Luke Nickel already held a Miami offer, but the 2025 quarterback made his decision to commit to the Hurricanes shortly after a crucial visit to the Coral Gables, Florida, campus nearly a year ago. It was at Miami’s annual late-July summer cookout and camp when the Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton quarterback threw for the staff, became acutely familiar with the program and found his next home.
Because of a major change in the recruiting calendar, the popular late-July recruiting events focused on underclassmen will be over once this year’s calendar concludes at the end of this month.
“I think it’s just continuing to speed everything up and speed the process up,” Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby told 247Sports at SEC Media Days. “I do like the Signing Day moving up in December so that you don’t have those recruiting weekends. You can truly focus on your football team as they are getting ready for bowl prep and taking finals. I think that’s the right thing.
“July being all the way dead, there’s two sides to that. Right now, it cuts out six, seven days of being open. For us, we’re always going to find ways to adapt and find ways to create an advantage and go play by the rules.”
Whether it is Penn State‘s Lasch Bash, Oregon‘s Saturday Night Live, Michigan‘s BBQ at the Big House or any other July recruiting event without a catchy name, the new recruiting calendar means that there is no on-campus recruiting between June 23 and Sept. 1.
This year, the visit window is open July 25-31.
“In the Midwest, several schools will be affected by these changes,” said 247Sports national recruiting analyst Allen Trieu, who covers prospects in the Midwest. “Michigan’s BBQ at the Big House, which was the first of these types of events that I can remember, is perhaps the most well-known event that will have to be moved or can no longer take place. Michigan State‘s Spartan Dawg Con has been very successful for the Spartans during its run as well, and Notre Dame began its Grill and Chill last summer.
“I think what schools will do is have to move the event. Iowa already started doing its Hawkeye Tailgater in June, and I suspect other programs will schedule theirs around the same time.”
Among the high-level 2026 prospects set to visit Oregon later this month is Zion Elee of Baltimore St. Frances. He is the junior cycle’s No. 12 overall prospect and No. 2 edge rusher.
He will be at Oregon for Saturday Night Live July 27.
“The change will be a significant one for Oregon, which has been the top recruiting power out West in recent years,” said 247Sports national analyst Blair Angulo, who covers prospects in Arizona, Southern California, Nevada and Utah. “Dating back to when (coach) Willie Taggart was at the helm, the Ducks have used the final weekend of July to host a star-studded event termed Saturday Night Live, bringing together a mix of commits, top targets and coveted underclassmen.
“It’s been a useful evaluation tool for the staff as well, with prospects working through a variety of drills and 1-on-1 battles inside Autzen Stadium.”
The impact goes beyond pool parties or barbecues. The week is also used for camps to identify underclassmen.
In this year’s case, it is 2026 and 2027 prospects, as well as find a hidden gem in the current class.
Such was the case two summers ago when linebacker Christian Alliegro performed well at Minnesota and Rutgers camps. It led to heightened awareness on the recruiting front for Alliegro, who picked up double-digit offers after his camp workouts and ultimately signed with Wisconsin.
“Another effect will be schools like Minnesota, who have done July camps,” Trieu said. “Typically, it’s a chance to catch late-rising seniors or get ahead on underclassmen who did not make their June camps.”
One thing coaches consistently prove to be are experts at adjusting and manipulating the recruiting calendar in their favor. The same should be expected in this case.
Many of the schools can move their events to June, but there are levels to it.