I think there's some confusion or misunderstanding about EE's. Some seem to think they must count against the previous year's recruiting class. They don't. An EE isn't counted any differently than a recruit who signs on NSD. They're just players who finished HS early, enrolled at your school in January and started attending classes a few weeks before NSD. They count towards your upcoming class for that year exactly the same as the kids who are still in HS, don't sign until NSD, and don't begin classes until the following summer or fall.
The school can go ahead and award them the scholarship so they can enroll in January, start attending classes, and participate in workouts. Per NCAA rules, once the school pays for them to enroll and the kid attends his first class, it's tantamount to him signing. He's committed to the school exactly the same as if he'd already signed, and the school has committed one of it's 25 scholarships to him.
Please provide an NCAA rule cite for your opinion above. It doesn't agree with the current NCAA Rules on Counters.
An FBS Early Entrance in January 2012 that graduated in Dec 2012 could count against the 2012 academic year if space is available (25/85) OR against the incoming class arriving next August for the Fall Semester of 2013 if space is available (25/85). There is an option but the individual still is a counter against a Year Total and the Team Total.
http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/D113.pdf
15.5.6.3 Initial Counters—Football (Also see Bylaw 15.02.3.1).
15.5.6.3.1 Recruited Student-Athlete Entering in Fall Term, Aided in First Year. [FBS/FCS] A student-athlete recruited (see Bylaw 15.02.8) by the awarding institution who enters in the fall term and receives institutional financial aid (based in any degree on athletics ability) during the first academic year in residence shall be an initial counter for that year in football. Therefore, such aid shall not be awarded if the institution has reached its limit on the number of initial counters prior to the award of institutional financial
aid to the student-athlete. (Revised: 1/15/11 effective 8/1/11)
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15.5.6.3.2
Recruited Student-Athlete Entering After Fall Term, Aided in First Year. [FBS/FCS] A student-athlete recruited (per Bylaw 15.02.8) by the awarding institution who
enters after the first term of the academic year and immediately receives institutional financial aid (based in any degree on athletics ability) shall be an initial counter for either the current academic year (if the institution’s annual limit has not been reached) or the next academic year. The student-athlete
shall be included in the institution’s total
counter limit during the academic year in which the aid was first received. (Revised: 1/15/11 effective 8/1/11)
15.5.6.3.3 Recruited Student-Athlete, Aid Received After First Year. [FBS/FCS] A recruited student-athlete (per Bylaw 15.02.8) (including a student-athlete who was not a qualifier) who first receives athletically related financial aid after the student-athlete’s first academic year in residence shall be an initial counter for that academic year in which the aid is first received, if such aid is received during the fall term. However, such a student-athlete who first receives athletically related financial aid in the second or third term of an academic year may be considered an initial counter during the academic year in which aid was first received or the next academic year. In either case, the student-athlete shall be included in the institution’s total counter limit during the academic year in which the aid was first received. (Revised: 1/3/06,
1/15/11 effective 8/1/11)
15.5.6.3.5 Midyear Replacement. [FBS/FCS] A counter who graduates at midyear or who graduates during the previous academic year (including summer) may be replaced by an initial counter, who shall be counted against the initial limit either for the year in which the aid is awarded (if the institution’s annual limit has not been reached) or for the following academic year, or by a student-athlete who was an initial counter in a previous academic year and is returning to the institution after time spent on active duty in the armed services or on an official religious mission. In bowl subdivision football, an institution may use the midyear replacement exception only if it previously has provided financial aid during that academic year to the maximum number of overall counters (85 total counters). In championship subdivision football, an institution may use the midyear replacement exception only if it previously has provided financial aid during that academic year that equals the maximum number of overall equivalencies or overall counters.
(Revised: 4/20/99 effective 8/1/99, 6/8/99, 4/26/01 effective 8/1/01, 8/2/05, 12/15/06, 1/14/08 effective 8/1/08,
4/2/10, 1/15/11)