Gonzales: High school signing day not the celebration it was intended to be

Social media will be busy Wednesday, with photos and video clips of high school football players, their parents and coaches celebrating letter of intent day.

The event should be celebrated, simply because many of these student-athletes have earned the distinction of receiving a scholarship that provides them a free education and the opportunity to extend their athletic careers.

As well as lessen the financial burden on their parents who have invested money in their child's pursuit and/or wouldn't have the funds that a scholarship provides.

But something is amiss this winter.

ESPNU, which used to televise the traditional February signing day before the morning coffee was ready until the start of afternoon traffic, has devoted only one hour Wednesday to signing coverage.

The early singing date in December, instituted in 2017, has provided college coaches with the opportunity to secure oral commitments earlier. More prospects are taking their formal recruiting visits to colleges earlier than in past years, so signing early reduces the volume of constant inquiries from aggressive recruiters.

And many of those early signees graduate from high school shortly after signing their letters, thus allowing them to enroll early at their colleges and participate in spring practice.

Another "distraction" is the transfer portal that is moving faster than an 18-wheeler without brakes. The plethora of transfers has created a rankings system, with Mississippi taking the lead after landing USC transfer Jaxson Dart, and USC fans riding an emotional roller coaster every time new coach Lincoln Riley tweeted an emoji with the victory sign with the anticipation top transfer Caleb Williams is following him from Oklahoma.

The latter scenario didn't crystallize until Tuesday morning, allaying fears that Williams would sign elsewhere.

There's a long-standing saying that "it's about the players," but it's more about the head coaches since this fall and the mass changes around the nation that started in mid-September and continued 2½ weeks ago with the resignation of Hawaii coach Todd Graham.

It used to be assumed that high school kids should pick the school instead of the coach, but many kids find themselves not fitting in a system when there's a coaching change and either sit on the bench or are encouraged to transfer to another school so the coach can free up a scholarship for a player who is perceived as a better fit.

Many high school kids announce their college decision on social media or in front of a school or family gathering well in advance of their signing date. But some de-commit because of a coaching change, having their scholarship offer pulled or experiencing a change of heart.

Two of those reasons are legitimate, but the recent developments should result in no worse than an evaluation of the signing date process.

Eliminating the early signing date in December would provide protection for those kids caught off guard by a coaching departure. Coaches depart publicly on short or no notice, and kids should be afforded more time if affected by such an occurrence.

You would hate to see a family spend hundreds of dollars on that school's merchandise to celebrate their son's signing, only to see that attire wasted by a coaching change.

The transfer portal should remain intact, with a few tweaks. Players should be able to sign with another school as soon as their regular season has been completed so they can enroll at their new school as soon as possible. But the opportunity to enter the portal and transfer to another school should close at the end of January and reopen only when their spring classes end.

In order to allow high school graduates to start college as soon as possible, the February signing date should be moved up to mid-January.

Coaches at new programs have been known for holding scholarships for potential summer transfers, so why can't they save some for high school players who no longer are committed or interested in a school because of a change?

Mid-January might suggest a happy medium. But the reality is that it provides ample time for all parties to fairly assess their options and ensuring that signing day represents a celebration and not merely a formality.

@MDGonzales