COLUMN: Agreeing With Brian Kelly About A Needed Recruiting Rule Change
During the latter half of January, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly and his staff were on the road recruiting.
During the contact period, Football Bowl Subdivision coaches are allowed to have home visits with prospects in their senior year. However, for all other recruits, coaches are limited to just a "bump."
What exactly does this bump mean? Here's an official word from the NCAA on the topic:
"It has become increasingly difficult for assistant football coaches to avoid contact with prospective student-athletes during the spring evaluation period. The visibility of collegiate recruiters results in frequent unavoidable contact (e.g., "bumps") with the general student population. This proposal is expected to lead to a decrease in the number of Level-II and Level-III violations that result from impermissible contact occurring during the evaluation period."
My job requires me to be on the road at various high schools. Luckily for me, there are no rules for media members and how long we can spend with prospects while at their schools, whether that's during the school day or afterwards for a practice or workout. I communicate with the high school coach regarding my visit.
But for college coaches, the bump rule is in play. I've asked various coaches through the years at both the high school and college level to get their opinion on the bump rule. It's one that isn't well received.
While I understand where the NCAA is coming from on the matter and it may have decreased recruiting violations, there are many that are going unreported because of the unaccountable legislation that is the bump rule.
Is a bump a true quick encounter, or is it more like when your mom sees an old friend in the supermarket and, before you know it, they're talking for 25 minutes?
The bump rule needs to become better defined. Some people I've spoken to have felt that there should be a standard time limit set between a coach and prospect to define a "bump" conversation, but that, too, would be difficult to enforce.
During an interview on Podward Notre Dame, Kelly was asked what football recruiting rule he'd like to change. His answer? The bump rule.
Here's his explanation that focuses on what the head coach can do during the recruiting period:
"I was on the road, but it's an evaluation period so I can't have contact," Kelly said. "You're allowed what is called a 'bump.' Now, a bump means you can bump into the prospective student-athlete, shake their hand, say 'hello', a couple of nice things and then you got to move on.
"Most don't want that. When you go into the high school, they would like you to sit down with the recruit and spend time with [him]. I choose not to. I want to follow the NCAA rules, but it's very difficult when you put the head coach in that position, that it's a 'bump', and it's not being followed across the board."
When Kelly went on the road during the contact period in December, he was able to have in-home visits with prospects. But that's allowed only for prospects in their senior year. For junior prospects currently in the 2021 class, featuring big-time Irish targets such as running back Will Shipley and offensive lineman Landon Tengwall, Kelly is allowed only the "bump."
"I would like them to change that when the head coach can go on the road, they're allowed contact," added Kelly. "That's the best way to do it because the head coach is not allowed on the road very often. When he is on the road, you should let the head coach contact that individual, get a sense and feel for that person, so you can start making some decisions as to if he's the right fit for your university."
I don't pretend to have the answer to what the bump rule should be changed to, but I agree with Kelly that it needs to be altered from the present definition. Would having the head coaches allowed to have contact with a junior help solve the problem?
I don't know, but the bump rule can easily be abused and needs amending.
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