2/9/2015 football Edit

Analysts sound off: Signing Day

Rivals.com

Publisher

Which player changed his mind at the last minute and made a wise decision?

I think there are many, but you have to say Kai Locksley made a

good decision based on being the third quarterback in the FSU recruiting class

while he now has a chance to be the man at Texas. I also think Drew Richmond might have made a good decision, because I can see the Vols

competing for the SEC East soon while Ole Miss is in the the toughest

and most competitive division in the country.

-- Mike Farrell, National Recruiting Director

Cassius Peat flipped from UCLA to Michigan State on National Signing Day, and probably made a good choice based on playing style alone. There has been talk that Peat, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound outside linebacker, will likely grow into a defensive end. The Bruins tend to utilize their linebackers as stand-up edge rushers, which might not necessarily fit the three-star prospect's body type at the next level.

-- Blair Angulo, West Region

I decline to answer this sort of question every year, because what do I know

about the driving factors behind a kid's decision? Things that seem important to

me may not hold the same importance to a football star. I'll stay true to form

in 2015 and opt out here.

-- Rob Cassidy, Southeast Region

There is little doubt in my mind that Kai Locksley flipping from Florida State to Texas was a wise decision. Locksley will fit in better with the type of offense the Longhorns want to implement and his relationship with Charlie Strong and his family will certainly make Locksley feel comfortable in Austin. From strictly a depth chart perspective, Texas is a much better fit for Locksley. Quarterbacks De'Andre Johnson and Deondre Francois were already committed to Florida State and big-time quarterback Malik Henry is on board with the Seminoles for the 2016 class.

-- Adam Friedman, Mid-Atlantic Region

Drew Richmond's decision to flip from Ole Miss to Tennessee could prove wise.

Five-star offensive tackle Drew Richmond changed his mind late from Ole Miss to Tennessee and it could become a wise choice. No offense to Ole Miss and coach Hugh Freeze, who has something great going in Oxford, but Tennessee is no doubt an up-and-coming program in the SEC and Richmond's services will be needed immediately. The Vols finished with the fifth-best class in the country and Richmond was one of four five-star prospects in the class. The SEC East seems ripe for the taking and Jones and his staff did a phenomenal job recruiting after a 7-6 season. Richmond flipped late and he could be a part of the class that really turns it around in Knoxville.

-- Adam Gorney, West Region

Greenbelt (Md.) Eleanor Roosevelt four-star offensive tackle Isaiah Prince's recruitment got a little hectic over the last few weeks before National Signing Day, but in the end he landed in a really good position at Ohio State. Urban Meyer said on Signing Day that he looked at his roster and noticed a lack of length on the offensive line. The 6-foot-6 Prince certainly brings that, and he will get every opportunity to work his way into the rotation early in his career.

-- Josh Helmholdt, Midwdest Region

Kai Locksley. It was not last minute, but it was late in the process when he committed to Texs. Locksley originally chose Florida State and stuck with the Seminoles for most of the process even with Deondre Francois and De'Andre Johnson. Locksley is listed as an athlete, but he is expected to at least start off his college career at quarterback. He decided to change his mind as Signing Day approached, and the QB situation in Texas is about as unsettled as it gets. He is the only quarterback prospect the Longhorns took in the 2015 class, and he will be competing for a quarterback spot that is not exactly locked down in Austin. Texas returns starter Tyrone Swoopes and top 2014 prospect Jerrod Heard, and then there is Locksley. Right now, anything could happen.

-- Jason Howell, Mid-South Region

I'm not sure when exactly he made up his mind or if he changed it, but Byron Cowart going to Auburn seems like a tremendous fit from a purely football standpoint. We've seen what Will Muschamp was able to do with similar players during his time at Florida and I expect Cowart to benefit from playing in Muschamp's scheme at Auburn.

-- Woody Wommack, Southeast Region

Which player changed his mind but did not make the best decision?

