Paul Finebaum on upcoming National Signing Day: ‘Most of the heavy lifting has already been done’
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Has the early signing day period hurt your interest in the tradition National Signing Day? Based on what Paul Finebaum had to say Monday morning, it appears the general fan isn’t all that interested in the first Wednesday in February this year.
During his weekly Monday morning appearance on WJOX 94.5 FM program The Opening Drive, Finebaum was asked if the dual signing periods in college football have affected interest in the traditional National Signing Day.
“This is the first time I’ve even thought about recruiting — since the championship game,” Finebaum said.
“It will be a big deal on that Wednesday but this is normally a time when programs like ours are inundated with calls and quite frankly, there aren’t any. Most of the heavy lifting has already been done. Yeah, if you are Nick Saban or Kirby Smart, you are trying to pick up a few here and there to enhance your class but this will not be a standalone day where people have parties and go to sports bars and celebrate their team’s victories because frankly most of it has already been done.”
Finebaum has a good point, as six SEC programs already have over 20 prospects either signed or committed to play at their school. Fans that may be most engaged are the ones with new coaching staffs in place. How well the coaching staffs at Florida, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Arkansas close out the 2018 signing class could give an indication of how well those programs will recruit under new leadership.
But for the more established coaching staffs in the league, National Signing Day this season and beyond appear to be about the few signatures that have yet to come into the facility.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
