re: Zach Evans delays commitment again

The saga continues.

It counts as a spot towards your 25 limit even if they don’t ever make it to school.

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Actually not completely accurate with this statement. First the NLI is already accepted by the school since the school is the one that officially sends it signed to the recruit for their signatures. The recruit can not sign unless officially offered by said institution. So if UGA sent Evans an NLI and he signed it and sent it in he is officially a member of the 2020 class.

Now if he was not yet passed the clearinghouse and can not get in academically, qualify for admittance then the NLI can become Null and Void at that point for failure by the recruit to meet academic requirements. But IIRC if he is allowed to sign his NLI and later becomes null and void due to academic reasons he will still be considered a initial counter for the 2020 class. So if he signed with UGA then enjoy him on campus or taking up a spot in your class.

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Right, that's true. I'm just speaking in contract generalities to the extent that there are specifications in these things that can render the contract void, which is on the school's part to verify. The school is definitely "accepting" the contract when they send it but since there are academic and recruiting infraction specifications in the contract (posted by someone above), it's still up the school to verify and ensure that there aren't reasons that the contract should be voided. So in sum, it's a binding contract but it's still not a "done deal" in the sense that once the athlete returns the signed LOI both parties are bound to an agreement wherein the athlete shows up to school to take classes and participate in athletics. Saying that the school gets a second chance to "agree" to the contract is an oversimplification but long story short if the kid fails the ACT and all his classes following the returned LOI, the contract certainly isn't used to overreach all those circumstances and it's up to the school to review such circumstances and decide that the contract is void, not the athlete. So in a sense they do "agree" a second time, just more from a black-letter compliance standpoint, not a standpoint of secondary review.

Interestingly, people are saying that once a school sends an LOI, that's one of the 25-or-so spots they can use for recruiting. Not sure if that's true, but it might be. Like I said, I've never read all the rules for LOIs, I just understand contracts to some extent . It's curious that UGA would "void" Evans' LOI under ANY circumstances if it meant that they'd lose a spot in the class over him regardless.

Maybe he'll just keep all of the money and play for the Houston Cougars.

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Would the player deciding he wants out not qualify as a reason? That sounds like what's happening here.

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I'm pretty sure that this is a resounding "No" in the contract sense. It appears as though once the athlete sends in a signed LOI the situation is totally out of their control. Schools who let players out of LOIs over coaching changes are usually doing so on their own accord to avoid an ensuing shite storm when the player refuses to play and ends up transferring. They're certainly not obligated to do that. Otherwise there would be no incentive to keep coaching changes under wraps until after signing day, which schools clearly do.

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Would the player deciding he wants out not qualify as a reason? That sounds like what's happening here.

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A player for whatever reason can request the program he signed with to release him from his NLI. Now the school can refuse it. So if he is wanting to part ways and UGA no longer wants him then it should be an easy release. But if he wants to go and Smart he saying no then not qualifying can make it null and void in January once classes start if he is a EE.

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ETA: In basketball, typically recruits are released from LOIs after coaching changes. Wouldn't this be a similar thing?

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I can not speak for BB but football has a different set of rules all to itself. But coaching changes in football do not allow a recruit to cancel out a NLI.

Bru McCoy, I believe so.

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Didn’t something like this just happen with the usc/Texas kid?

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Yeah. Bru McCoy. As I mentioned above, though, USC let him out on their own accord because it was going to turn into an ugly fiasco for them where he just causes a stink, refuses to play, and transfers ASAP. It's bad optics when a school enforces an LOI like that so it's in the school's best interest to just let him out of the agreement and not go through the ugly process of a kid refusing to participate and transferring.

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have tried to defend him for awhile but this is like riding a unicycle with a square tire up a mountain in the dark

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ive said several times that he’s one of the best Highschool football players I’ve ever seen but his attitude and issues scream transfer portal to me.

All the talent in the world doesn’t mean shite if he’s a head case