Why Nick Saban dislikes the early signing period
Don't Miss: Several top recruits visiting Alabama this weekend
You’ve seen the pictures of Nick Saban in a different blazer with a different high profile recruit again and again for the last 10-days. While Alabama 11-1 prepares for No. 1 Clemson in the upcoming Sugar Bowl, he is also trying to build his 2018 recruiting class just days before the brand new first period of National Signing Day which will be on December 20. It's clear he does not like the timing of the new signing day.
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“I did not like it when we did it. I don’t like it now. I don’t think it’s in the player’s best interest. And I don’t see how it benefits anybody and it’s really stressful for everybody. We’re all trying to get ready for bowl games and playoff games and we’ve got Signing Day right in the middle of when we are practicing for a playoff game,” said Saban on the early signing day.
Currently, Alabama has the No. 11th ranked Class in the Country recruiting wise by Rivals.com and will have nine players that will be signing early next Wednesday.
More on National Signing Day for Alabama's Class of 2018 here
“It was very stressful for a lot of coaches to get out and see as many guys as they could in December and it really accelerated everything. You don’t have much time to do that and if you’re playing in your Championship game you have even less time to do that. But I think two things happened. I see more players getting pressured by some schools to sign early so that they do not get an opportunity to get an offer from maybe a bigger school later which I don’t think is in the player’s best interest. Because a guy may have the opportunity to go to a place he’s always wanted to go or maybe an SEC school when he’s getting pressured by someone else to sign early. Then other guys are then trying to make a decision to sign early and they have got all these new coaches and new coaching staffs sort of bum rushing them to get them not to do that, so that they get a chance to recruit them,” said Saban following his mini-rant against the new signing day date Friday night.
Some have argued that the early signing period has had a negative effect on Alabama’s yearly recruiting success, but Alabama currently has 11 four-star commitments and there are several uncommitted targets that remain available and Alabama will be trying to flip a few key targets before next Wednesday including four-star quarterback Emory Jones who’s currently committed to Ohio State and four-star defensive back Josh Jobe who will be in Tuscaloosa this weekend for an official visit.
Alabama will still make a push to the top five in recruiting classes by next week and remember while there is an early signing day, the official numbers and rankings for the Class of 2018 will not be in until February 7th, which is now the second National Signing date.
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