re: Players that sign financial aid papers.

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it never counts against the 25 signing limit.

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This really depends on what you mean by signing limit. If you mean the limit of national letters of intent, signing financial aid papers and the like, then this is maybe true. If you mean actual initial counters (i.e. those athletes that receive institutional aid for the first time), I don't see it. There is nothing in the rules that really suggests it.

WRT the NLI, the rule, as written, pretty much states that a midyear (i.e. EE) doesn't count against the limit. However, no school in the SEC has done this over the past two years. The SEC seems to be treating NLIs and initial counters the same. But that may be due to the schools knowing the intent behind the rule and not what was actually written.

In the NCAA there is a difference between the NLI stuff and initial counter. In your example Hootie would be an initial counter when he gets the aid and it would have to fit withing the 25 for this year.