be played again until late August, and spring games won't be televised until April, the mania never seems to just lay down and rest. Perhaps the worst day of preseason hype is upon us tomorrow. Yes, National Signing Day 2015 is tomorrow.
This day every year brings thousands of football recruits a joy, and excitement never felt before as they sign their lives away to a university for the next four years. Their lives drastically change even before the ink has a chance to dry. Now they live under three sets of laws. Federal, State, and now the NCAA. Not only do they have the pressure of keeping their scholarship and making it onto the playing field, they now draw the close eye and ire of millions of college football fans. This PSA isn't a reminder or warning for the recruits, it's an open letter to the millions of fans who live and die by there school and do so vicariously through the recruits.
In it's simplest form, on a pie chart of season success, recruiting is the piece marked less than or equal to 10. Yes, 10% give or take a few percentage points, is all that recruiting makes up on the journey to a national title. Sorry to break it to the millions of fans but the recruits signing today do not matter. Yet. The five star recruit that just signed with your team, may break his leg. Injuries are common in college athletics. That highly touted four star may very well not make grades. Those other top recruits may never pan out. College football is a different playground from high school ball. It's filled with new rules, and new bullies. Almost every recruit has the same skill set, recruits in Alabama are not much different than recruits in Ohio. The difference is how will they develop, and how will they adapt to college football and college life? That difference comes down to coaching.
Coaches must place recruits in positions to be successful. Developing players, and placing them in positions to achieve their full potential will bring overall team success. Just because a four star recruit is a four star in high school, does not guarantee he'll be a four star in college. Recruiting is important, but not as important as chemistry, potential, work ethic, and development. So please do not go crazy about how many recruits signed with your team, or your teams recruiting class rankings.
Paying attention to all the recruiting nonsense on ESPN is just another money draw for them. ESPN plays to the hearts and minds of the college football maniac. Allowing the recruits to pick their futures and hosting All-America games is just another way for ESPN and other companies to gain huge sums of money off the backs of thousands of players who will never see a penny of the revenue made. Please don't try and persuade recruits through social media. At any age you look dumb. I doubt many of the recruits share the same passion for your school as you do. "Frankly my dear, they don't give a damn." - Rhett Butler (Shout out to all the real Gone With the Wind fans) Many of the recruits frankly flip flop between rival schools and that should be a red flag to anyone as a fan. Recruiting doesn't matter if the sum of the parts does not equal success. Avoid National Signing Day, but if you choose to pay attention, don't take your anger out on the kids. This is amateur sports. Do not live vicariously through it.
