Sting Factor: April's biggest recruiting burns
Ten prospects decommitted from Power Five programs in April and Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney breaks down each and issues a Sting Factor for all of them.
RUMOR MILL: Top prospects reflecting on spring game visits
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1. Cody Haddad's flip from Wisconsin to Ohio State
Haddad committed to Wisconsin in January and it was a big win for coach Luke Fickell and his staff going into Cleveland (Ohio) St. Ignatius and landing one of the best defensive backs in the Midwest. But as the offseason wore on, Ohio State, Iowa, Texas A&M and others offered and it started to become clear that the Buckeyes were going to flip him. Not only is this a big conference flip but Haddad is an excellent and intelligent playmaker on the back end who could have been used a ton in Madison.
Sting factor: 8
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2. Adam Schobel's flip from Baylor to Oklahoma State
In the summer of 2023, Schobel committed to Baylor but after taking an under-the-radar official visit to Oklahoma State in early April, the four-star quarterback flipped his commitment to the Cowboys. The Columbus, Texas standout has thrown for 2,400 or more yards in his first three seasons and has a 66-to-8 touchdowns/interception ratio the last two years. It’s a Big 12 flip, Baylor is struggling to get recruiting momentum and Schobel is a big-time prospect now going to Stillwater.
Sting factor: 8
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3. Jeramiah McCloud's decommitment from Mississippi State
The new Mississippi State staff did a phenomenal job of identifying McCloud at Havana (Fla.) Gadsden County and getting him to commit in January but only three months later he was back on the market as LSU, Georgia, Florida, Auburn and other major programs have offered him. The four-star defensive tackle is weighing a lot of those SEC offers now but it looks like the Bulldogs will have to go elsewhere for another elite defensive lineman.
Sting factor: 7
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4. Peyton Joseph's decommitment from Florida
One of the reasons why Joseph committed to Florida in February was because of his experience inside The Swamp and how the coaching staff treated his family but only two months later the Fort Valley (Ga.) Houston County four-star offensive guard backed off his pledge to the Gators. Originally, Florida beat out Florida State and Georgia for Joseph’s commitment so those two programs and many others will be back in the picture.
Sting factor: 7
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5. Chavez Thompson's decommitment from Oregon
Better known as Sandman, Thompson committed to Oregon before taking his visit there as he knew a lot about the program and also hit it off with position coach A’lique Terry, also a Florida native. The Melbourne (Fla.) Eau Gallie high three-star offensive lineman made it almost a year in his commitment as he picked the Ducks late last May but in recent days backed off that pledge as UCF and Tennessee are now the top two in his recruitment.
Sting factor: 6
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6. Anthony Williams' decommitment from Texas
The Pearland (Texas) Shadow Creek high three-star linebacker was always considered a Texas lean and he committed to the Longhorns even when a position coach wasn’t in place but just three months later, Williams came back on the board by decommitting from the Longhorns. Texas still has to be considered a major contender but he originally picked the Longhorns over Auburn, Baylor, Notre Dame and Oregon on New Year’s Day. This will be one to watch in the coming months.
Sting factor: 6
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7. Desean Bryant Jr.'s decommitment from Baylor
The three-star offensive tackle from Duncanville, Texas committed to Baylor in the summer of 2023 but since that time many other programs have offered and then Texas A&M, SMU and others have been reaching out so Bryant backed off his pledge in recent weeks. Bryant was the second Baylor commit in its 2025 class after QB Adam Schobel and both of them backed away from the Bears in April.
Sting factor: 6
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8. Jamin Brown's decommitment from Baylor
In November, Baylor offered Brown and then a couple months later without seeing the program the three-star offensive guard from Gadsden (Ala.) Southside committed to the Bears. But only a few months later, Brown felt he jumped the gun and wanted to back off his pledge as Duke, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt have become the serious contenders to land his next commitment.
Sting factor: 5
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9. Carter Jackson's decommitment from Cal
Over the last few months, the new Folsom, Calif., three-star running back has felt other programs showing him more attention and it has quieted down from Cal so Jackson decided to back off his pledge to the Golden Bears. Last season, Jackson put up big numbers and is now looking at officials to San Diego State, Nevada and others as Cal has targeted some other running back targets and already has a commitment from three-star Jojo Solis from San Bernardino (Calif.) Aquinas.
Sting factor: 5
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10. Zach Guiliano's flip from Northwestern to Stanford
The Newport Beach (Calif.) Corona Del Mar three-star tight end committed to Northwestern after visiting for its elite junior day back in January but Guiliano has seen his recruitment take off in recent weeks. Stanford and UCLA have offered in the last few days of April and the Cardinal won out for his services as Guiliano, who had 37 catches for 370 yards and eight touchdowns last season, flipped to the Cardinal.
Sting factor: 5