10 questions and answers to football's new Early Signing Period

Video: Top Recruits announcing on Early Signing Day
Chris Brown and Zack Poff dissect some marquee names set to announce during the Early Signing Day period.

And so it begins. … more than a month early.

College football fans love National Signing Day and for the first time, like other sports, there is now an optional Early Signing Period, starting Wednesday through Friday (Dec. 20-22).

Here are 10 questions and answers.

1. How does it work?
For three days, current high school seniors fax (yes, it's 2017, but faxing is preferred method) their Letters of Intent to their new college programs. These are binding contracts between players and the colleges, which secure scholarship offers.

2. How many players are expected to sign early? 
Roughly 75 to 80 percent.

3. What happens to players who don't sign early?
If not signed by 11:59 p.m. Friday, players must wait to sign during the regular signing period, which this season begins Feb. 7. 4. What are some advantages for a player to sign early?
It secures the spot in the program immediately. It also gets the decision out of the way to enjoy the holidays and rest of school year. Finally, it stops calls from recruiters/recruiting reporters.

5. What are advantages for college programs?
They find out who is truly committed. Then they can clearly figure out whom to target in the final 45 days.

6. What are disadvantages for players to sign early?
They don't get to see most programs through the bowl season. Plus, it's a done deal if the chosen program change coaches. Players simply have to make decision faster with less information.

7. What are disadvantages for college programs?
They can't wait until after season to do complete evaluations and heavy recruiting. The recruiting process is pushed up while trying to coach current team.

8. Can a college program ask recruit to wait and sign during regular period?
Yes ... and it's tricky. If program gets a better player during early period, then it can simply pull its offer.

9. How many top recruits have already verbally committed
From the 247Sports composite list of Top 100 national recruits, 64 have committed.

10. Of the uncommitted, how many 5-stars will announce their decision Wednesday?
As of Monday morning, the answer is 7.

Uncommitted 5-stars expected to sign Wednesday:

* No. 4 recruit overall defensive end Micah Parsons of Harrisburg (Pa.). 247Sports experts expect him to pick either Penn State (96 percent) or Oklahoma (4 percent).

* No. 7 defensive end Eyabi Anoma of St. Frances Academy (Baltimore). Picks: Alabama (100 percent).

* No. 8 defensive end KJ Henry of West Forsyth (Clemmons, N.C.). Picks: Clemson (100 percent).

* No. 10 offensive guard Jamaree Salyer of Pace Academy (Atlanta). Picks: Georgia (96 percent) or Clemson (4 percent).

* No. 11 wide receiver Terrace Marshall of Parkway (Bossier City, La.). Picks: LSU (100 percent).

* No. 16 offensive tackle Cade Mays of Knoxville Catholic (Knoxville, Tenn.). Picks: Clemson (57 percent), Georgia (38 percent) or Tennessee (5 percent).

* No. 22 defensive end Brenton Cox of Stockbridge (Ga.). Picks: Georgia (73 percent), Ohio State (23 percent), Alabama (4 percent).

The nation's top three rated players are also expected to sign Wednesday and they've all committed to colleges. They are quarterback Trevor Lawrence (No. 1) of Cartersville (Ga.) and defensive end Xavier Thomas (No. 3) of IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) both to Clemson, and quarterback Justin Fields (No. 6) of Harrison (Kennesaw, Ga.) to Georgia.

The only other Top 10 recruit who has committed is running back Zamir White (No. 6) of Scotland (Laurinburg, N.C.), also to Georgia.