FOMO is not a recruiting strategy
On panicked commitments, the portal myth, and staying clear-headed when everyone else is rushing
Over the last two weeks I’ve covered what the 5-for-5 ruling means at the macro level, and what’s happening inside programs as coaches navigate the most complex roster puzzle they’ve ever faced.
Today is about you. Specifically, about the single biggest mistake I think families are going to make in this environment, and how to avoid it.
The scarcity trap
When spots feel scarce, the natural human response is to act quickly. Lock something down before it disappears. Say yes before someone else does.
That instinct is understandable. The math is real: fewer spots, more competition, and a recruiting environment moving faster than it should. Some families will read the last two pieces and conclude that the only rational response is to take the first credible offer that comes along.
There’s even advice circulating right now in other sports, from people who should know better, that amounts to: if you have a good offer on the table, say yes now.
That advice isn’t wrong exactly. It’s incomplete in a way that can cause real harm.
A panicked commitment to the wrong program feels like a safe outcome. It comes with a four-year price tag and a transfer portal entry waiting at the other end. The families who navigate this era well won’t be the ones who move fastest. They’ll be the ones who move deliberately, with clarity about what they want and enough discipline not to let fear make the decision for them.