Recruiting is year-round, and even though the football season is over for the Razorbacks, the coaching staff hasn't had much of a break thanks to the transfer portal.
There are just two days until the beginning of the Early Signing Period, and right now the NCAA recruiting calendar is in a dead period, meaning coaches can't make in-person contact with recruits.
As of now, Arkansas seems to have a lot of work to do if the Razorbacks want to improve on their 4-8 record this fall heading into 2024. There are holes to fill in through the transfer portal as well as in the high school ranks.
There are four types of periods for recruiting on the NCAA calendar, and it can get confusing. Here's a breakdown of what the NCAA recruiting calendar looks like to end 2023 and heading into 2024.
According to the NCAA website, a dead period is "that period of time when it is not permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on or off the member institution’s campus or to permit official or unofficial visits by prospective student-athletes to the institution’s campus."
Simply put, coaches can't make in-person contact with recruits. They can still call and text, but they can't host visitors or head off-campus to go see them.
There are dead periods from Nov. 27-30, Dec. 18-Jan. 11 (there's an exception during these dates, we'll get to that later), Feb. 5-March 3, 2024, May 26-29 and June 24-July 24.
A quiet period is similar to a dead period, except in-person recruiting is allowed to take place only on campus. From the NCAA website:
"A quiet period is that period of time when it is permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts only on the member institution’s campus. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts or evaluations may be made during the quiet period."
Quiet periods are when we see a lot of visitors. In the early months of the year, football programs will host their Prospect Days, and we'll also see a lot of transfer visitors.
There are Quiet Period days on Dec. 17 and Feb. 4, 2024. Other Quiet Periods include March 4-April 14, May 30-June 23 and July 25-31.
We mentioned in the section about the Dead Period about an exception. Jan. 3-7 is listed as a Quiet Period for two- and four-year college transfers. The NCAA made this exception with the implementation of the transfer portal. This means that Arkansas will only be hosting transfer visitors that weekend.
A free-for-all. The Contact Period according to the NCAA is "that period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletics depart- ment staff members to make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations."
We just got out of a contact period that ran from Dec. 1-16. It gave the coaches the chance to head off-campus and see all of their commits at their homes to shore up their decisions ahead of the Early Signing Period.
Jan. 12-Feb. 3 is another contact period, as is April 15-May 25.
During an evaluation period, coaches and authorized staff members are allowed to go off-campus to evaluate recruits, but they can't talk to them. From the NCAA website:
"An evaluation period is that period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to be involved in off-campus activities designed to assess the academic qualifications and playing ability of prospective student-athletes. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts shall be made with the prospective student-athlete during an evaluation period."
Usually, this is when coaches will talk to recruits' coaches, teachers, etc. to evaluate whether or not a player can help the program.
The evaluation period usually runs in the beginning of the football season. The NCAA's recruiting calendar showed an evaluation period of Sept. 1-Nov. 26. It's the only time the Evaluation Period is shown on the calendar.
~ Dec 18 through Jan. 11 — Dead Period (Quiet Period exception for transfers from Jan. 3-7.)
~ Jan. 12 through Feb. 3 — Contact Period
~ Feb. 4 — Quiet Period
~ Feb. 5 through March 3 — Dead Period
~ March 4 through April 14 — Quiet Period
~ April 15 through May 15 — Contact Period
~ May 26-29 — Dead Period
~May 30 through July 31 — Quiet Period
There are just two days until the beginning of the Early Signing Period, and right now the NCAA recruiting calendar is in a dead period, meaning coaches can't make in-person contact with recruits.
As of now, Arkansas seems to have a lot of work to do if the Razorbacks want to improve on their 4-8 record this fall heading into 2024. There are holes to fill in through the transfer portal as well as in the high school ranks.
There are four types of periods for recruiting on the NCAA calendar, and it can get confusing. Here's a breakdown of what the NCAA recruiting calendar looks like to end 2023 and heading into 2024.
Dead Period
According to the NCAA website, a dead period is "that period of time when it is not permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on or off the member institution’s campus or to permit official or unofficial visits by prospective student-athletes to the institution’s campus."
Simply put, coaches can't make in-person contact with recruits. They can still call and text, but they can't host visitors or head off-campus to go see them.
There are dead periods from Nov. 27-30, Dec. 18-Jan. 11 (there's an exception during these dates, we'll get to that later), Feb. 5-March 3, 2024, May 26-29 and June 24-July 24.
Quiet Period
A quiet period is similar to a dead period, except in-person recruiting is allowed to take place only on campus. From the NCAA website:
"A quiet period is that period of time when it is permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts only on the member institution’s campus. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts or evaluations may be made during the quiet period."
Quiet periods are when we see a lot of visitors. In the early months of the year, football programs will host their Prospect Days, and we'll also see a lot of transfer visitors.
There are Quiet Period days on Dec. 17 and Feb. 4, 2024. Other Quiet Periods include March 4-April 14, May 30-June 23 and July 25-31.
We mentioned in the section about the Dead Period about an exception. Jan. 3-7 is listed as a Quiet Period for two- and four-year college transfers. The NCAA made this exception with the implementation of the transfer portal. This means that Arkansas will only be hosting transfer visitors that weekend.
Contact Period
A free-for-all. The Contact Period according to the NCAA is "that period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletics depart- ment staff members to make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations."
We just got out of a contact period that ran from Dec. 1-16. It gave the coaches the chance to head off-campus and see all of their commits at their homes to shore up their decisions ahead of the Early Signing Period.
Jan. 12-Feb. 3 is another contact period, as is April 15-May 25.
Evaluation Period
During an evaluation period, coaches and authorized staff members are allowed to go off-campus to evaluate recruits, but they can't talk to them. From the NCAA website:
"An evaluation period is that period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to be involved in off-campus activities designed to assess the academic qualifications and playing ability of prospective student-athletes. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts shall be made with the prospective student-athlete during an evaluation period."
Usually, this is when coaches will talk to recruits' coaches, teachers, etc. to evaluate whether or not a player can help the program.
The evaluation period usually runs in the beginning of the football season. The NCAA's recruiting calendar showed an evaluation period of Sept. 1-Nov. 26. It's the only time the Evaluation Period is shown on the calendar.
NCAA recruiting calendar dates
~ Dec 18 through Jan. 11 — Dead Period (Quiet Period exception for transfers from Jan. 3-7.)
~ Jan. 12 through Feb. 3 — Contact Period
~ Feb. 4 — Quiet Period
~ Feb. 5 through March 3 — Dead Period
~ March 4 through April 14 — Quiet Period
~ April 15 through May 15 — Contact Period
~ May 26-29 — Dead Period
~May 30 through July 31 — Quiet Period
