The first major defection from Florida's 2018 recruiting class came on Wednesday night when Metairie (La.) Rummel wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase backed off his pledge in an announcement he shared on Twitter.

"I've come to a fork in the road where I have to make one of the hardest decisions of my recruiting process," Chase wrote. "I would like to thank Coach [Skipper], Coach [McElwain] and the rest of the UF staff for all the love and support that they have shown me. But at this time, I have to do what's best for me and my family. At this time I am de-committing from the University of Florida and re-opening my recruiting process."

Chase had been committed to the Gators since July and said when head coach Jim McElwain and the school parted ways last month that he intended to stick with the Gators. But it's clear the uncertainty of the situation played a role in Chase's decision.

This is the second time in 2017 that Chase has back off a commitment after initially committing to Kansas and changing his mind less than a month later. He was initially set to announce a commitment during the summer at "The Opening" football camp in Oregon, but a botched TV segment on NFL Network kept him from making his choice between LSU and TCU public. He then re-considered his options and a visit to Florida swung things in the Gators favor.

The news could be the first domino of many of the Gators top commits to reevlaute their options, especially considering several schools continue to work to flip some of the top players currently committed.

Georgia, Michigan, TCU and LSU are all immediate factors in Chase's recruitment and he's tentatively scheduled to officially visit Athens on Nov. 18.