NCAA Extends Dead Period for Recruiting

The NCAA announced today that the dead recruiting period will be extended until May 31. In light of the Coronavirus, the NCAA had initially made the recruiting dead period until April 15th after winter and spring college sports had been suspended.

Division I, Division II extends their recruiting dead periods: pic.twitter.com/aIC7WUTg3p

— NCAA News (@NCAA_PR) April 1, 2020

Dead Recruiting Period

A dead recurrent period is when high school athletes are not allowed to meet face-to-face with NCAA coaches. The ban includes coaches going to family’s homes to talk and watch athletes compete and students visiting college campuses.

Coaches are allowed to text, email, DM, and call players during this period to stay in communication. Players simply are not allowed to have face-to-face contact with coaches. Graduate school and regular transfer athletes are the ones most affected by the ruling as they search for their new University to compete with.

Gator Men’s Basketball Recruiting

The Gator men’s basketball team had their season cut short right before playing Georgia in the SEC tournament. The Gators went 19-12 in the 2019 season and were predicted to make the NCAA tournament.

Florida had quite the recruiting class in 2019 with two 5-star players in Scottie Lewis and Tre Mann along with 4-star players Ques Glover and Omar Payne.

https://twitter.com/TheHoopGroup/status/1019616180229861376

For the 2020 class, the Gators are ranked 7th in the SEC with three players having signed Letters of Intent. The players include 6-7 small forward Samson Ruzhentsev, 5’5 shooting guard Niels Lane, and 6’8 power forward Osayi Osifo.

Gator Football Recruiting

Dan Mullen has turned the Gator football program around since becoming head coach in 2017. Mulled secured the eighth-best 2020 recruiting class in the nation. The football recruiting class had 10 spring enrollees including the local Gainesville star quarterback Anthony Richardson

13 more players have also signed national letters of intent and plan to enroll in the Fall including 5-star Defensive Tackle Gervon Dexter. The 2020 Football Recruiting class has 13 hard commits already ranking them number one overall in the SEC and 3 in the country.

#ESPN Recruiting Class Rankings for 2021:

1. #OhioState
2. #Clemson
3. #Gators
4. #NotreDame
5. #Longhorns
6. #Oregon
7. #Canes
8. #Wisconsin
9. #TarHeels
10. #Iowa

— Gerry Hamilton (@GHamiltonOTF) February 27, 2020

Many questions still exist surrounding the 2020-2021 Gator and NCAA football season after the cancellation of the College Football spring games. The Gators’ Orange and Blue Game had been scheduled for April 18 before being cancelled. Florida is still scheduled to open next year’s football season against Eastern Washington at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.