Sure, Meyer’s first OSU recruiting class this week included eight players who had pledged verbal allegiances to other schools, including Big Ten members Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan State. And, yes, some sort of handshake “anti-poaching” agreement between disgraced former OSU coach Jim Tressel and his conference competitors seems to have existed at one point.
All bets — and quaint side agreements — should have been off, however, the moment Tressel’s butt hit the sidewalk on his way to becoming Akron’s vice president for cheerleading or whatever his new made-up job turns out to be.
Unwritten codes are nice, but Meyer is tasked with assembling a championshp-caliber squad and most of those kids only chose other schools due to OSU’s earlier cloud of uncertainty.
Much as Bielema and others might like to pretend otherwise, this isn’t the Ivy League. Until that signed national letter of intent comes through the fax machine, no deal is done and every coach knows it.
Short of money changing hands, jobs promised to family members or vehicles appearing in kids’ driveways, nothing says a coach can’t check in with verbally committed recruits.
Simply asking such a young man if he would be interested in signing with your school is not a violation of NCAA rules, nor should it ever become one.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2408 or smcclelland @DaytonDailyNews.com.
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