We're in agreement that this can often be a dangerous situation. I'm not a fan of colleges going after kids a year or two early, not at all. That said, it's the reality these days. I don't know how prevelent it is on the east coast, but out here on the left coast it is becoming too common for the good of the players and colleges, IMO. The situation is caused by a few schools that wanted to tie up some of the top talent early in order to get them committed; and now other schools, despite the fact that they'd rather not do this, feel compelled to go after some of the top underclassmen in order to keep up, or just to have a chance at those players. This is one of the few cases where more strict rules could possibly be beneficial, but I'd hate to see the NCAA do anything, because chances are they'd screw it up worse than it already is.
I also think that this trend toward earlier recruiting is going to lead to more kids withdrawing their verbals over time and commiting to other schools, realizing that they weren't ready to make a decision as early as they did. Perhaps, the schools will become less respectful of commitments and start acting more like football and basketball programs, trying to persuade kids to change their mind after they've announced where they'll be going. I don't think any of this is good if it happens, but is likely if something doesn't change.