The college football season has hit the halfway point and college football fans have learned a lot about their teams. For Alabama football fans, it has been mostly good things.
This also means that recruits have learned a lot about programs they are considering and for members of the 2019 recruiting class in a matter of two to four months, depending on when they plan to sign their National Letter of Intent, crunch time is getting closer and closer. For many of these recruits, the recruiting process has been going on for two to three years. They have visited several schools, listen to many coaches’ spills, and have talked to current college football players, but they have always had the option to hold off on making a decision, but in a matter of five months the clock would have run out for many.
This puts many 17 and 18-year-old kids in a tight spot as they must make a decision that could ultimately affect their lives forever. So of course, unsure thoughts creep into their minds and they become unsure if they are making the right decision. That combined with communication from coaches that could sometimes be called misleading at best puts college football in de-commitment season.
De-committing from a school sometimes gets a negative connotation tied to it because many fans see it as a sign of betrayal, but it can not always be looked at in such a negative light. In many situations, recruits are just following their hearts and making a decision that is best for them and their family and one that ultimately leaves them feeling like they made the right choice. Sure, a recruit should tell a school how they feel and be honest with that program, but recruiting is a two-way street and coaches must do to same and a failure to do so on any side could leave to a late de-commitment.
Alabama’s 2019 recruiting class currently stands at 21 verbal commits and some of them have already revealed plans to sign and enroll early. Others will sign early and enroll this Summer and some are putting off signing a National Letter of Intent to February. The de-commitment bug has not touched the Tide’s 2019 class but did show up late to the party for the Tide’s 2018 class when two Alabama verbal commits, Quay Walker and Bobby Brown, decided not to sign a National Letter of Intent to Alabama after given verbals.
Nick Saban and company want to do all they can do to avoid any late mishaps during this recruiting cycle by attempting to get as many signatures during the early signing period and making sure they have an understanding with guys that decide not to. The Tide are also on the other side of the de-commitment spectrum as they are also targeting some other school’s commits in an attempt to flip them.
LINK TO GUYS ALABAMA WOULD LIKE TO FLIP
As many recruits evaluate their decision, expect de-commitments to hit their peak during the early signing period and the traditional signing period, which is in February. As fans hope they can keep their 4 or 5-star recruits coming down the stretch, Touchdown Alabama Magazine will be here to keep you updated on any de-commitments that affect the Tide.
