2024 Recruiting Cycle Displaying How Times Have Changed

As we enter the month of July, the 2024 recruiting class has displayed how times have changed in regard to recruiting in college football.

If there is anything that college football has taught its fans over the last few years, it's that change is inevitable. Recently, we have witnessed the college football playoff announcing expansion from four to 12 teams, college athletes can now be compensated for their name, image, and likeness, and several conferences will be introducing new teams in the near future. Now the 2024 recruiting class is showing how that area of the game has changed due to several factors. 

Taking a look at Georgia's current standing with this year's recruiting class, the Bulldogs currently have 23 players committed. That may seem like a lot, and that's because it is. Typically around this time of year Georgia is around the halfway point in regard to wrapping up their current class, whereas this year, they are well over halfway done before the season even starts. 

If anyone was wondering if 22 commits on July 1 is a lot for #GoDawgs right now.

Check the last four cycles. 👀

July 1, 2020: Commits for 2021 class: 9
July 1, 2021: Commits for 2022 class: 11
July 1, 2022: Commits for 2023 class: 13
July 1, 2023: Commits for 2024 class: 22

— Jeff Sentell (@jeffsentell) July 2, 2023

So what has caused this sudden sense of urgency on the recruiting front and why are prospects committing earlier than they used to? Well, for starters, early national signing day has played a huge role in that. High school prospects now have the ability to sign on the dotted line in the month of December as opposed to waiting until February. This allows players to enroll early into their school and start preparing for their college careers at an earlier time. That also means that many players want to be done with their recruitment process before their senior season starts and prepare for their next chapter. 

Another factor has been the introduction of NIL. While the intended use of players having the ability to be compensated for their likeness, it has also become a major player on the recruiting landscape. Not every high school prospect is the same and is chasing after the school that can offer the most money, but it has certainly become a formula of success for some programs.

Over the last year, college football fans have seen and heard the rumblings of how much money schools are offering recruits before they even play a single snap as a collegiate athlete. And so when a player finds out how much a school thinks they are worth monetarily, you can imagine that could result in them wanting to commit to that school quicker than maybe expected. Or even in some cases, have a sudden change in direction in their recruitment. 

So when you see that Georgia already has 23 in their 2024 recruiting class, that is a result of recruiting in college football changing. In today's age of the game, you can either adapt to the changes or you will get left behind, and head coach Kirby Smart and his staff have clearly shown they have adapted to the change and have ensured that their success on the trail remains intact.

Other Georgia News:

• Former 5-Star DL Jordan Hall Explains Why He Chose Georgia Over Florida
• Rece Davis Tabs Michigan as No. 1 Team in College Football
• Zion Logue Praises the University of Georgia for Development of Life Skills

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