MONDAY INSIDER

1. Don’t look now. But the early signing period isn’t far away.

The countdown is now under a month for the three-day signing period, which begins Dec. 16 – so 3 ½ weeks, to be specific.

Clemson has gone down to the wire before to win recruiting battles at the early deadline, with offensive linemen Jackson Carman and Will Putnam standing among the most significant victories.

Yet the Tigers have avoided the drama others have experienced in waiting to see whether their pledges sign early or create uncertainty by waiting till the late date – which this cycle will be Feb. 3.

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Our understanding is that all 17 of Clemson’s commitments are slated to sign next month, and we anticipate a higher percentage of committed prospects across the landscape will lock in with their schools than ever because of the recruiting conditions created by the pandemic. Recruits have been more concerned about reserving their spot and latching onto stability, while the absence of sanctioned visits has kept doors from opening like they usually do.

The story going into next month is how the coaching carousel impacts certain commitment lists, and what market takes shape for schools searching for bodies in January.

How many of South Carolina’s pledges stick without a staff to cling to? Do commitments at, say, Tennessee or Penn State hold off signing just in case? This observer is skeptical that much happens to Ed Orgeron in light of the LSU rape allegations, but who’s to say that some family on their commitment list isn’t given pause?

There’s a roll of the dice for kids as to whether they might find a better option by waiting for demand to exceed supply once offseason attrition kicks in.

Per Tigerillustrated.com’s sources, we can tell you that Clemson's staff has started vetting candidates at a couple of positions should a scholarship come available and Dabo Swinney sign off on allocating another scholarship to that position.