And the beat goes on.
Despite recent optimism that the recruiting dead period would finally be coming to an end, the NCAA Division I Council voted on Wednesday to extend the dead period.
The previous dead period was set to run through April 15, but the dead period will now run through May 31.
Division I Council chair Grace Calhoun said Wednesday “there is a strong commitment to use the next several weeks to outline the transition plan back to recruiting activities post June 1 and to provide those plans to prospective student-athletes, their families and the NCAA membership no later than April 15.”
Division I Council extends recruiting dead period through May 31: https://t.co/B89I052c1z pic.twitter.com/eRLyILmMkL
— Inside the NCAA (@InsidetheNCAA) February 17, 2021
It will have been more than a full calendar year in which the dead period has been in place, dating back to March 13, 2020.
Any official and unofficial visits that high school prospects, notably in the 2022 and 2023 classes, had hoped to take during the spring will not be taking place.
Many Ohio State commits, targets and players hoping to get offers had planned on visiting Columbus in April, specifically for the weekend of April 16-18. That is when Ohio State is hoping to hold its spring game, and it was expected to be the first weekend of a proposed quiet period that was to run from April 16-May 31. Commits such as C.J. Hicks and Dasan McCullough were expected to visit that weekend and invite several targets to Columbus that weekend, including players such as 2022 Georgia running back target Damari Alston.
Today's news wipes out the hopes of a Buckeye Bash 2.0 being held at Ohio Stadium this spring. Similar to what the program's 2021 class did last October, Ohio State's 2022 group of commits has been looking to gather as many commits and targets on campus and in the athletics facilities as possible in a big recruiting weekend. Those hopes will now be pushed back to the summer as the dead period continues to see extensions.
Outside of the 2022 cycle, five-star 2021 defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau was the biggest headliner of potential visitors this spring. Ohio State is the lone school in his final five that he has not yet been to with Alabama, Washington, Oregon and USC all having hosted him previously.
Many prospects have taken it upon themselves to make "self-guided visits" to Ohio State on their own dime and without being able to step foot inside of the athletics facilities or visit with coaches. That includes recent visitors such as Raesjon Davis, Zen Michalski and Bennett Christian, and 2022 receiver target Kyion Grayes is visiting Feb. 26-28.
We are certain to see more of those types of visits throughout the spring after Wednesday's decision by the NCAA.
