Decommitment Bug Biting in College Football Recruiting's Home Stretch

Early week changes of heart the story in college football recruiting

Early coaching carousel, more recruits on the move. 

It could be that simple in the day and age of instant reaction and player empowerment at the high school level. Heck, another job came open this week. 

College football recruiting has always been relatively fluid this time of year, at least in these modern internet-era times, but the pace feels increased with less than two months until the Early Signing Period. Before prospects make their decisions official with a binding National Letter of Intent, movement between commitment lists shall continue. Just look at how different top classes look compared to how teams ranked on October 1. 

It won't look the same come Monday for the November team ranking update. The fluidity has plenty to do with it and the 48 hours of the work week has provided a handful of additional examples as to why.

It was at play again Tuesday night, as Minnesota picked up the commitment of Nathan Jones. The Brock (Texas) High School tight end, who could grow into an offensive tackle at the next level, had been committed to in-state Abilene Christian before the sudden change of heart.  

Pitt did so the day prior, turning a summertime commitment to Temple into a pick up for the Panthers in the recruitment of Kyle Louis. It appears Pat Narduzzi's staff pushed more consistently for the East Orange (N.J.) defensive back projection of late, in a move that paid off for perhaps the ACC's top on-field product in 2021. 

We've seen Power 5 programs dip to lower levels to poach prep talent, but it isn't the only story of prospects finding their way back on the open recruiting market. 

Traditional decommitments have come in this week, already, where one may expect. Ty Kana backed off of his pledge to the USC Trojans, citing the coaching staff when going public with his decision. The Katy (Texas) linebacker originally elected to play for Clay Helton back in February, well after offers from Colorado, Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech and others had come in. 

pic.twitter.com/lhZkDTrIFR

— Ty Kana (@tykana42) October 26, 2021

Another Houston-area standout made headlines with a decommitment attributed more closely to that of a flip -- only that two programs appear to vault forward following the news. Julian Humphrey, a top 15 cornerback out of Clear Lake High School, took a step back from Florida that many saw coming. Both Texas A&M and Georgia are squarely in the mix. 

Humphrey's move came after visits to College Station and Athens this month and another defensive back decommitemnt, Jordan Allen, is similar. On Monday he backed off of a pledge to Penn State fresh off of a weekend in town to see Ole Miss. Miami, Tennessee and Louisville were in the top group for the Lafayette (La.) Christian Academy standout before initially picking PSU in July.

Tuesday may have revealed another kind of parting of ways between program and prospect, too. According to Wolverine Digest, the move made by Tay'Shawn Trent and Michigan was expected. The in-state standout, a towering 6'4" wide receiver out of Harper Woods (Mich.), announced his intentions of playing for another program in the afternoon. Trent was at Louisville over the weekend.

The above lists just some of the changes to be seen in the recruiting class of 2022. More are on the way ahead of pen meeting paper to make things official on December 15. The carousel and of course more game visits will push the fluidity meter that much faster.