Midlo Dad posted:The key thing is, your son is not being put at a competitive disadvantage vis a vis the other 2020 players out there. Everyone is in the same boat. So, everyone can just focus on playing over the summer, and come Sept. 1, you'll get some indication of whether coaches think you're a hot commodity or whether things might take longer to develop.
I would add, the idea that summer following sophomore year is the "recruiting summer" is a VERY recent development and it's exactly the trend that the rule aims to reverse. It wasn't that long ago that if you were committed before Christmas of your junior year, you were one of the top 25 guys in the U.S. Now look where we are.
I've always been one to say that there's nothing wrong with early commitments as long as everyone's done their homework and is prepared to make a binding decision. (Technically not binding but realistically should be treated as such.) But at this point, I do think it's gotten out of hand. Younger and younger guys are making decisions on more and more immature bases. This was supposed to be limited to truly exceptional players, with the mainstream guys allowed to show repeatedly and the coaches having a fuller opportunity to evaluate them and possibly to appreciate late bloomers. Now it's become a "keeping up with the Joneses" thing -- and a point of competition among parents.
The rule change turns the clock back maybe 3 years at most. Everyone can live with this, just the way everyone used to. If my son were a 2020 or younger, I'd feel relieved to know that we had more time to see where son stacks up (athletically and academically) and to let him change his mind the inevitable half-dozen times before he has to make a real decision. Also, the extra time will reduce the risk that the coaches he felt comfortable with may not be there by the time he shows up on campus.
That process of feeling sure of one school, then changing your mind, then changing it back or again, is actually very healthy. These teenagers should be given time to sort this all out. All the more so in this day and age, when teenagers are probably less experienced in making adult decisions than any prior generation.
I agree with you 100% that the younger commits are not in the best interest of these kids. That being said....
Early commits have been the rapidly growing trend, and these rules are not likely to stop the trend. The new rules appear to be a compromise among all the various opinions of the coaches, and they ended up accomplishing nothing but giving the schools more of the upper hand.
If they wanted to truly change the early commit trend, they would've banned all contact and offers. They didn't. All they did was give the schools even more advantage. Schools can go see kids, and even still make offers when the kid arranges to call. However, the kid now has to make his decision based on less info than previously since he's prohibited from unofficial visits and discussions with the program. Time will tell, but I don't see the early commit trend fading.
I feel the 2021s are the ones in the most limbo because they are the first class who aren't close enough to Jr year to just wait it out. My 2021 has 4 of his travel teammates committed already to D1. We believe this summer after freshman year is still going to be extremely important in pursing top programs. Coaches who bought into the early commit approach and are successful at projecting kids, will not be deterred by these rules.