Since the start of the outbreak of COVID-19 last year, the NCAA has shut down all in-person recruiting activity, with an ongoing dead period that started in March of last year and is currently slated to run through at least April 15 of this year.
A dead period means that there is no in-person contact allowed whatsoever between prospective student athletes and college coaches, inclusive of official visits, unofficial visits, in-person evaluations by coaches, and visits by coaches to a prospect’s school or home, among a few other elements.
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Schools and prospects have had to adapt with that in place, resulting in the new “virtual visit” being done over video conferencing software, as well as more frequent texting, messaging, and calling, which are allowed 365 days per year. In some cases, prospects have even made visits to colleges to see campuses and meet up with fellow recruits, but have not been able to see coaches or have arranged player hosts by the school.
But what has seemed like a never-ending ban on visits may indeed have an end coming soon. There’s now light at the end of the tunnel, with Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports reporting on Wednesday that the NCAA may end the dead period on April 15 and move into a regulated quiet period on April 16.
Now what is a quiet period you ask?
The quiet period does not allow in-person contact off campus, so no evaluations or coach visits to schools, but it DOES allow on-campus visits, meaning unofficial and official visits. While there would be some sort of restrictions in place due to the ongoing pandemic, this would be a huge breakthrough for college staffs and prospects across the country, as they would finally be able to meet face to face, with players being able to really weigh all their scholarship options fully and coaches being able to at least see how players would fit into their programs for a culture and personality standpoint.
For Rutgers, it means that Greg Schiano is no longer operating with a hand behind his back if this comes to fruition. The second year RU head coach got hired later than what was ideal last cycle, virtually missing most of the December recruiting period in 2019 for the 2020 class, and only having two months to recruit 2021 and 2022 before things got shut down. Schiano and his staff being able to host 2022 and 2023 prospects would only be an advantage for the Knights and further help them showcase the culture change and upward trajectory that’s happening On The Banks at the moment.
Just like with everything in the pandemic, things can change, but when Thamel puts something out like that he’s rarely wrong. As of January 28 it sure looks like there’s better days ahead for student athletes, Rutgers, and the rest of college football, so get ready to see a flurry of visits and a ton of action when it comes to the recruiting side of the house for the Scarlet Knights.
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