WE LIKE YOU VS. WE WANT YOU
VERBAL OFFER: This is a non-binding “Invitation” to become a member of an athletic team at a specific school. Basically, If a university which plays 11 man football and offers full grant and aid for athletic purposes and likes a potential prospect enough, a member of the coaching staff can verbally (or in some electronic text form) extend an offer to join their football team once high school eligibility and graduation requirements are met.
This is “They [College Football Program] like me” stage. Not to down play the excitement it will bring, but it doesn’t hold much weight. Similar to the three stages of getting married:
- “I love you”
- Engagement ring proposed and offered
- The wedding and legal paperwork
The verbal offer would be stage #1. The “I love you” stage. You both can turn away at anytime. However, still exciting for an athlete.
Verbal offers can be extended at anytime. Some athletes have received verbal offers as early as 8th grade. There is nothing official on “when and why” an offer is extended. This type of offer is based on the athlete meeting or will meet athletic expectations to play at a given university.
At this time there is no paperwork to be signed and no legal commitment by the athlete or university. The football program can revoke the verbal offer at anytime and it can happen without notification. Due to the quantity of prospects a program will recruit, more verbal offers will be extended than actual scholarship spot on a team. Once the evaluations become more detailed and more research is conducted on prospects, the filter system begins and then official written offers are extended. These are the offers that count.