Musical chairs, Philly-area football recruits, and the business of college football recruiting

National signing day was once a relatively carefree event in which high school athletes, who had often already committed to colleges weeks or months earlier, sat at tables, flanked by family, and officially autographed national letters of intent.

Lately, however, it sounds more like a high-stakes game of musical chairs that can leave recruits atop seats they hadn’t expected when the music stops.

“There was a time when it was all fun, all glitz, glamour, and a good time,” Northeast High School coach Eric Clark said. “That time, in my opinion, came and went.”

As Wednesday’s early signing period approaches, the business of college sports, which includes an unpredictable coaching carousel and the transfer portal, could mean area high school athletes settling in unexpected places.

“It is a business,” Germantown Academy coach Matt Dence said. “I mean, it is a business. And that’s fine. But high school kids, I don’t know how ready they are for that.”

When Germantown Academy senior Evan Spivey committed to Coastal Carolina in August, the Chanticleers were coached by Jamie Chadwell, who had led the program to 31 wins in the last three seasons, including back-to-back 11-win campaigns.

Spivey is a hard-hitting, 6-foot-2, 185-pound defensive back who wore No. 8 for the Patriots. In his August announcement on Twitter, Spivey tweeted that he was 888 percent committed to the school.

He couldn’t, however, have known the percentage chance that Chadwell wouldn’t be there. The scholarship he committed to might not be, either.

“This is a hard side of the business that these kids are experiencing,” said Dence, who just finished his 11th season at GA. “And Evan is experiencing that at 17 years old.”

Earlier this month, Chadwell, whose name had been linked to several coaching vacancies during his tenure at Coastal Carolina, was announced as the new head coach at Liberty.

Chadwell got the job after former Liberty coach Hugh Freeze was hired by Auburn in November. Freeze is the same coach, who, in 2017, resigned from Ole Miss amid reports that he used a university-issued phone to call a number associated with an escort service in 2016. An NCAA investigation also revealed several rules violations during Freeze’s tenure.

The Auburn job was available to Freeze after coach Bryan Harsin was fired in October following less than two seasons at the school. So far during the 2022 season, there have been 23 coaching changes among FBS schools. Of those changes, 14 have been the result of a coach being fired.

Fortunately for Spivey, Syracuse offered him a scholarship last week. Dence said the Orange had previously recruited Spivey, who also has offers from Temple and James Madison.

“I tell my guys, especially with these D-I schools,” Dence said in a phone interview, “it’s a business. Coaches don’t have three or four years anymore to figure it out.”

Dence said he didn’t think any of the schools that recruited Spivey had mistreated him in any way. He added that he hasn’t heard from Coastal Carolina in a while and didn’t think Spivey had, either.

“Evan has handled it really well,” Dence said. “He’s asked all the right questions. I’m proud of him. I really am.”

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule may have mastered the coaching carousel. At the very least, the former Temple and Baylor coach has benefited handsomely from each ride.

After the NFL’s Carolina Panthers fired him in October, Rhule, who once transformed Temple from a two-win team to a conference champion in four seasons, is again making noise in Philadelphia.

Imhotep Charter senior Rahmir Stewart, who plays defensive back, committed to Nebraska on Saturday after an official visit this weekend.

» READ MORE: Imhotep standout Rahmir Stewart commits to Nebraska in Matt Rhule’s first signing class

Northeast High senior offensive lineman Naquil Betrand had committed to Texas A&M in August. Betrand is a 6-6, 325-pound late-blooming offensive lineman who was a mere 6-2, 160-pound receiver as a freshman.

The Aggies, however, have hemorrhaged recruits, according to reports, from what was once considered among the best recruiting classes in the country. Coach Jimbo Fisher’s team also finished a disappointing 5-7, which included a six-game losing streak.

Last week, Betrand announced an offer from Rhule and Nebraska via Twitter. He also announced an offer from Colorado, featuring its new coach, Deion Sanders. Betrand had originally committed to former Colorado coach Karl Dorrell in March. And on Tuesday night, Betrand posted on Instagram an image of himself wearing a Texas A&M uniform along with information on the next morning’s signing day event at Northeast.

» READ MORE: Northeast’s Naquil Betrand was ‘a late bloomer’ as an offensive tackle and is now a coveted recruit

Earlier this month, Betrand’s teammate, Tyrese Whitaker, a senior pass rusher who committed to Temple in June, announced via Twitter that his recruitment was open once more. He remains committed to signing with Temple on Wednesday.

Flip-flopping commitments isn’t necessarily uncommon this year, and could speak to how difficult it is for high school athletes to navigate the business of recruiting.

Pennsauken senior defensive back Kahlil Ali committed to Boston College in June, then exited in October only to recommit to BC earlier this month.

North Penn receiver Yazeed Haynes committed to Rutgers in March, backed out in May, committed to Penn State in June only to back out and then commit to Georgia in July. Winslow Township receiver Ejani Shakir committed to Penn State in May before backing out in November.

“There’s a level of stress for these kids that’s bigger than ever,” said Clark, who is also a teacher at Northeast.

» READ MORE: Pennsauken star Kahlil Ali forges his own path as he carries on a football legacy

Clark as of earlier this week wasn’t sure if both Whitaker and Betrand would sign with schools on Wednesday, let alone which schools they would choose.

“Years ago they would have had another three or four weeks to go through this process,” Clark said, “but it’s kind of imperative to know what you’re doing in this first signing period, especially with the transfer portal.”

This season, more than 1,600 players have entered the transfer portal since it opened Dec. 5, according to ESPN. The loosening of transfer rules makes the portal a de facto pool of free agents because transfers no longer have to sit out for a season.

The NCAA’s decision to grant athletes another year of eligibility because of seasons scuttled by the pandemic, Clark said, has added another obstacle for high school recruits.

College coaches, Clark said, often would rather take a player from the portal who has already performed in college compared to an unproven freshman, especially given the pressure put on college coaches to win right away.

“There’s a trickle-down effect to high school athletes now,” he said.

Schools that once typically brought in approximately 15 freshmen, Clark reasoned, might now bring in only eight freshmen and fill the other seven spots with veterans from the portal.

“There are athletes who have been in college for five or six years and are working on master’s programs,” Clark said, “which is great for them, but it’s affecting high school football recruiting.”

Clark suggests to his players that they consider the schools that are interested in them right now. He says it’s possible to wait for a new opportunity to present itself, but adds that the path comes with risks.

“The portal is watching signing day,” he said. “And signing day is watching the portal.”

For example, Syracuse lost sophomore defensive back Darian Chestnut to the transfer portal last week. A few days later, Spivey tweeted that Syracuse made him an offer.

On Monday, Spivey tweeted that he committed to James Madison.

Don’t worry about Syracuse. The Orange likely won’t get stuck with an empty chair when the music stops.

This month, Syracuse made an offer to former Bishop McDevitt standout Lonnie Rice, who played safety in high school and is currently a junior college linebacker at Lackawanna College. Rice committed to the Orange on Monday. Syracuse likely issued several other offers as well. Wednesday’s signing day will likely go a long way in determining who has a chair when the music stops.

“My kids are handling it well,” Dence said. “I think most kids handle it well. But it makes you grow up quick.”