Tulane has benefited in recent years from recruiting the junior colleges. While Jabril Clewis, Jonathan Banks, and Dominique Briggs were never superstars, they started a lot of games for the Wave. There are probably others I have overlooked. Nick Anderson and the Watts twins are our latest “finds” from the Juco ranks and their overall contributions are yet to be finalized. For 2021, we’ve got one Juco commitment so far in Offensive Lineman, Hayden Shook, but JC recruiting has a different “twist” this year.
Junior Colleges have reportedly moved their season to the spring. So, what does that mean? First, it means the four year schools will not be able to see JC players perform prior to the early signing period in December or the final signing period in February. Will we sign JUCO’s based on a single year of tape without seeing them in their sophomore year? If we’ve offered and they’ve committed, probably. But will schools hold off on offering and retain a couple of recruiting slots to sign players after their spring seasons? Or, if a guy like Shook is truly committed to the Wave and that commitment is mutual, will he sign in December, forego his second season in junior college and enter Tulane with four years remaining to play three (ie. as a “true” Sophomore rather than a “true” Junior)?
Similar questions can be asked about high school seniors in states that have already moved football to the spring (like where I live in Virginia). Billy Wiles, our QB commit from Virginia, will not play his senior year until after signing day. Does that change anything? What if he planned to graduate and attend Tulane in the Spring to get a “head start?” (and I have no indication that is/was his plan) How will spring football affect his plans? Every year, relative unknown players rise significantly in the ranks based on their senior seasons. Will teams hold slots for such until after spring football?
Like everything else in our lives, Covid 19 is changing how we look at things, even football recruiting. Fortunately, I think our coaches are better prepared to handle such a changed environment than most.
Roll Wave!!!
