CHART OF GEORGIA’S TOP 10 FLIPPERS
Here are 10 of the state’s top flips in this recruiting class:
Player, Pos., School, Switch
Jonathan Ledbetter, DL, Tucker, Alabama to UGA
Chauncey Rivers, DE, Stephenson, South Carolina to UGA
Adonis Thomas, LB, Central Gwinnett, Florida to Alabama
Marquel Harrell, OL, Creekside, Ole Miss to Auburn
Christian Owens, WR, Griffin, UGA to South Carolina
Daniel Imatorbhebhe, TE, North Gwinnett, Missouri to Florida
Austin King, QB, Alpharetta, N.C. State to Indiana
Quentez Johnson, DL, Cedar Grove, Miami to N.C. State
Trey Derouen, OL, Parkview, Mississippi State to South Carolina
David Curry, DB, Buford, Virginia to Georgia Tech
“Flipping,” which is when a prospect switches his commitment from one college to another, is common in football recruiting these days.
Quietly in 2012, Georgia Tech was the beneficiary of a flip that later helped rejuvenate the program and solidify Paul Johnson’s status as coach. It didn’t get much attention at the time, despite the fact that the Yellow Jackets beat out mighty Alabama for a kid in their backyard.
The recruit was Justin Thomas, who is Tech’s quarterback and who led the Jackets to signature wins over Georgia and Clemson this past season, along with a victory over Mississippi State in the Orange Bowl.
“That was a huge flip, and when it happened, it probably got very little press,” 247Sports.com’s Rusty Mansell said. “But think of how big that young man has been to Georgia Tech’s program. Think about the impact of a guy like that at quarterback. Georgia Tech just played in a bowl (with a $27.5 million payout to the ACC).
“And maybe I’m wrong, but they don’t make it to the Orange Bowl without Justin. What was very little news at the time, look at what that ended up being. That move affected millions of dollars for Georgia Tech’s athletic program — and that’s just being frank.”
Before Thomas was Tech’s quarterback, he was a die-hard Alabama fan while growing up in Prattville, Ala. He wanted to play so badly for the Crimson Tide that he committed there soon after getting a scholarship offer as a high school junior. He admittedly rushed his decision out of excitement, even though he wasn’t quite sure he’d play his preferred position of quarterback.
“I can’t remember how it went down because it has been so long ago,” Thomas said with a laugh last week. “Now it all seems like a blur.
“I was going to Alabama to play quarterback. I was 100 percent sure of that, but they weren’t 100 percent sure. They told me if things weren’t going how they were supposed to go, I would go to different position. So I had to think about that.”
Thomas put recruiting on the back burner during his senior season, instead focusing on playing quarterback at Prattville. He had enormous success, leading his team to a state championship while racking up 2,548 yards and 20 touchdowns.
During the state playoffs, Thomas decided he really liked quarterback, he was having a lot of success playing it, and he wanted to stay at the position in college. He came to realize he would have to pursue his dreams at a school that wasn’t part of his childhood dreams.
“Going through the recruiting process, you have a mindset that you want to go to a certain school,” Thomas recalled. “But when it starts to get real and you really think about it, you’ve got to go somewhere that’s the best fit for you.
“At some point, I just felt like Georgia Tech was a better fit for me than Alabama. They told me that I would be playing quarterback, and that there would be nothing else. There would be no other options but quarterback.
“That was more a comfort level for me than going somewhere where they said, ‘You can play quarterback, but if it doesn’t work out, you can play somewhere else.’ I knew it was the right call.”
The next couple of steps for Thomas in the flipping process were the most difficult. He had to inform Alabama coach Nick Saban of the switch, less than two months before signing day. He also had to brace for the backlash among Alabama fans from his hometown who were counting on him playing for the Crimson Tide.
“The toughest part was the de-committing,” Thomas said. “It was a tough conversation with coach Saban. I guess losing a recruit is not something you want to happen, but it happens every day in recruiting.
“I guess he (Saban) wasn’t too happy about it. But I feel like overall that he was understanding. He knew I wanted to be a quarterback. He wished me the best.”
Thomas had some nasty things said about him on message boards, but he felt a lot of support from within his community. Of course, there was an overwhelming amount of positive comments from Tech fans, beaming with pride after yanking one of Saban’s prized recruits.
“It was probably the most important offensive player that Paul Johnson has signed as coach of Georgia Tech,” said Kelly Quinlan, publisher of Tech’s Rivals.com website.
“Justin was Mr. Alabama Football. He was ridiculously fast and perfectly suited for the offense. I think he knew he could come in and be the guy at quarterback pretty quickly — which he did in basically two years. Everybody always knew he was going to be something special.”
Nowadays when Thomas returns to Prattville, most people have forgotten that he once was Alabama-bound. Instead, they see a rising star at quarterback who has beaten some of Alabama’s SEC rivals.
“Looking back, I feel like I made a great decision,” Thomas said. “I went with my heart with telling me where I fit in better.
“And that’s what I would tell guys who are thinking about changing their minds. You’ve got to go wherever you feel like you can fit in. It’s not about what everybody else wants, but it’s what you want. Because you’re the one who has to go to that school for the next four or five years, not them.”
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