Let’s say something simple at the start: USC football isn’t unique among programs who watch as recruits change their minds months after making a commitment. This happens everywhere, and fans across the country — not just in Los Angeles — are tired of it. We will admit that USC losing two recruiting commitments has spurred us into action and prodded us to write this short article, but we’re responding to something which is national and pervasive, not something particular to USC.
If you asked fans across the country — not just at USC — what would make recruiting more interesting and less emotionally exhausting, one idea would solve a lot of the problem, if not all of it.
The idea is not complicated: As long as recruits keep visiting schools, they are not committed to any school. They can either wait until national signing day, or — if they need to make an early commitment for various possible reasons — a date would be set aside as “early commitment day.” A commitment would be accompanied by signing up as a recruit.
We proposed, earlier this year, another change to recruiting: Players can’t transfer to one program in the winter and then to another program in the spring. Players get to transfer to one school in the offseason, and that school is where they play for the coming season.
Similarly, when players commit to a school, that’s where they will play for their first season. No takebacks for the first year. If they want to play elsewhere, they can do so after their freshmen seasons.
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