The Stresses of Signing Day

Springfield (Mo.) Hillcrest's Dorial Green-Beckham announced he would
be staying in Missouri to play for the Tigers, making this sportswriter very
happy. But signing day can be unnecessarily stressful for coaches and
players, even though there's no telling what will happen in four years.

How much faith would you put in a 17-year-old? If you're a major college football coach, the next four years of your program could depend on whether or not a fresh-faced teenager picks your school over Rival U.

For some, signing day can lead to the highest of highs for a program. My alma mater experienced this when Dorial Green-Beckham decided to stay in Missouri. The same could be said for people like Stillwater High's Jesse Vester, who received an unexpected offer and signed with Oklahoma State on the same day.

But there's also a flip side. Arkansas was crushed when Green-Beckham — who had previously posed for a photo in an Arkansas jersey — spurned the Razorbacks for a chance to play in Columbia.

Across the country, Cassanova McKinzy made his college decision not on academics or a program's prestige. Instead, he chose Auburn over Clemson because when he visited Clemson there wasn't a Chick-fil-A near campus.

Leave it to a guy named Cassanova — a man who obviously got his name from his love of food — to make a decision on something as frivolous as decent grub. I, too, often get bit by the Chick-fil-A bug, but I would not make a decision based on a fast food restaurant.

My guess is that four years down the road, the linebacker will switch to defensive line after snacking on chicken sandwiches. And if I were a wagering man, I'd say that Clemson is about to get a Chick-fil-A within the next month, as per direct orders from Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.

It isn't just teams and coaches that feel the stress on signing day. The look on Prichard (Ala.) Vigor High's Darius Philon said it all.

Philon looked exhausted as he told his high school he was undecided before putting on an Alabama hat. As it turns out, the prized defensive lineman didn't sign with the Crimson Tide, instead sending a letter of intent to Arkansas. According to the Mobile Press-Register, Philon's decision came after a late request by Alabama to have Philon greyshirt.

All in all, there's a lot of pressure on teams and coaches to make an immediate decision. It doesn't help that ESPNU broadcasts signings throughout the day.

As members of the media and fans, we all need to take a step back  from high school recruiting. This is supposed to be a joyous and special occasion for the young athletes and the teams they sign with. Let's let them enjoy the moment.