@anon145, I am not asserting that early recruiting/commitments don’t happen. They obviously do, in all sports. As an example, Ohio State football apparently has 31 offers out to the class of 2021 according to 247. And I have no problem believing that this pattern is even more prevalent in women’s sports, likely due to the greater talent stratification among women athletes. What I am asserting is that the earlier the commitment, the less secure it is. As a non Ivy example, I would be shocked if more than two or three of the five class of 2021 commits listed by 247 at Florida actually end up playing football there. Coaches change, systems change, kids don’t develop as expected or get hurt. It has been this way for years. This concern about security is even more true in the Ivy because of the unique admissions system. This seems to me to be inarguably true, although I acknowledge others see it differently.
Also, for whatever it is worth, I have a real hard time harmonizing the idea that Ivy coaches in any sport are solely concerned with recruiting the best athletes, while at the same time arguing that coaches aren’t taking risks on academic borderline kids or adjusting their recruiting boards based on player development or injuries, in both the varsity roster and the recruit pool. Those are inconsistent ideas.