Will early signing period affect Virginia Tech?

It was rumored for awhile and made official last month: College football will have an early signing period. Now begs the question, how will this affect Virginia Tech?

Well, upon hearing of new rule it sounds like a positive change for a school like Virginia Tech. However, while some kids will sign early, some will still play out the process to National Signing Day. Some kids want to sign and end the recruitment, while others still want to be courted.

So, what exactly changed?

First off, the early signing period will open on December 20 and last for 72 hours. Players can choose to sign in December or put off their decision until February. For players who plan on enrolling early, this is a good thing.

Traditional powerhouses like Alabama and Ohio State will likely push players to sign early. In doing this, they don’t have to fight off conference rivals trying to poach players at the last minute. Players are more likely to sign with schools like that earlier over the fear of losing their spot.

In that aspect, it could favor of the Hokies. If one of the top-tier schools fill up, then it gives the Hokies an opportunity to try and move in sway some players who are maybe still deciding.

Will that happen?

Well, at some point the Hokies are going to have to go head-to-head with Florida State or Ohio State and win one or more of those battles. It isn’t realistic to win the majority of those battles, but Virginia Tech always seems to come up short. The Hokies need to win at least one of those battles per year. Just this past recruiting cycle, Tech did get Dylan Rivers to flip from Penn State to the good guys. That was huge.

On the surface, the rule change doesn’t seem major. And it likely isn’t. We will certainly know more this December and get a better feel for how recruits deal with it moving forward.

In the meantime, Virginia Tech must continue to close on players —like Dax Hollifield—who outwardly profess their love Virginia Tech and have been to Blacksburg on numerous occasions. If so, the Hokies will be contenders on an annual basis.