August 1 marks the first day football programs can send official scholarship offers to prospects for the following year’s class. Every offer until August is merely verbal. The distinction is a minor one, on some level, because players can’t sign until February.
But teams have taken a lot of different approaches to filing former offers with the players they want. Miami has sent offers that look strikingly like club flyers.
Maryland’s class of 2017 offers are starting to go out on Monday, and the Terrapins are putting a nice face on these things. Here are a few.
Running back commit Tayon Fleet-Davis:
It don't get no better than this pic.twitter.com/ePmvrioKHt
— B1G FLEET3️⃣4️⃣ (@TayonFleet) August 1, 2016
Center commit Johnny Jordan:
#TerpUp pic.twitter.com/8OOXoXOtUv
— Johnny Jordan (@bigjohnny73) August 1, 2016
Defensive tackle Cam Spence:
B1G pic.twitter.com/vAJVZ5SiKQ
— Camaron⛓ (@Only1CamSpence) August 1, 2016
You get the picture. The full text here, for those not inclined to cursive, reads:
“This offer letter witnesses that you have to this point exhibited the requisite qualities and are recommended by the University of Maryland Football Program for a full athletics scholarship which is conferred with all the rights and privileges afforded to qualified candidates. Offered by the Department of Athletics at The University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland.”
And there’s DJ Durkin’s signature, and that’s a wrap. Seems exciting, and good on Maryland for giving the players something shareable. That’s a recruiting tool.