Hooker: Early signing period wouldn't be perfect

After all, they make millions of dollars and are loved by countless fans.

Well, not all of them.

Head coaches often find themselves in sweet situations. Assistant coaches, however, make far less money yet handle the minutia that makes college football possible.

Take for instance recruiting. An assistant coach has to find the best player in his area and present the player to his fellow coaches. While that has long been a constant in college football, the dynamics are evolving.

"I think recruiting has changed dramatically in the last 10 years," Kentucky coach Rich Brooks said during SEC media days in Hoover, Ala. "I don't think there's any doubt that players make decisions earlier.

"You need to do a lot of homework before you offer someone because you have a greater chance of making a mistake in recruiting."

An assistant coach now has to promote (or neglect) a player much earlier than before. Offers to junior prospects are flying soon after signing day in February. That means coaches must judge talent based almost solely on a junior year.

That means no summer camps and no senior-season evaluations.

"I think it's an issue we should discuss," SEC commissioner Mike Slive said of the ever-changing face of college football recruiting.

Slive has more input than an average commissioner. He is the chairman of the National Letter of Intent Steering Committee, which oversees the signing process.

The National Letter of Intent is the document that athletes sign binding them to their school.

So, with recruiting moving further up the calendar, how can the NCAA alleviate pressures on college coaches?

One possibility is an early signing period for college football, much like the NCAA utilizes for college basketball. Basketball prospects can sign a National Letter of Intent in one of two signing periods, held during March and November.

Why not have the same in football?

"There are pros and cons on this issue," Slive said. "We see that in basketball. Yes, it relieves some of the recruiting pressures but it creates other pressures, particularly when there are coaching changes."

Fair enough.

Pretend for a second that you are a prospect that signed with a school in July, the NCAA's newly designated summer signing period. Then, your coach is fired. Suddenly, you're stuck with a coach that doesn't know you from Adam.

Potential problems persist.

That brings us to December when most coaching changes would have been decided, if not suspected, at least.

"I'm very much in favor of an early signing period, even if it's early December for players that have already committed," Brooks said. "They still have to go through the headache of the calls and even though they've committed ... some schools won't accept it so they get worn out.

"If a player makes up his mind he ought to be able to sign."

A December signing period has obvious advantages for a school like Kentucky as it battles national recruiting powers that are far better funded.

The same would seem to hold true for Ole Miss and its limited budget. However, Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron doesn't quite see it like that.

"I am totally against an early signing period," Orgeron said. "It requires a lot of manpower. There's a lot of things going on in December such as preparing for bowls and preparing for championships."

Orgeron may be unique. I'll take that back. He's definitely unique.

His bombastic, convincing style may be best on display during December and January, when coaches make all-important in-home visits with their most significant targets.

"An early singing date would mess the schedule of college football up," Orgeron said. "I like a lot of things that go on in December through February. You get to visit parents. You get to solidify relationships.

"I don't want that eliminated. I'm totally against an early signing period."

Orgeron isn't just concerned about his schedule book. He also trusts his eye for talent.

"If you're a great evaluator of talent, it's an advantage for you," he said. "If you're not a great evaluator of talent, you have to wait a bit longer."

There's little question that college recruiters have a tougher job than they had just a decade ago. And there's absolutely no question that they have to deal with it.

"You have to stay up," Arkansas coach Houston Nutt said. "You have to do your homework."

Visiting: Running back Lennon Creer (6-foot-1, 202 pounds) and wide receiver Darnius Moore (6-1, 175 pounds) from Tatum (Texas) High School visited Tennessee on Thursday and Friday.

Wide receiver Ahmad Paige (6-3, 175 pounds) from Sterlington (La.) High and defensive end Luther Davis (6-4, 260 pounds) from West Monroe (La.) High told the News Sentinel that they will visit Knoxville later this week. The two are best friends and will likely pick the same college.