Seven major prospects who flipped on National Signing Day
The number of players who signed their letters-of-intent on Wednesday was down because of the implementation of the December Early Signing Period. But that didn't mean there wasn't still plenty of drama. We break down some of the notable prospects who flipped their commitments and ultimately signed with new schools.
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What happened: Over the past month there has been plenty of buzz about Walker flipping from Alabama, but most expected it to be to join former Tide defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt at Tennessee. But Georgia kept working on Walker and hosted him for an official visit over the weekend, making the right sales pitch to get him on board. Even though Alabama was essentially already out of the picture for Walker, flipping him from the Tide on National Signing Day is a major win in more ways than one for the Dawgs.
What happened: There have been rumors for months that Reese would end up staying close to home with Georgia, but the same could have been said last year for his high school teammate Aubrey Solomon. But unlike Solomon, Reese did make the last-minute decision to Georgia, helping put another big piece in a historic class for the Dawgs. Recruiting the Southeast will always have its share of pitfalls for teams outside the region, and after hitting it big last year in Georgia the Wolverines came up bust on Wednesday.
The Flip: Tennessee to Florida State
What happened: Grant had been committed to the Vols since the summer, but initially didn't feel prioritized when the new staff arrived in Knoxville. This led to him exploring his options, with Virginia Tech getting a December official visit before Grant decided to wait and sign in February. By that time, the Vols had reversed course on Grant, but it was too little, too late and a final official visit to Tallahassee helped seal the deal for the Noles.
The Flip: Alabama to Texas A&M
What happened: Brown had one of the most dramatic recruitments over the past two months, as he was initially committed to Texas A&M, only to decommit and announce his intentions to sign with Alabama in December. But Brown decided against signing early, leaving the door open for Texas A&M to get back in the picture. That's exactly what happened as it came down the stretch, with Jimbo Fisher and his new staff making a strong pitch to keep Brown in Texas. Going into Wednesday, Alabama still felt confident it would be able to hold on to Brown, but he announced a flip and signed with the Aggies instead.
The Flip: Vanderbilt to UCLA
What happened: Williams had been committed to the Commodores since the summer, but elected not to sign early after receiving interest from a plethora of programs, including Mississippi State, Tennessee and others. But as things moved along it looked like he might stick with the Commodores, at least until a late January official visit to UCLA. The Bruins did enough on that trip to convince Williams that the Pac-12 was the place for him, and he announced his flip on National Signing Day.
The Flip: Tennessee to Florida State
What happened: Identified by Tennessee as a diamond in the rough in January, Young went from not having any offers to committing to the Vols in a very short period of time. Unfortunately for Tennessee, Young's rise caught the attention of several other programs as well, including Florida State. After a late official visit to Tallahassee, Young went quiet before announcing his intentions to join the 'Noles on Wednesday.
The Flip: Georgia Tech to Notre Dame
What happened: After initially being committed to Georgia Southern, Flemister committed to Georgia Tech in December and seemed prepared to stay close to home with the Yellow Jackets. But he made a late decision not to sign early - many thought because of late pitch from Tennessee. But once the calendar turned to January, Notre Dame joined the mix and quickly became a major factor. After an official visit to South Bend helped seal the deal, Flemister made the flip on Signing Day.