Waiting game is sign of recruiting times

Kudos to Bryce Brown, Kwame Geathers, David Oku and the other handful of prospects who have delayed signing their National Letter of Intent until, well, whenever they feel like doing so.

Those prospects have learned the greatest secret in college football: coaches need players more than players need coaches - especially when those players are prospects.

Case in point, would any coach tell Brown, who some think is the best prospect in the nation, that he can't attend their school because all of the scholarships are taken? Uh, no.

Yet that's what so many coaches told prospects over the years. "Sign it now or it's gone" is as old and untrue as promising a prospect playing time.

Any coach worth his multi-million dollar contract is willing to boot a lower-level player to clear room for a top prospect.

Some have clamored for a second signing day so coaches can better focus their recruiting efforts. Truth is, college football has had two signing days for decades.

You know about the one in February when bleary eyed recruiting fans stare at computer screens, clicking and refreshing as if they're out to crash computer servers.

But what about the one in August? That's the one that really matters - the first day of classes.

Top prospects can wait that long and have the same options they had in February. Just show up, enroll and watch the coach find a scholarship faster than Nu'Keese Richardson can run the 40-yard dash.

I have an idea for undecided prospects. Why not wait to see how spring practice shakes out, find out if anyone gets hurt in summer workouts, even check the weather report for preseason practice among your final list of schools.

Quarterback Terrelle Pryor is the leader of this revolution. By delaying his decision last year, he told every elite prospect that national signing day was just a day on the calendar.

Perhaps the NCAA should try to stop the trend.

What if a prospect has to sign on signing day or he can't enroll during summer school?

Or how about giving prospects who sign on signing day the same freedom that coaches have? Players can leave school at anytime without having to sit out a year of competition - just like coaches.

Something tells me the coaches wouldn't like that, which leads to another recruiting secret: once you sign that letter of intent, the power you so proudly wielded is completely gone.

Predictions: I've been told that Geathers did not sign to play for the Vols during his official visit Wednesday as some had predicted. However, I see that happening soon, giving UT another signee for the 2009 class and a lineman with great potential.

Oku is a tougher call. I think the top-flight tailback will end up at UT, but Auburn is still in the hunt.

Brown is also a tough call. With a great visit this weekend, UT could still land him but I say the nation's top tailback ends up at Oregon.

Dave Hooker covers recruiting. He may be reached at hookerd@knoxnews.com.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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