Early football commitments; What's the rush?

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Early football commitments; What's the rush?

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Rush Propst has a real problem.

One of his senior starters on the Hoover High School football team has quit. Another is thinking about quitting.

Propst blames college football.

The starter who quit has a scholarship offer, but not from Alabama or Auburn. The young man thinks he's better than one Hoover player who's already committed to the Tide and another who's committed to the Tigers.

The starter who's thinking about quitting hasn't received any college scholarship offers yet. He thinks that means he won't play college football. So why should he even finish his high school career?

Never mind that it's only July and signing day isn't till February and there's an entire high school season in between. College programs are making scholarship offers and requesting/demanding commitments earlier than ever.

High school coaches such as Propst don't like it one bit.

"It drives a wedge between your players," he said. "It drives a wedge into your program. It's out of control."

Hoover is the best high school program in the state and one of the best in the nation, but it's not immune to the fallout. After a few weeks of practice, Propst said he's learned a few things about this year's team.

"By far, this is our best football team talent-wise," he said, which is saying a lot for a team with five state titles since 2000, the last four in a row. He figures the Bucs have maybe a dozen Division I-A prospects and another five or six starters good enough to play college ball at a lower level.

But ...

"Our football team, right now, is the least focused I've seen since I've been at Hoover," Propst said. "We're unfocused because we're worrying about where we're going to college."

Motivational coach-speak? Not completely.

Propst sees college coaches text-messaging his players, reminding them that if they don't commit soon, someone else at their position will. College coaches are pressuring high school players because college coaches are pressuring each other to secure the best recruits.

Forget the feel-good stories about early commitments and how they allow college prospects to focus on their senior years in high school.

Propst sees early commitments taking away the drive to excel as a senior.

"What happens to the kid once he commits?" he said. "He figures his loyalties lie with the university."

Propst admitted, if he were a college coach, he'd probably join the recruiting rush himself. But, since he's a high school coach, he has another idea.

"We've created a monster I think the NCAA needs to take a look at," he said. "I don't think kids should be offered (scholarships) until Oct. 1."

Radical? No more so than what's happening in college football recruiting.

Hoover defensive tackle Kerry Murphy is a major college prospect heading into his senior season. He got the first of many scholarship offers from defending national champion Texas.

It came by fax. It arrived last February.

Murphy can't put his name on the dotted line till signing day 2007, but he got an offer on signing day 2006.

Propst would like to know. What's the rush?

Kevin Scarbinsky's column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Write him at kscarbinsky@bhamnews.com.

Birmingham News