Tweet on 2022 decommits

Are there schools with a reputation of doing this more than others?

There are several 2023 committed kids we know that I think are set up for this scenario. Going into freshman year they were studs. Now as juniors it seems more like they out kicked their coverage.

This goes back to my view schools should not be allowed to contact or communicate with players in any manner until summer after soph year. Then, schools should be able to offer NLI’s starting in the fall of junior year. If a school makes an offer post soph summer then doesn’t bring forward an NLI in the fall of junior year the writing should be on the wall for the player the school isn’t really committed.

I have seen this happen to some of my son's friends, and you could see the writing on the wall for more than a year. Also, waiting for that ball to drop on a few more. Where they were early commits but leveled out after committing or you can see the commits stacking up on PG and you know they are going to be victims of the numbers game.

But at the same time, a bunch of the kids my son has played with in travel ball and in other events have decommitted on their own and swapped schools. I saw this with a handful of kids right after we got back from Area Code. It seems like if they had a good performance out there in front of all the coaches there, it gave them some leverage to "level up". A couple of these kids were already committed to decent programs and now are going for the big name top 10 programs.  But from what I am also hearing through the grapevine, some of these kids are changing schools under the guidance of their "advisor".  Lots of 22's doing this since early signing is here.

The go where you're loved thing gets trumped by the lure of being a D1 bench warmer or decommit...sad but I agree the blame is everywhere

It is interesting because the twitter feeds on this topic are the same as here.  Some blame the schools and some blame the players.  I think it is a problem but you have to know going in that it will happen to some on both sides.  There are players who don't progress like they were projected so the schools don't see them helping and pull the NLI.  There are schools that change coaches, recruit a player that the recruit knows is better than them for the same position, or a kid transfers in to their position or doesn't get drafted and stays.  So the player pulls their commitment to the school.  I would be willing to bet if there was any way to know the number of players decommitting is a lot higher than the number of schools pulling NLI's.  There is no answer that punishes both sides and that is the way it should be.  You can't punish the schools and not punish the players.  If you are going to make the schools offer the NLI on the spot and hold them to it then you have to hold the player to it also.  The school would be required to pay the player the equal amount if they pull the NLI whether that player comes or not and if the player wants out they can't play their freshman year and lose a year of eligibility.  Problem solved.  But neither side would agree to that.

I've seen 5 2025's verbally commit this week to big schools. Shame on all - parents, players, schools!!! Absolutely flipping ridiculous!

@BaseballMOM05 posted:

I've seen 5 2025's verbally commit this week to big schools. Shame on all - parents, players, schools!!! Absolutely flipping ridiculous!

I think shaming them is a little much. You don't know their situation, relationship with the coaches, the due diligence they performed, etc.  I guess you would say shame on me too. My son committed his freshman year before even playing his first high school game. Shame on me. He actually turned down one of his top two schools he had on list before his recruiting process blew up. Now going into his junior season he has an absolute fantastic relationship with the entire coaching staff. Always texting him, calling him. During the MLB playoffs, him and the pitching coach were going back and forth via text. We have been to the school several times this year for football games and have had a great time talking with the coaches. He has made great relationships with some of the existing players. I couldn't have asked for a better recruiting process.

You can't put everyone's situation into a generalized bucket. I know of another player who is a top 50 player in his class and was also a very early committ. His experience has been not so good. Not a whole lot of communication from the coaches after he committed and frustration is building.

Sorry, but not sorry. Sticking by what I said  Glad your experience has worked out. And no, I'm not salty - my son is having a fantastic recruiting experience and really enjoying the process. He's building great relationships with lots of schools and coaches, has been to several campuses (unofficial), and has been learning a lot about college baseball, college in general and his goals/dreams.  But, I stand behind my opinion that allowing a freshman to commit is, more often than not, not in their best interest.

On the flip side of the tweet, some places live up to their word....

