Five Questions That Hoosier Fans Should Be Asking on Signing Day

While there won't be the fireworks, Hoosier fans should be fired up about National Signing Day Image Source: IUHoosiers.com

Written By Sammy Jacobs (@HoosierHuddle)

The college football offseason is rolling right along and National Signing Day is less than a week away (February 4th), so I thought that some Indiana football fans would have some questions going into next week. Here are five questions that Hoosier fans may have going into the 2015 Nation Signing Day.

1. Will All of the Committed Players Actually Sign with Indiana? -

The simple answer is probably not. It is unrealistic to expect that 100% of a team’s verbal commitments will actually sign a letter of intent and make it on to campus. One has to remember that these are high school seniors, some of whom are not even 18 years old yet and that they are allowed to change their mind.

In the last couple of years the Hoosiers have had several players flip schools at the last minute and several more who just never made it to campus. Some of these were highly rated recruits like wide receiver Taj Williams who just could not academically qualify at IU.

Fans have to go into Wednesday with the philosophy that something always comes up with at least one recruit. Maybe the player received a late offer from a school closer to home, or their grades are not as high as the Hoosier coaching staff wants them to be. Something always seems to pop up, so if the Hoosiers do lose one or two verbal commits to another school it is normal.

2. Why is Signing Day Such a Big Deal? –

National Signing Day on paper is not all that it is hyped up to be. No trophies are handed out, there is no band or rushing the field, but the day does bring in a renewed sense of hope for everyone. Coaches are rewarded, hopefully, for their countless hours on the road recruiting the players they think can help elevate their program, fans are invigorated by the infusion of new, young talent, and for us media types it gives us something positive to write about. It is an oasis in the desert that is the offseason that bridges the gap between the end of the season and the beginning of spring football practice.

3. Why Should Indiana Football Fans Be Excited? –

Hoosier fans have gotten used to being disappointed and there are no two ways around it, but National Signing Day should be a day for IU fans to celebrate the future. Under head coach Kevin Wilson Indiana’s recruiting classes have gotten much better, headlined by a terrific 2013 class. It is comparable to Opening Day for Major League Baseball teams where everyone is in first place.

While the class is not finalized yet, it is shaping up to be one that places the Hoosiers smack in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten, which for IU is a nice jump from where they were under previous coaches.

4. Do Recruiting Rankings Really Matter? –

Most of the time they do. While Indiana has done a fantastic job at developing two and three star recruits, it is always better to have a higher rated prospect. Kevin Wilson has done a tremendous job elevating the talent on this team. He has had a handful of four-star recruiting sign during his tenure.

5. Would an Early Signing Period Help Indiana Lock Up Better Recruits? –

There has been a lot of chatter the Conference Commissioners Association considering implementing and early signing period for Division I football. The proposed date for this signing period is mid-December. So the big question for Hoosier fans, who have seen several verbal commits s flip schools and sign elsewhere, is how will this be beneficial for us?

My answer, and that is all this is, is that it should definitely help the Hoosiers in recruiting. Indiana has gotten some big time verbal commits that have flipped schools, most notably quarterbacks Gunner Kiel and Tommy Stevens. While an earlier signing date does not guarantee anything it would give the Hoosiers a shot to lock these recruits in before other schools bombard them. It will be interesting to see what the Hoosier coaches have to say on the subject.