Georgia signed a pair of football recruits to financial-aid agreements, spokesman Claude Felton confirmed Thursday.
The recruits are Jacob Park, a four-star quarterback from Goose Creek, S.C., who committed to Georgia last summer; and Josh Malone, a four-star wide receiver from Gallatin, Tenn., who is still undecided among Tennessee and Georgia, among others. Both are members of the Class of 2014.
The biggest news out of Thursday’s confirmation is Malone’s signing of the document. Under new NCAA rules, it allows for Georgia to have “unlimited contact” with Malone until he enrolls in college or signs a letter of intent. Georgia also can talk publicly about Malone or Park, including comments from coach Mark Richt (who hasn’t said anything yet).
However, just because Malone signed a financial-aid agreement with Georgia, that doesn’t mean he will play for the Bulldogs. Malone is scheduled to announce his college decision Dec. 4.
Last week, Malone told 247Sports.com’s Ryan Callahan that he signed a financial-aid agreement with Tennessee and planned to sign with other schools that he did not identify. Malone’s finalists are Tennessee, Georgia, FSU, Clemson and Ohio State.
What does that mean? It means that every college that Malone has signed a financial-aid agreement with will have NCAA recruiting restrictions lifted.
The financial-aid agreement is not the same as a letter of intent.
The NCAA recently stated that a prospective student-athlete on track to graduate early from high school could sign a financial-aid agreement as long as the participating college establishes that the player is enrolled in all coursework necessary to graduate high school at the midyear point (but they don’t have to graduate early if they choose not to).
The financial-aid agreement is not the same as a letter of intent, which binds a recruit to a college. The financial-aid agreement commits the university to provide a scholarship, but does not commit the prospect to accept.
So why would a college let a recruit sign a financial-aid agreement early when it’s not binding? Why not wait until February’s signing day and make it official with a letter of intent and a financial-aid agreement at the same time?
It’s very simple. There’s a big advantage for colleges, especially with high-profile recruits. If a college gets a kid to sign a financial-aid agreement early, then the college no longer is restricted by NCAA rules that limit communication with a recruit.
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