Stephen Zimmerman, the 7-footer from Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, won’t commit until the spring and won’t sign a National Letter of Intent at all, his mother told SNY.tv.
“It doesn’t protect the student-athlete, only the University,” Lori Zimmerman said by text.
An NLI binds the student-athlete to the school, meaning if the coach leaves or is fired the player is still obligated to attend the school unless he gets a release.
Some prospects ask for an addendum to the NLI specifying that if the coach leaves, the player is also free to leave.
Zimmerman joins a growing list of elite prospects who plan to commit/sign late, including Carlton Bragg, Isaiah Briscoe, Jalen Brown, Thomas Bryant, Cheick Diallo and Caleb Swanigan.
Zimmerman has recently had in-home visits with Kentucky, UNLV, Arizona, North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA and Indiana.
He has scheduled all five of his official visits starting with North Carolina on Oct. 3, Kansas on Oct. 10 for ‘Late Night in the Phog,’ Kentucky on Oct. 17 for ‘Big Blue Madness,’ UCLA on Oct. 24 and Arizona on Nov. 7.
