The scholarship offer to Chase Vasser came in January with a gentle admonition: Georgia planned to sign only two linebackers.

Two weeks later, when linebacker Dexter Moody of Emanuel County Institute committed to Georgia, an anxious Vasser jumped on board and committed the same day.

Jason Getz/jgetz@ajc.com (ENLARGE)

North Gwinnett quarterback Michael Tamburo hopes his wait to commit will bring him an offer from an ACC or SEC program.

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In May, Vasser admits that he panicked again. A third linebacker — Valdosta's Mike Gilliard — picked Georgia.

"I got upset," Vasser said. "I thought they didn't want me. I thought they lied so I wouldn't go anywhere else. But I talked with coach [John] Jancek, and he said they wanted me and that's why they made me their first offer. ... I was just playing games in my mind."

Vasser wasn't playing mind games by himself.

It's still nearly three weeks before the first high school game, and 56 members of The Georgia 150 — the AJC's list of the state's most coveted senior recruits for 2009 — have promised schools that they'll sign with them on the Feb. 8 national signing day.

Their commitments don't bind them until then, but such weighty decisions, made before the NCAA allows players to take official paid visits to schools, can be stressful.

Five years ago, fewer than 20 Georgia players had committed this early. A decade ago, it was only a handful.

The trend might be accelerated if many college coaches get their way and have signing day moved up to December.

Players recruited earlier

Georgia reportedly has made scholarship offers to five rising juniors for 2010, and one recruiting service reports that 12 rising juniors nationwide have made commitments — 18 months before they can sign.

"The trend will continue where college teams will be more than halfway full before the season starts, and by Sept. 1, you'd better be out recruiting juniors or you're way behind," said Scott Kennedy, Scout.com's national scouting director.

Some players are better positioned for the early recruiting than others.

Vasser, from Chestatee High in Gainesville, got an early offer from his favorite school and grabbed it. Henry County's Jamal Patterson, one of 10 players who got an A-plus grade in the AJC's The Georgia 150 list (ajc.com), can afford to wait until after the season to decide.

"Schools are already saying they'll take me in February," said Patterson, a wide receiver. "They'll make room."

But it can be nerve-racking for players without dozens of offers from major Division I-A schools.

North Gwinnett quarterback Michael Tamburo has seven offers from Division I-A schools, but none from the ACC or SEC, although he's holding out hope for Alabama and South Carolina, which continue to recruit him.

"You don't want to be a fool and wait for the big school when it's not coming," Tamburo said. "There's risk in waiting. You don't want to lose an offer you already have, but you don't want to give up on that dream school either."

Justin Wray, the quarterback for Eastside High of Covington, wanted to commit to Central Florida this summer as soon as he got the offer, but his coach, Rick Hurst, discouraged it.

"For one, he hasn't been down there [for a visit] and checked out what it's all about," Hurst said. "I told him that if they want you now and you go out and have the kind of season you think you can, what makes you think they won't want you then?"

Wray has been told by Clemson coaches that he is their third choice at safety. If the top two go elsewhere, Wray might get an offer. But he might not.

"It's almost like gambling," Hurst said. "You have to play the game."

There seems to be no easy solution for relieving the unwanted pressure that high school players feel to make commitments before the fall.

Prospects may visit schools and meet with coaches any time if they pay their way — Tamburo has made nine visits this summer, costing his family hundreds of dollars — but many college coaches don't want official paid visits in the spring or summer.

"We need our summers ... coaches, our families, the players, the high school coaches, even our academic advisers," Georgia coach Mark Richt said. "Our academic advisers are on call all summer when an official visit walks in town. We all need to take a little break."

Coaches want change

Richt and the majority of head coaches now favor an early signing period in December. Many hope it will discourage the last-hour waffling that takes place when a player commits, then de-commits.

The American Football Coaches Association is expected to propose to the NCAA in September that signing day be moved to December.

Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson said he favored a December signing date if it "would end all this mockery when you have a guy sitting there with six hats" at a news conference. "Recruiting is getting crazy with all the publicity and the hype and the early commitments."

Darren Myles Sr., the head coach at Carver High of Atlanta, says the earlier signing period is a good idea, but not because it helps colleges coaches. He says it will allow a player to cash in on an early offer before it gets taken away.

Myles Sr. has banned one Conference USA school from recruiting at Carver this year because it offered scholarships to two of his players last spring, then pulled them when the players were considering a commitment.

"You know we have some kids that they'd love to have, but there's no way, based on how they did my kids last year," Myles Sr. said.

Myles' son, Darren Jr., is one of the country's top prospects at safety, and he's not planning to commit until January, at the earliest.

That's not easy. Myles Jr. was in the office of Lousisana State coach Les Miles last month.

"He told us he was willing to take his commitment right now; then he paused," Myles Sr. said. "Then he followed with, 'Of course, you don't have to make a decision now.' Darren knows not to say anything. We've got an understanding."

Vasser, who plans to enroll early at Georgia, says he wouldn't recommend any rules changes, despite the stress. He only wishes coaches could call more to reassure him, but NCAA rules limit that.

A year is a long time to wait from commitment date until signing day, he said. But he's happy to be committed.

"I had 13 unofficial visits set up, but I grew up liking Georgia, so when they offered, I felt it would be stupid to go through all that," Vasser said. "I'm just going to enjoy my senior season and try to relax."