Forget the prom, recruits should enroll early

Sporting News, The, Feb 7, 2000 by Mark Blaudschun

You saw the hysteria building. Letter-of-intent day has come and gone. Hundreds of blue-chip prospects confirmed their oral commitments by faxing letters-of-intent to the schools of their choice Wednesday.

Oh, happy day, for the players and the schools that got prospects such as wide receiver Charles Rogers, a 6-4, 190-pound speedster from Saginaw (Mich.) High, who signed with Michigan State; and offensive lineman Kwame Harris, of Newark (Del.) High, who is going to Stanford. But each faces uncertainty as his high school days wind down and the countdown to college begins. Is there a way to alleviate the anxiety prospects face as the long wait for college begins?

Perhaps. Check out quarterback Brock Berlin, a 6-1, 190-pound prospect from Evangel Christian in Shreveport, La., who according to recruiting guru Tom Lemming, is "18 going on 30." He's going to Florida--sooner rather than later. Berlin committed to the Gators early, graduated from high school early and al ready is enrolled at Florida. Quarterbacks John Rattay and Casey Clausen are following similar paths at Tennessee. Will this give them an advantage?

Are you kidding? Think of it. Take Berlin, for example. He enrolls at Florida in January and takes classes for several weeks before he has to begin worrying about football. When spring practice begins, he'll be adjusted to college and better able to focus on football.

"They throw the ball a lot, and it fits my style," says Berlin, who could battle senior Jesse Palmer for the job as Steve Spurrier's starting quarterback in the fall.

Maybe getting an early start to college isn't important if you are an offensive lineman who can hide in the anonymity of group work. But if you are a quarterback, and arguably the best high school passer in the country as Berlin reportedly is, it makes a difference. One of the first to choose the early enrollment option was Eric Zeier at Georgia in 1991, and the move helped jump-start him to an outstanding career as a four-year starter in Athens.

Sometimes it doesn't work out. J.P. Losman did the same thing a year ago, when he committed to UCLA early and enrolled in January. By April, he thought UCLA and its crowded quarterback depth chart that included Drew Bennett, Ryan McCann and Cory Paus wasn't the place for him and transferred to Tulane.

But even that may have its benefits. Losman took the first few months to learn he wasn't comfortable at UCLA. And even though he may well have become the Bruins' starter last season, he now understands himself better and presumably can resume his career with less pressure at Tulane.

So much is asked of recruits. So much is expected, especially of the skill-position, high-profile players. We sometimes forget they still are kids, sometimes not even 18 years old.

College, as much as anything, is a time to make an adjustment from childhood to adulthood. You learn basics such as time management. You make a break from your parents. You become your own person. Obviously, you are giving up something if you speed up your education process by graduating early from high school. You are giving up a good portion of your senior year, which, if you were good enough to get a scholarship to a major school likely makes you a big man on campus. For some players, that will be the highlight of their athletic careers. A time when they have succeeded in their goals and can enjoy the fruits of their labors as they head to the prom.

But in terms of long-range success and potential, enrolling early seems to be the best choice. Barring any move for freshman ineligibility, which isn't likely to come soon, it's the best way for a football player to make the adjustment from high school to college.

Mark Blaudschun covers college football for the Boston Globe. E-mail him at blaudschun@sportingnews.com.

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