Official: Mark Richt can lock up that No. 1-rated recruiting class earlier

Miami-Carol City High running back Cam’Ron Davis poses with Miami coach Mark Richt. Davis and other top recruits will be allowed to sign with their chosen college during a three-day window in December, in addition to the traditional “national signing day”
in February. (Twitter)

An early signing period, which needed the final approval of a governing body separate from the NCAA, received the go-ahead Monday and will be in play this December.

After the approval of the Collegiate Commissioners Association, recruits may now sign binding letters of intent during a 72-hour window that begins Dec. 20.

The NCAA needed the outside approval because it follows the National Letter of Intent program, which the CCA controls.

The early signing period is in addition to the traditional start of the signing period (“national signing day”), which begins the first Wednesday in February (Feb. 7 in 2018).

The early signing period coincides with the Dec. 20 start of the junior college signing period, which runs until Jan. 15, 2018.

It’s something recruits “wanted and will take advantage of,” UM Athletics Director Blake James said last month, when the NCAA’s Division 1 Council approved multiple college football changes, including the addition of a 10th assistant coach, giving permission for recruits to take official visits the spring of their junior year and the elimination of two-a-day practices. James also chairs the D1 council.

Miami’s recruiting class is rated No. 1 by a consensus of Rivals, 247Sports, ESPN and Scout. Several players, including five-star running back Lorenzo Lingard and four-star quarterback Artur Sitkowski, have stated their intention to enroll at UM in January.