What is your opinion on this?

[Roxy15]

I heard this on the today show this morning about a seventh grader getting offered a college football schlorship.  Would you let your son sign anything this soon?  He is too young to make a decision like that on his own and it would be up to his parents to help him out on making it. I am not sure if would go along with it.  It is just too soon and if he is that good, why not have some patience and see if any other colleges offer him one.  I am a woman though and men might have another take on it.  Just curious what you all think about it.

[JJ Husker]

IMO it's too soon but it also doesn't mean much. He can still flip his commitment and go wherever he may choose later. I don't get what either party has to gain by offering a 7th grader. Lots can change and go wrong in 5 years.

[Ulty]

Here is my opinion on this:

1. Your thread titles need to be more descriptive so people can tell what your subject matter is.

2. This post can easily go into one of the many recruiting threads that already exist on this board, since it is a recruiting topic. Last week you created multiple threads about the NFL playoffs that could have gone in the existing NFL playoff instead of creating an entirely new thread based on a couple of fleeting thoughts. Basic etiquette.

3. Offering a seventh grader a scholarship is a publicity gimmick as much as anything else and is not binding. Why does it make a difference if you are a woman?

[RedSavage]

3 minutes ago, JJ Husker said:

IMO it's too soon but it also doesn't mean much. He can still flip his commitment and go wherever he may choose later. I don't get what either party has to gain by offering a 7th grader. Lots can change and go wrong in 5 years.

I pretty much agree with this.  Not to mention how can you even legitimately evaluate 7th grade talent.  There's way too many variables at that young of an age, IMO.

[StPaulHusker]

I don't care if a coach offers.  I'm more concerned about how the parent handles it.

[ColoradoHusk]

One big thing is that a football player (or even a women's volleyball, basketball, etc.) can't SIGN for a scholarship offer as a 7th grader.  The 7th grader can commit to a college, but it is non-binding, just as the scholarship offer is non-binding.

 

If you follow women's sports at all, high school girls in volleyball get a lot of pressure to commit to a school early in their high school career (9th/10th grade).  Now, girls do mature faster than boys, so they reach their peak height earlier, but scholarship offers to young students is common.  I want to say that the Rolfzen twins committed to NU as 8th graders (at least by 9th grade).

[knapplc]

18 minutes ago, ColoradoHusk said:

I want to say that the Rolfzen twins committed to NU as 8th graders (at least by 9th grade).

 

 

And another girl (Bekka Allick) committed to Cook & the Huskers last year after completing her 8th grade year last summer.

 

Bekka is also a pretty decent basketball player.

[ColoradoHusk]

1 minute ago, knapplc said:

 

 

And another girl (Bekka Allick) committed to Cook & the Huskers last year after completing her 8th grade year last summer.

 

Bekka is also a pretty decent basketball player.

I LOVED Phil Hartman as Ed McMahon!!!  What a great GIF!!!

[teachercd]

This "offer" holds as much water as a girl saying "I'll see" when you ask her on a Monday if she wants to go out Saturday night.

[Roxy15]

teachercd your reply made me laugh in a “good way”  and I enjoyed reading the rest except for Ulty’s comment.  If you don’t like my posts Ulty, then don’t read them, it is simple as that.

[Xmas32]

My opinion is this is a great thread for this...

 

 

[The Dude]

I have no opinion about this.

[obert1]

Offers and commitments mean less each year.

[JJ Husker]

@ColoradoHusk Yeah but I think there is a fairly significant difference in development and maturity between a girl's volleyball player and boys football. I'd put it at about 2-3 years difference in being able to identify the talent that may make the leap to college ball. With practically year round volleyball and the faster development of girls, you may have a pretty good shot at pegging them by about 9th grade. I think there's a lot more variables and things that can change significantly with an 8th or 9th grade boy.

 

But I guess I just don't see the up side for schools or players to be committing before 10th grade or really any time before a binding offer/commitment can be made. I suppose in the case of a very top tier program like Nebraska volleyball or with players located near the school, a commitment at that young age may turn into something. But for most circumstances I think it's wasted effort and done more for ego and headlines.

[TonyStalloni]

I think some schools do it for publicity or maybe to be the "first" one to offer a kid.  Some kids mature physically in middle school then quit growing about 9th to 10th grade and by the time they are a senior other kids have caught up with him. Since the offer and commit are barely worth the paper they are written on it makes headlines and then is forgotten about.  Often the coach who made the offer isn't even at that school when the kid is a senior.