This is a mind-boggling statistic:
Around a fourth of the state’s high school seniors that signed D1 college football scholarships this year switched their commitment at least once.
Georgia projects to have around 190 seniors sign with FBS schools (formerly NCAA Div. I-A). The majority signed last week, but a few more will linger in by June.
How about this stat? At least 55 flipped between colleges once before signing the official paperwork.
55!
I know, it sounds like a gigantic headache. (Note: The 55 includes kids who were once committed to FBS schools and signed with non-FBS schools)
The most notorious flipper was Demarcus Robinson, the AJC Super 11 wide receiver from Peach County High School. He was a four-time offender. That's the stuff of recruiting legends. Or infamy.
Robinson committed to Clemson, switched to Florida, dramatically flipped back to Clemson and then shut it down with Florida. If Robinson hadn’t been forced to enroll early in college in January (at Florida), he might’ve flipped into the double digits.
But before you start ranting how we need an early signing period, you must know that the majority of flips were rooted in coaching changes. In other words, it was colleges – not the kids – that ignited the flips.
Some other interesting tidbits:
One high school (Alpharetta) had five de-commits. Unreal.
Georgia Tech lost five commits but gained two. Clemson lost four and gained one. UGA lost three and gained three.
- Marcus Adams, DT, Tri-Cities: Switched from Western Kentucky to Alabama State
- George Adeosun, OL, Alpharetta: Switched from William & Mary to Virginia
- Shon Akins, DB, Norcross: Switched from Cal to Middle Tennessee St.
- Edmend Banks, DT, Stephenson: Switched from Southern Miss to Alabama State
- Peyton Barber, RB, Milton: Switched from Ole Miss to Auburn
- Zach Barnes, LB, Grayson: Switched from Tennessee to Texas Tech
- Mikey Bart, DE, Buford: Switched from South Florida to UNC
- Davin Bellamy, DE, Chamblee: Switched from FSU to UGA
- Dashawn Benton, DB, Grady: Switched from Cincinnati to East Carolina
- *Nigel Bowden, LB, Central Macon: Switched from Vanderbilt to Georgia Tech to Vanderbilt
- William Bussey, DB, Thomson: Switched from Marshall to Georgia Southern
- Tolando Cleveland, DB, Hillgrove: Switched from Georgia Tech to Mississippi State
- Kight Dallas, LB, Stephenson: Switched from South Carolina to Georgia State
- Deonte Davis, DB, South Gwinnett: Switched from Georgia State to Wake Forest
- Jarrad Davis, LB, Camden Co.: Switched from Auburn to Florida
- Paul Davis, LB, Cairo: Switched from Temple to Georgia Tech
- Joshua Dobbs, QB, Alpharetta: Switched from Arizona State to Tennessee
- Andy Dodd, OL, Pepperell: Switched from Alabama to LSU
- Brendan Douglas, RB, Aquinas: Switched from Georgia Tech to UGA
- Darren Dowdell, DE, Grady: Switched from Kentucky to East Carolina
- Eason Fromayan, OL, Milton: Switched from Cincinnati to TCU
- Keyante Green, RB, ELCA: Switched from UCLA to Purdue
- Corey Griffin, DB, Sandy Creek: Switched from UAB to Georgia Tech
- Kelsey Griffin, DT, Mill Creek: Switched from UGA to South Carolina
- Jeremi Hall, OG, Tri-Cities: Switched from Georgia Tech to South Florida
- Jordan Harris, OL, Dutchtown: Switched from Middle Tennessee State to Alabama State
- D'Von Isaac, DT, Alpharetta: Switched from Western Kentucky to UAB
- A.J. Jackson, TE, Lovejoy: Switched from Auburn to Ole Miss
- Ryan Jenkins, WR, Lassiter: Switched from Clemson to Tennessee
- Trey Johnson, LB, Central Gwinnett: Switched from Auburn to Ohio State
- Donovahn Jones, QB, Dutchtown: Switched from Missouri to Minnesota
- David Kamara, DB, Grayson: Switched from Clemson to Ole Miss
- Taylor Lamb, QB, Calhoun: Switched from South Alabama to Appalachian State
- Tiquan Lang, DB, Lowndes: Switched from South Alabama to Marshall
- Brendan Langley, DB, Kell: Switched from South Carolina to UGA
- Jacarthy Mack, LB, ML King: Switched from Louisville to Texas Tech
- Mario Mathis, LB, Thomasville: Switched from Ole Miss to South Florida
- Daletavius McGhee, DB, Cedar Grove: Switched from Memphis to Minnesota
- Demetrius Monday, DB, Pebblebrook: Switched from Cincinnati to Kent State
- Naim Mustafaa, LB, Alpharetta: Switched from UGA to Oklahoma State
- Robert Nkemdiche, DL, Grayson: Switched from Clemson to Ole Miss
- Nathaniel Norwood, LB, Lovejoy: Switched from Jacksonville St. to Appalachian State
- Joshua Outlaw, OL, M.L King: Switched from Florida to Texas Tech
- *Kyrin Priester, WR, Brookwood: Switched from UGA to NC State to Clemson
- *Eddie Printz, QB, Lassiter: Switched from SMU to UCLA to Missouri
- Jumichael Ramos, WR, Lovejoy: Switched from Georgia Tech to NC State
- **Demarcus Robinson, WR, Peach Co.: Switched from Clemson to Florida to Clemson to Florida
- Blake Rowlinson, WR, Alpharetta: Switched from Troy to Yale
- Shannon Smith, WR, Westside-Macon: Switched from Troy to Middle Tennessee State
- Sean Spencer, DT, Northgate: Switched from Vanderbilt to Navy
- Brett Sheehan, QB, Collins Hill: Switched from FIU to South Alabama
- Terence Waugh, LB, Henry County: Switched from Buffalo to Kent State
- Dontravius Wilson, RB, Buford: Switched from Western Kentucky to Central Florida
- Myles Willis, ATH, Marist: Switched from Central Florida to Boston College
- DeAngelo Yancey, WR, Mays: Switched from Kentucky to Purdue
If you know of someone we're missing who flipped between FBS schools, send us an email at mcarvell@ajc.com
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