On Bishop Sankey and recruiting services

As most of you know, Bishop Sankey, a highly regarded running back from Spokane, verbally committed to the Cougs back in December.  There was a reason a lot of us weren't dancing in the street and celebrating back then.  A verbal so early in the game from such a high caliber player makes me wonder if their mind won't change in a year.  Add this to the fact that national programs aren't even getting after guys this early and you have a recipe for a change of heart.  Will he stay committed?  I don't know and nobody except Sankey does.

The problem I have with how recruiting is done presently comes from all of the recruiting services that go with it.  It's not enough that high school kids, some as young as 16, have coaches hounding them.  Now, they're getting phone calls from recruiting services and other curious onlookers trying to gauge their every move.  If they like a school, the public finds out that same day.  An offhand statement by a teenager can lead to "school X is in the lead".  I know I didn't have a clue about much when I was a teenager and my decisions could change from minute to minute.  The same could probably be said for most of these recruits.  The "we didn't want him" or "this kid can't keep his word" attitudes that are prevalent now aren't fair to the kids, either.  Some of the fault, in my opinion, lies in the evolution of recruiting services.  Kids are rated, picked apart, and their decisions are scrutinized on an almost daily basis.  It just seems like too much, especially considering their age.

How does this all tie back in to Bishop Sankey?  A rumor got started online that he was de-committing last night.  This is understandable considering he committed so early and really hasn't looked around, even with his stock soaring.  What followed was a firestorm of rumors followed by a phone call to Sankey for confirmation or denial.  All of this seemed way over the top to me.  Some are watching his every move and posting every tiny rumor on internet message boards.  I understand the public wants information and, in this day and age, wants it fast.  Just remember that these are high school kids making the biggest decisions they've made in their lives.  I'd rather see them make the best decision for them, not the decision that will make me happy.