Early football commitments mean more decommits

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Have there ever been more early commitments of football players announced in the summertime?

I don’t think so.

Colleges are pushing harder and harder for high school players to make early decisions, even though they won’t be final until letter-of-intent day in February.

It means there should be a record number of players changing their minds by winter.

When teenagers are forced to make a decision before they really are ready, they’ll have second thoughts. And if something happens during their high school season — good or bad — that will only increase the likelihood of players reevaluating their college options.

Colleges have apparently become comfortable making early offers, getting a commitment and going months with trying to keep that commitment.

Forget the fact that lots of players have to get their academics in order to qualify and that there may be college coaching changes. This is a serious game being played by everyone involved.

So celebrate when a player announces, whether it’s via Facebook, a tweet, a phone call or a news conference. But remember, it’s not final until it’s final, and if you remember the Jordan Payton saga (he changed his college choice at least three times), it could become more the rule than an oddity.

— Eric Sondheimer