Saraland head football coach Jeff Kelly strongly opposes the idea of implementing a summer signing date for rising high school seniors, describing it as “absolutely atrocious.” He joins a growing number of high school coaches who have expressed their concerns about potential changes to the high school recruiting calendar.
Already, the Division I commissioners have decided to move the December signing period to the Wednesday before conference championship games, with the early signing period beginning on December 20. The possibility of adding a third signing day in the summer has been tabled for further discussion, likely to take place later this year.
Kelly voiced his strong opposition to the proposed summer signing date during an interview on Sports Talk 99.5 FM in Mobile. He believes that such a change would have detrimental effects on high school sports as a whole. Kelly poses a thought-provoking question to those advocating for the change, suggesting they consider how NFL teams drafting and signing college players before the college season would impact the players’ motivation to continue playing in their final year of college. He draws a parallel between the two scenarios to highlight his concerns about the potential negative consequences of a summer signing date.
The Alabama Football Coaches Association recently issued a statement opposing the addition of a summer signing date or period. Several notable high school football coaches in Alabama, such as Terry Curtis of UMS-Wright, Mark Freeman of Thompson, and Keith Etheredge of Auburn, have expressed their concerns regarding this potential change.
Joining his fellow coaches, Jeff Kelly voiced his apprehension about the impact of a summer signing date. While uncertain about the outcome, Kelly believes that everyone involved in the decision-making process should actively oppose it. He believes that such a change could have far-reaching implications that would alter the landscape of high school sports. Kelly acknowledges the allure for players to potentially forgo their high school season if a summer signing date were implemented, but he emphasizes the value and significance of participating in high school sports. Having experienced both playing at a high level and coaching, Kelly considers high school sports to be the purest form of football competition. He views any factors that discourage participation in high school sports as a significant challenge that warrants careful consideration.
Kelly has had the privilege of coaching multiple highly recruited players at Saraland, including Ryan Williams, a two-time Mr. Football winner who reclassified from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2024 and signed with Alabama in February. He also highlights that this year, he had at least two players who secured college scholarships based on their impressive performances during their senior campaigns.
The idea of a summer signing period has its proponents who argue that it could relieve pressure from high school seniors, allowing them to focus on their final season and fully enjoy their remaining time at that level. However, the concern remains about how many players, if any, would choose not to participate in their final year of high school if they had already signed.
Terry Curtis, among others, has expressed his reservations about a summer signing period. He mentioned that he had conversations with Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze and Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, both of whom were against the addition of a summer signing period.
Curtis raises the question of what would happen if a player were to sustain an injury before their high school season begins. Would they still have the motivation to come back and play if they had already secured a scholarship? He admits uncertainty about the stance of colleges on the matter but acknowledges that the idea seems to be gaining traction.
