College football signing classes set to expand

It looks like college football recruiting classes could be expanding.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger, the NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee is finalizing a proposal that would “change the signing limit this cycle in what’s being described as a one-year waiver of relief until a permanent policy is created.”

Under the plan, schools can sign 25 players in their recruiting class while gaining additional signee spots for every player who transfers out of their program—up to a certain limit.

Dellenger tweeted that it looks like seven additional spots will be granted to programs and a proposal could be approved next month.

He followed it up by noting that the plan is expected to include a provision that teams can replace any 7 players who enter the portal (even if they’re dismissed).

This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. The transfer portal has become a significant difference-maker in college football as it has across all college athletics, and this will help programs who’ve been significantly impacted by transfer losses.

What’s interesting is that this would go into effect with the 2022 recruiting class, which coaches are actively filling, with signing day just a few months away.

Right now, Kentucky has just 13 commitments in the 2022 class, so Kentucky isn’t pushing up against that limit right now, but the immediate nature of this policy would certainly have an effect on many programs.

Between the extra eligibility granted due to COVID-19 and the transfer portal, this is a really unusual time for coaches as they try to manage their rosters, along with the changes in recruiting that have occurred with the pandemic. This proposal could certainly have wide-reaching effects on a number of recruits.

You can read Dellenger’s full story for SI published last month here.