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task of dominating the state proved to be much more difficult in his second start- to-finish recruiting class than it did when he coined the phrase a couple years prior. Had an early signing period been in place, however, he might have been in position to secure the other three in-state recruits who once had been committed but signed elsewhere. Or maybe not. In support of an early signing period, Franklin argues that recruits like Shane Simmons, Michal Menet and Connor McGovern, who never wavered after their initial commitment, should be able to sign on the dotted line and put the re- cruiting process behind them. No more phone calls from coaches and reporters, no more invitations to visit other schools, no more rumors to extinguish. Maybe there would have been others, like Pryts or Karamo Dioubate. Maybe coaches wouldn't have had to keep tabs on Sanders and Shaka Toney until the very end. Or maybe not. There's also belief that an early period allows the coaches to identify who is true to their pledge. "It lets you know how committed they are," Franklin said. "We say, 'OK, sign the paper.' If they wa- ver, you know they're not truly commit- ted." Whether it's at the beginning of the prospects' senior season or in the spring of their junior year, it has the potential to alleviate many headaches, long before February. But, as with so many other re- cruiting rules that have had the opposite of their intended effect, there's no guar- antee that an earlier date will simplify things. In theory, yes. But in practice? Only time would tell. Allowing – or forcing – a recruit to sign early would compact an already difficult recruiting process into a more narrow window and influence teenagers to make life-changing decisions at an even younger age. It could also create a mad dash toward February as college coaches scour the country in hope of snatching up recruits who didn't sign the first time. In one plausible scenario, the lower-rat- ed recruits sign their scholarship offers early in order to secure their place in line. Meanwhile, the four- and five-star play- ers wait it out until the end of the cycle and as a result receive even more atten- tion than they do now from coaches who are free to fixate on a smaller and more exclusive talent pool. Imagine the mess then – when, late in the game, that five-star defensive tackle wants to commit to your school only to discover that all of its scholarships are taken. You can bet that enterprising coaches will find a last-minute loophole that will allow them – ethics be damned – to replace one of those lower-rung early signees with that All-American. There's always a loophole. Take, for instance, the written schol- arship regulation that the NCAA put into effect a few years ago. It implied that coaches could not extend a formal scholarship offer to a player until Aug. 1 of the player's senior season. The intent was to eliminate early offers and force coaches to slow the pace of their re- cruiting process. In reality, however, the rule change had the opposite effect. Coaches started handing out what they called "verbal of- fers," and in many cases they went out by the hundreds. When the written offer went out in August, it was merely a for- mality. Like the written scholarship rule, it is possible that an early signing day would have unintended consequences. Andy Frank, Penn State's director of player personnel, refers to it as "a trickle-down effect" that would impact almost every phase of the recruiting cycle – from of- ficial visits and evaluation periods to "formal" offers. Don't think for a sec- ond, either, that media coverage would be exempt from the undertow. Could it lighten the load considerably and relieve some of the tensions that come along with the final days of the re- cruiting process? Of course. Then again, maybe it wouldn't. With the opportuni- ty to sign twice, it might only double the pressure – on coaches and players. There's still a lot to be figured out, but after a recruiting cycle like the one that just concluded, it's an energizing idea to consider. ■ 111 E. Beaver Ave s State College, PA 16801 www.The-Phyrst.com 814.234.4406 137 Elmwood St. s State College, PA 16801 www.HappyValleyBeer.com Wood-fire Grill 12 Beers on Tap 200 Year Old Barn 821 Cricklewood Dr. s Toftrees, State College www.AmericanAleHouse.net 814.237.9701 s Piano Bar s Sommelier 814.238.1406 814.234.7700 s 1611 Atherton St. s State College 814.941.7788 s Plank Rd. Exit s Altoona www.ChampsSportsGrill.net s Best Game Bar s Large Groups Welcome c lc e W We s p u o r G e g r a L s a e B m a st G e B s S n S h 1 A 1 6 1 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 me co r a l l C S r G s rt o p S s p m a h C . www s t i x . E d k R n a l P s 8 8 7 7 1. 4 9 . 4 1 8 S s . t n S o t r e h t 1 A 1 6 1 s 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 t e n . l l i r na o o t l A e g e l l o C e at t S

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