In part 1 of my look into how the new NCAA eligibility rules will impact prep, I considered the new rule from the angle of reclassifying.
Since Division 1 college programs are recruiting fewer players in their incoming classes, there is an incentive to be older and more experienced before entering college. But there is also the drawback of potentially losing a fifth year of competition under the five-year eligibility window that starts in the academic year immediately after one's 19th birthday.
But that brings us to the next piece of that question. What about post-graduates ?
Most prep coaches seem to agree that the sheer number of players who reclassify in prep might not really change too much. But they suggested that there could be an increase in post-graduates.
“It’s still somewhat new, and it’s still a few months in here. But I have found a little bit of an uptick in post-grad interest,” said Choate head coach Ethan McDonnell. “Whether that’s from colleges now recruiting ‘27s and telling them we’ll take you in the ‘28 class, or families hedging for another opportunity or looking to use a spring and another summer for recruiting purposes.”
