Rivals Camp Series D.C.: Commitment checkup
ALDIE, Va. — The Spring Evaluation Period has arrived, which means prospects will see their offer sheets balloon a bit as college coaches visit their high schools and potentially deliver new offers. That includes underclassmen, 2020 prospects and those who may have already given a verbal pledge to a school in recent months
At Rivals 3 Stripe Camp presented by adidas in the Washington D.C. area we surveyed committed prospects about how serious their verbal commitments were. Here’s a glimpse of which prospects are solid to their word and who may decide to flip before signing on the dotted line.
MORE FROM RCS D.C.: Prospects now on the radar | The Friedman Awards | Thoughts from the sideline | Prospects that earned their stripes | Teams that should be pleased
*****
Commitment percentage level:: 1,000 percent
Schools trying to flip him: Virginia Tech, Nebraska
Why he's sticking with the Tar Heels: “It’s just family there. I like the coaches there. To be honest, they show the most love of any school in my recruitment. My parents like it a lot, my family liked it. That’s why I made the move and I committed. (Cornerbacks) coach Dré (Bly) is from where I’m from. We have a good connection and we talk every day.”
Rivals take: James made an early decision to commit to North Carolina and it seems like a great match. Not only did the Tar Heels staff like the potential he has to play in the secondary, they were courting him harder than Virginia Tech and Nebraska. James is rock solid with North Carolina and showed little to no signs of looking elsewhere.
*****
Commitment percentage level: 100 percent
Schools trying to flip him: Michigan, Tennessee, Maryland
Why he's sticking with the Nittany Lions: “I feel like I found a home. It’s pretty much the best place to be in college football. I’m still looking around, though, making sure I made the right decision. But for now, it’s the place I want to go. It’s close to home, my mom loves it and it’s the best environment ever.”
Rivals take: It would not be surprising in the least bit to see Jacobs sign his paperwork with the Nittany Lions, but the fact that rival Big Ten schools - and in particular schools from his neck of the woods - are still after him, there is some level of concern about how solid he really is. Penn State holds an edge with proximity to home and more importantly, with mom, but even Jacobs opened up about the fact that he is still communicating with other schools and could eventually buy into another team’s sales pitch.
*****
Commitment percentage level: 110 percent
Schools trying to flip him: None
Why he's sticking with the Demon Deacons:: “I love the place. I committed last year, last summer in June and I fell in love with it. I didn’t need to wait for anything else when I knew what I wanted. I love the players, the coaches and the entire place.”
Rivals take: There is no doubt that it’s just a matter of time before Griffis is taking snaps from behind center at Wake Forest. He is fully locked in and says he isn’t communicating with any other schools or considering taking any other visits. He intends on putting on his recruiting hat and bringing more talent with him to Wake Forest in the 2020 class. It’s exactly what you want and should expect from a committed quarterback.
*****
Commitment percentage level: 100 percent
Schools trying to flip him: Miami, NC State
Why he's sticking with the Nittany Lions: “It was just the atmosphere. The coaches made a great relationship with me and I felt good there at Happy Valley. There’s where I wanted to be. I wanted to be close to home and everything, and they reached out to me and my family, they welcomed me and I wanted to go where I was wanted, so it was easy. It’s a nice place I could call home and I could get home if I needed to. The 107,000 every game, I loved the atmosphere and I liked that stage.
“Penn State is not too far from my house, so my parents will be able to come to my games. Then, just the environment. I went to the Blue-White Game and visited multiple times. I connected with all the coaches and they welcomed me with open arms.”
Rivals take: Adams popped to Penn State during the Blue-White Game over the weekend that was definitely a close call with Miami and N.C. State. Penn State checks off several boxes, most notably proximity to home and the Big Ten stage that Adams was eyeing. Even though the ACC schools are not throwing in the towel with the talented offensive lineman, he was confident in his recent decision to commit to the Nittany Lions and we don’t see him straying from the path to Happy Valley at the moment.
*****
Commitment percentage level: 100 percent
Schools trying to flip him: None
Why he's sticking with the Demon Deacons: “I just felt the love from the coaches and am really excited about the future of Wake Forest with everything they are doing on the field and off the field with all the new facilities they are building. I am just excited to get there.”
Rivals take: Petitbon seems pretty solid in his commitment, but you can never rule anything totally out. That being said, Petitbon is very close with the Wake Forest coaches and has thrown his full support behind the program.
*****
Commitment percentage level: 400 percent
Schools trying to flip him: None
Why he's sticking with the Cavaliers: “I committed to Virginia just because I felt I can get the academics and football all in one.”
Rivals take: Johnson is the type of prospect that will hear from more schools going forward, but it sounds like it could be tough for them to pull him away. His high school has a lot of connections to Virginia and there is a lot that drew him to the Cavs.
*****
Commitment percentage level: 100 percent
Schools trying to flip him: Nebraska, Stanford, Vanderbilt, LSU
Why he's sticking with the Tar Heels: “It gave me the best opportunity on the field and off the field. With the new coaching staff coming in, it’s created a very good vibe that we can create something special. I’d rather build something up than join a powerhouse.”
Rivals take: Mack Brown has jump-started the Tar Heels’ recruiting efforts and the commitment from West is one of the fruits of their labor. West has been helping North Carolina recruit some other players but it doesn’t sound like he has completely shut the door on the other programs.