Now That Football's Over . .

Colleges & Universities University of Alabama
1

<p>it’s time to focus on football. </p>

<p>Rivals.com has ranked Bama’s 2011 recruiting class #1 in the nation. Check it out at: [Yahoo</a> Sports: Rivals.com 2011 Team Recruiting Rankings](<a href=“http://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/teamrank/2011/all/all;_ylt=AtZSGJaA6DdaAyqSdrd.yjFGPZB4]Yahoo”>http://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/teamrank/2011/all/all;_ylt=AtZSGJaA6DdaAyqSdrd.yjFGPZB4)</p>

<p>To review synopses of the recruits, go to: [Yahoo</a> Sports: Rivals.com 2011 Alabama Commitments](<a href=“http://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/commitments/2011/alabama-73;_ylt=Arhtvj79kMUhONI6KhJQ28pJPZB4]Yahoo”>http://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/commitments/2011/alabama-73;_ylt=Arhtvj79kMUhONI6KhJQ28pJPZB4)</p>

<p>And check out Demetrius Hart, rated the #1 all-purpose back in the nation (and sporting a 3.6 GPA to boot) at: <a href=“http://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/player-Demetrius-Hart-93883;_ylt=AhEXku8yL73YRVMSjB87p9tDPZB4[/url]”>http://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/player-Demetrius-Hart-93883;_ylt=AhEXku8yL73YRVMSjB87p9tDPZB4&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Roll Tide.</p>

2

<p>What does everyone think about this hubub over so - called oversigning? I’m not sure what to make of it.</p>

3

<p>For those of you unfamiliar with feeno’s reference, you can get up to speed at:</p>

<p>[Rules</a> fail to curb schools from oversigning football players - USATODAY.com](<a href=“http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2011-01-31-recruiting-schools-oversigning_N.htm]Rules”>http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2011-01-31-recruiting-schools-oversigning_N.htm)</p>

<p>and</p>

<p>[Hot</a> Corner: On oversigning recruits, Alabama’s Nick Saban deserves to be cut some slack | al.com](<a href=“http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/02/hot_corner_on_oversigning_recr.html]Hot”>Hot Corner: On oversigning recruits, Alabama's Nick Saban deserves to be cut some slack - al.com)</p>

4

<p>Over-signing…</p>

<p>I think it has to do with “grey-shirting”. That’s when a school signs a player with the understanding that they will not start school in the fall…they will start in the spring (a year from now). </p>

<p>These are often kids who don’t have the NCAA GPA req’ts or may not have all the “college prep” classes yet…so they go to a CC in the fall, and then come to the U in the spring. Some kids need this extra year to “grow.” This gives another year to a player in addition to possibly red-shirting him later. This allows a school to delay “counting” them on their football rolls for another year.</p>

<p>This also helps with attrition that happens…current players who go to the draft early, who flunk out, who transfer out, or who just quit the sport. </p>

<p>It’s really only “bad” when a school doesn’t make it clear to a player that he will be grey-shirted. A school in the midwest (Arkansas??? maybe) was supposedly guilty of this. Saban insists that his grey-shirts fully understand that they will be grey-shirted.</p>