My son was given a verbal offer in the summer of 2020 by the coach.  In the fall of 2020, we (the parents) met the coach for the first time and the coach verbally repeated the number to us.  He just said it.  He didn’t look anything up or hand us anything.  He was just a quick spoken mention of “this is what we can do for you.”

That was a year ago.

And, today, the NLI arrived and the number in there is exactly what the coach promised my son and what the coach repeated to us back in 2020.

So, for those who hear about broken promises, there are also situations where schools keep their promises too.

@Francis7 I agree there are schools that do live up to their words. No doubt about it. There are a LOT of schools across the US.  But, there are a lot of schools that don't - for various reasons - that don't fulfil their verbal commitments. On a daily basis I see tweets about the "After talking with my family and prayer, I've decided to re-open my recruiting...".  Sad.

Also, your son, if I'm doing my math correctly, didn't commit his freshman year before even playing his first HS game. That's were my beef comes in.  Asking 13/14/15 year olds to make a life changing decision before they even hit puberty is kinda crazy if you ask me.

The real problem here, in my opinion, is the timing.  Schools overrecruit.  Coaches leave.  Kids commit early or on-time, and don't follow-up continuing to do the hard work and develop.  Sometimes the writing is on the wall.  Sometimes the kid / family is oblivious or blind sided.

But why are these schools waiting to pull offers until the week before / of the NLI?  The draft is in July.  Signing occurs by 8/1.  I'm not positive on transfer portal timing, but that should be wrapped up July/August as well.  If a team is going to drop a kid, why aren't they doing so in August?  Why are they waiting until November?

@Francis7 posted:

On the flip side of the tweet, some places live up to their word....

My son was given a verbal offer in the summer of 2020 by the coach.  In the fall of 2020, we (the parents) met the coach for the first time and the coach verbally repeated the number to us.  He just said it.  He didn’t look anything up or hand us anything.  He was just a quick spoken mention of “this is what we can do for you.”

And, today, the NLI arrived and the number in there is exactly what the coach promised my son and what the coach repeated to us back in 2020.

That is supposed to be the norm. The contract that was agreed upon is supposed to look the same on paper as it does when negotiations are finished.

It doesn't end until you're an irreplaceable everyday starter or a 20+ inning arm. I know of a kid personally who was called a few weeks before signing day and asked to give up some money. He said no. He signed normally and everybody celebrated, but in mid December he found out he wasn't accepted into the school - basically the only thing that voids a signed NLI.

I can go on with stories and first hand experiences. Bottom line is it happens too often and there's always a loophole. If the NCAA was truly concerned about unethical recruiting practices they'd just go on PGs commitment page and start an investigation. The NCAA cares about three things. Football, Basketball, and making sure they can squeeze every penny out of those kids and their programs.

Baseball recruiting is wild. You basically just have to wait until they're old enough to make a mature decision and go where either they love you or you love it so much baseball doesn't matter much.

Great post, as always @PABaseball

@IKETBD posted:

The real problem here, in my opinion, is the timing.  Schools overrecruit.  Coaches leave.  Kids commit early or on-time, and don't follow-up continuing to do the hard work and develop.  Sometimes the writing is on the wall.  Sometimes the kid / family is oblivious or blind sided.

But why are these schools waiting to pull offers until the week before / of the NLI?  The draft is in July.  Signing occurs by 8/1.  I'm not positive on transfer portal timing, but that should be wrapped up July/August as well.  If a team is going to drop a kid, why aren't they doing so in August?  Why are they waiting until November?

Because there are tall pitchers who bloom late and add 6 mph to their fastball out of nowhere. A 6'3 LHP throwing 83 in June is someone you can pass on. A 6'3 LHP throwing 89 in September is a hot commodity.

I saw a kid who was on the brink of committing to a bad local D3 in late July. He decided to wait and took August off from throwing. After a few bullpens in early Sept he went to a last ditch showcase where he hit 91 seemingly overnight after having a PR of 84. He's playing in the same P5 conference as mine now.

