The global coronavirus pandemic shut down major sports around the world. The NBA, NHL, and even the 2020 Summer Olympic games are on hold until the spread of COVID-19 is mitigated.
The NCAA shut down its annual men’s and women’s basketball tournaments and all of the winter and spring sports championships, but one “sport” has continued through the chaos – college football recruiting.
Universities began pulling their coaching staffs off the road as the coronavirus began to spread in the U.S. Many coaches around the country are working from home as a number of states have issued stay-at-home orders.
Still, the beat goes on. The NCAA mandated a dead period until at least April 15 which means no prospects can visit campuses, officially or unofficially. All junior days are on hold as well.
Without a clear end to the current situation in sight, coaches have become very creative. Modern technology helps.
Zoom Boom
Remote conferencing service Zoom has seen an uptick in its usage during the coronavirus epidemic. College football head coaches around the country are using the app to meet with their staffs. Position coaches are using the app to meet with their players as well.
Zoom is also being used by coaches to speak with athletes. While nothing can replace the on-campus or in-home visit, Zoom and other apps like FaceTime are helping coaches communicate with prospects “face-to-face.”
Coaches Get Creative
At the University of Pittsburgh, tight ends coach Tim Salem is still conducting campus tours. While on FaceTime with a few prospects, Salem walked around the football facility and gave a short tour. It’s not the same as seeing it live, but technology is allowing coaches the ability to stay in front of those athletes they would most like to have in their programs.
Early Birds Get Worms
For some programs, the effects of the coronavirus may not be as harsh. Take Clemson as an example. The Tigers were able to hold a junior day back in January and as a result, added five-star DE Korey Foreman from Centennial HS in California. Another junior day on March 5, just before the onset of the virus in the U.S., helped the Tigers land four-star DB Jordan Hancock from North Gwinnett HS in Georgia.
By getting commitments from these 2021 prospects early, Clemson has one of the strongest recruiting classes in the nation. The same is true at Ohio State where head coach Ryan Day admitted most of their 2021 recruiting class had visited the campus prior to the coronavirus scare.
Local Benefits
If you happen to an FBS coach in say Texas or Florida, you have a slight advantage in this recruiting cycle. Each of those states is full of prospects. Once any sort of bans are lifted, recruits in those states can easily get out and visit in-state schools.
If you’re Kansas or Iowa where the number of three-star and above recruits is limited, getting out-of-state recruits on campus for visits is going to be a challenge. The schools that handle the problem more effectively will be the ones that win the recruiting battle.
The New Offer
Kaden Weatherby is a 6-foot-6, 265-pound sophomore offensive lineman at Eaglecrest HS in Colorado. Chris Kapilovic, who followed head coach Mel Tucker from the University of Colorado to Michigan State, offered Weatherby a scholarship via phone. The Spartans coaching staff would love for Weatherby to visit the campus, but for now, he will communicate via text and video chat.
Most scholarship offers come in person, usually on a campus visit. With visits, junior days, and spring football games canceled, more scholarship offers are now coming via modern technology. New Colorado head coach Karl Dorrell has offered at least six prospects since being limited to recruiting from home.
Under the Radar Recruits
The athletes that will be hit the hardest because of the coronavirus are those considered under the radar. In states like Florida and Georgia, high schools have spring football. Practices normally draw college coaches who get to evaluate a prospect up close. With those spring practices currently in limbo, some athletes may get overlooked.
One such athlete is Winter Park HS (FL) running back Ayron Rodriguez. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Rodriguez was Florida’s Class 7A Player of the Year after he rushed for over 1,400 yards and 22 touchdowns. Despite his accolades, Rodriguez does not have a list of offers from which to choose. A spring football season and attendance at some early summer camps may have given him such a list.
The Recruiting Dark Ages
Coaches like Pitt’s Salem see this recruiting season as something out of the past. Before recruiting became sort of a second college football season, most schools waited for players to finish their senior season of play before recruiting them hard. On the other end, most players waited until after their senior year to make a commitment to an institution.
That is likely to be the model for 2021. Coaches will resort to watching film and seeing a few games during the fall. Around Thanksgiving, staffs will begin watching more tape and then head out to recruit the class of 2021 in December.
