12 Jul
2010

When is it too young to offer a potential college football recruit a scholarship? The NCAA is considering banning football programs from offering scholarships to recruits before they complete their sophomore year in high school. A ruling could require schools to wait until the the summer before a recruit’s junior season to get their commitment. USC head coach Lane Kiffin made a lot of people cringe when he reportedly offered a scholarship to a 13-year-old quarterback. While Kiffin was the head man at Tennessee he also offered a 14-year-old a full ride. It seems to me that allowing coaches and scouts into the lives of kids before they’re even in high school should be avoided. Not that college football programs cannot be aware of young talent coming up through ranks, but offering a kid who hasn’t even stepped inside a high school is over the line. The age limitation would allow recruits enough time to think about where they want to play without the immediate pressure to commit coming everyday from college coaches before they can legally drive a car. Hopefully we see this ruling pass soon.
Tags: Lane Kiffin, ncaa football, Recruiting