The real problem here, in my opinion, is the timing.  Schools overrecruit.  Coaches leave.  Kids commit early or on-time, and don't follow-up continuing to do the hard work and develop.  Sometimes the writing is on the wall.  Sometimes the kid / family is oblivious or blind sided.

This - so this! Most people, in my opinion, don't have the information they need to make this kind of big decisions.  I have spoken with so many of my kid's teammates' parents who don't have a CLUE about recruiting! Heck, most of them didn't even know about the transfer portal or the Covid extended eligibility or that there were only 11.7 scholarships available.  No clue on anything! I believe they truly have their kid's best interest at heart - they just don't have the knowledge.

So it is the coach's problem because parents are informed.  I don't understand this mentality.  My kid knew in middle school his list of 20 schools.  What he wanted to do with his life and where he wanted to play and go to college.  I don't understand the mentality of saying 15 year olds are not old enough to make a decision.  That is what parenting is for is to help your child make a decision.  I get the it's their decision thing but I also don't get it.  God gave me my three sons to raise for Him for a little while.  To teach, instruct, discipline, and build into Godly young men.  That is what my job is.

If you take any piece of land and let it decide what it wants to be, it will always be a weed patch.  It is only when someone cultivates it, plants it, tends to it by daily taking care of it that it becomes something beautiful.  A garden, yard, flowerbed, or whatever else it is supposed to be.  What are we raising, beautiful pieces of lands or weed patches?

You can't blame the schools and want to hold them accountable without doing the same to the players.  Most of those players that are de-committing that I know see the writing on the wall that they will not get to play where and when they wanted or it will be too much work to earn a spot.  It is not the school pulling the scholarship money but them not doing what they were supposed to do to earn a spot.   If a school brings someone in better than you, you either quit or get better.  It is not the school's/coach's fault that he did what was best for his program.  That's his job.

I think when a school offers, they should present a contract and if a kid accepts, he should sign it and it should be binding for both parties. That would stop a lot of really early commits and over recruiting.

@IKETBD posted:

But why are these schools waiting to pull offers until the week before / of the NLI? 

The short answer is that new information becomes available.  11th hour concerns show up about the kid, another pitcher became available and you're a position player, etc.  It doesn't make it fair or right, but if a kid/parents are sincerely interested in knowing all the potential pitfalls/everything that can go wrong, the information is out there.  In places like HSBBW.  But my experience is that even when they've been TOLD about the risks inherent, some people CHOOSE to not HEAR it.  Willful blindness/ignorance under the "it'll never happen to me" approach.  In my mind, there is too much money and lots of other things at stake such that these problems will never go away.  You wanna play in this realm bad enough?  Then be prepared for unfairness around every corner.  And if you or someone you know experiences a completely fair situation, don't make the mistake of thinking that proves anything.  It doesn't.  It's not an indication that you or anyone is ever truly safe from it.  It comes with the territory and with life.  Fairness is largely a myth that too many spend years chasing and even longer complaining about.  The closest thing to fair involves making only smart choices and finding happiness with less than the "dream."

@BaseballMOM05 posted:

The real problem here, in my opinion, is the timing.  Schools overrecruit.  Coaches leave.  Kids commit early or on-time, and don't follow-up continuing to do the hard work and develop.  Sometimes the writing is on the wall.  Sometimes the kid / family is oblivious or blind sided.

This - so this! Most people, in my opinion, don't have the information they need to make this kind of big decisions.  I have spoken with so many of my kid's teammates' parents who don't have a CLUE about recruiting! Heck, most of them didn't even know about the transfer portal or the Covid extended eligibility or that there were only 11.7 scholarships available.  No clue on anything! I believe they truly have their kid's best interest at heart - they just don't have the knowledge.

But you found this forum and are getting up to speed on the process. What's preventing the other parents? I may be a bit jaded but my guess is the majority of those parents you mention probably will never have a clue.

I do agree that timing is an issue, but I think a lot (not everything) would be solved if both parties signed when offer was accepted, no more verbals.