Qhead posted:Assuming 22 players verbally committed is correct, how did the Arkansas coach pare that down by the NLI signing date? He had to go back to some of those players and say sorry I changed my mind, we can't give you an NLI? Wouldn't word start to spread about a particular program over-committing, which would discourage future potential recruits from verbally "committing" to them? Not picking on Ark - just using them as an example. I don't understand how a program can get away with this without damaging their reputation?
I don't have first hand knowledge of this, but a fair number of kids "commit" knowing they are going to be walk-ons without the benefit of a scholarship (and the attactched NLI). I would wager a guess that up to 20% of announced commitments do not include athletic aid, just my guess. If 27 players on the D1 roster are on scholarship (that's the maximum amount and not a mandated number) and rosters are filled at 35 players across the board, then around 22% of those guys on the roster either committed knowing they weren't going to get athletic aid or lost their scholarships along the way and decided "whatever, I just want to play at XXX."
So is it unscrupulous coaches over-recruiting and hosing the players, or is it players who are deciding (for whatever reason) that they want to commit to XXX, walk-on or not, and will see what happens.