Quarterback Sheriron Jones went from being the only quarterback in the

Florida class to being one of three four-star quarterbacks at

Tennessee. Zach Gentry is another quarterback that might have made a

poor decision in flipping from Texas to Michigan. I wonder how many

balls Ryan Davis will get at Auburn compared to Florida in the

long run and I'm curious to seehow well Blake Barnett does in Alabama's offense compared to Notre Dame's. But all of this

is speculation and if a player makes a decision based on more than football,

which I hope all of these prospects did, then there is no bad decision.

-- Mike Farrell, National Recruiting Director

Ricky Town faces stiff competition at USC.

I'll go with four-star quarterback Ricky Town, who flipped from Alabama to USC earlier in the process. The Trojans gladly took his commitment to build momentum for their 2015 class, but then invited Sam Darnold to their Rising Stars Camp in the summer and thought enough of the dual-threat prospect to take another quarterback. Town is already on campus, so he has a head start on the competition. But when Cody Kessler leaves, he'll have to contend with Darnold in the future, as well as former No. 1-rated quarterback Max Browne and promising dual-threat prospect Jalen Greene.

-- Blair Angulo, West Region

Again, I'm declining. I'm not in the business of second-guessing a high school

student for picking one institution of higher learning over another. It's just

not my thing. Any given player could choose any given school for a litany of

reasons, some of which I'm sure are private.

-- Rob Cassidy, Southeast Regionon

Second guessing a prospect's choice is tough because you never know what their motives were, but there are a few players that decided to put themselves in difficult situations. Zach Gentry and Alex Malzone will be competing with each other for the next few years at Michigan and so will Ricky Town and Sam Darnold at USC. Leo Lewis flipped from Ole Miss to bitter rival Mississippi State. Even though many think Jauan Jennings and Quinten Dormady won't end up taking snaps at Tennessee, Sheriron Jones picking the Vols was a bit of a head-scratcher.

-- Adam Friedman, Mid-Atlantic Region

Roquan Smith backed off his UCLA commitment and is now considering several options.

It has to be Roquan Smith. The four-star linebacker from Montezuma (Ga.) Macon County picked UCLA on Signing Day, saying he wanted to experience something different and said he loved everything going on in Westwood. Hours later, however, he decided to back off that commitment and open things up with Georgia and others involved. It became worse for the Bruins when assistant Jeff Ulbrich left days after Signing Day for the NFL and now it seems the coaching staff has more work to do to get Smith -- again. Many times going with your first instinct is best. There were a lot of reasons why Smith picked UCLA on Signing Day in the first place and maybe he should revisit those thoughts and feelings as he continues to weigh his options.

-- Adam Gorney, West Region

There are so many factors weighed into a decision, including where a prospect feels the most comfortable -- which should not be discounted. I do not presume to know better than a prospect, his parents and coaches where his overall best fit is, but one decision that did leave me scratching my head from a football fit standpoint -- and this change happened back in the summer -- was Blake Barnett flipping to Alabama. Barnett does not have the classic quarterback mechanics, but there is no doubt he is a tremendous football player. I see him reaching his highest potential in an offense where he is the unquestioned star, and at Alabama, they have too many horses on offense for that to be the case.

-- Josh Helmholdt, Midwdest Region

New Mexico quarterback Zach Gentry flipped to Michigan late in the process after being committed to Texas. When he did, he went from being the only quarterback in the signing class to joining four-star and long-time Michigan commit Alex Malzone. The Wolverines would also add Houston transfer John O'Korn after Signing Day to further cloud the depth chart. He will be coached by Jim Harbaugh and play for a big-time program in Michigan, so there are some good reasons for his decision. However, it was a bit of a head-scratcher considering the quarterback situation at Texas.

-- Jason Howell, Mid-South Region

This is always a tough one because everything is so new, but I was surprised to see Leo Lewis flip his commitment from Ole Miss to Mississippi State. I know there were a few factors in play, but once Lewis opened his recruitment, I assumed he was heading to LSU. Considering the bitter rivalry between the Bulldogs and the Rebels, it was an interesting choice to spurn one for the other down the stretch.

-- Woody Wommack, Southeast Region