NCAA's "dead period" doesn't keep Kevin Sumlin and company from the recruiting grind.
The NCAA's "dead period" for college football began Aug. 1, and schools at midnight started sending out official scholarship offers to recruits in the 2019 class.
Eleven high school seniors already have committed to Kevin Sumlin's first full recruiting class at Arizona, including four from the long-forgotten state of Texas and two from Arizona.
Those commits should continue to roll in for Sumlin and company leading up to the Dec. 20-22 early signing period, when recruits can officially sign national letters of intent.
The current "dead period" runs through Aug. 31. Per :
- During a dead period, a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents, and may not watch student-athletes compete or visit their high schools. Coaches may write and telephone student-athletes or their parents during a dead period.Â
During an "evaluation period," like that one that runs from Sept. 1 to Nov. 24, the NCAA permits college coaches to watch recruits and student-athletes play, including at their high schools. A coach cannot meet face-to-face with a student-athlete unless on the college campus — often during an official visit.
The "dead period" allows coaches to contact college-bound players remotely. Pac-12 schools and top programs across the country take advantage by sending out official scholarship offers, and recruits are giving us an up-close look on social media.
To be clear, an official scholarship offer does not mean a recruit has committed or will commit to a specific college. Though several student-athletes who received official offers Aug. 1 have already committed.
Here are some of the official offer graphics and letters schools are sending players:
