Sting Factor: Biggest stings in October
October was a busy month of decommitments as 29 Power Five prospects backed off their pledges, more than double the number from September. Here is a look at the 10 biggest stings of the month and a list of all the others.
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Armondo Blount - Flip from Miami to Florida State
The biggest sting of the month came from Blount, who reclassified from 2025 to 2024 and made news when he flipped his commitment from Miami to Florida State. The in-state recruiting battles are hotter than ever and after the Miami Central five-star defensive lineman committed to the Hurricanes in September, about five weeks later he visited Tallahassee again and the flip to the Seminoles was put into motion.
Sting Factor: 9
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Elijah Rushing - Decommitted from Arizona, pledged to Oregon
It seemed like Arizona coach Jedd Fisch had pulled off a massive recruiting win when the four-star defensive end from Tucson (Ariz.) Salpointe pledged to the Wildcats in July, following his teammate three-star defensive end Keona Wilhite in the class. But by early October, Rushing backed off his pledge as Oregon became the main contender in his recruitment and by the end of the month he had picked the Ducks. Wilhite (below) flipped to Washington.
Sting Factor: 9
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Weston Davis - Flip from Texas A&M to LSU
When Davis committed to Texas A&M in late June, his pledge came as a pretty big surprise because it didn’t seem like the four-star offensive lineman was close to a decision. The Beaumont, Texas, standout doesn’t talk much about the recruiting process, so a surprise might have been in order when he picked Texas A&M over LSU, the presumed favorite, and many others. A few months later, the Tigers must have still been on Davis’ mind because late in October, Davis flipped from Texas A&M to LSU.
Sting Factor: 8
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Christopher Jackson - Flip from Georgia Tech to LSU
It looked like Georgia Tech scored a big recruiting win when the four-star defensive end from Tucker, Ga., picked the Yellow Jackets over the summer. But then a bunch of top regional programs got involved and after a visit to LSU in the middle of the month, Jackson flipped to the Tigers. Jackson was a great early evaluation by Georgia Tech coach Brent Key and his staff, but keeping prospects like him in the class is crucial.
Sting Factor: 7
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Jalewis Solomon - Flip from Auburn to South Carolina
His brother is Zykeivous Walker, so when Solomon committed to Auburn over the summer it made sense, especially since he hit it off with coach Hugh Freeze, position coach Wesley McGriff and others. But just two months later, the four-star from Ellaville (Ga.) Schley County who’s expected to play defense in college, had cooled on the Tigers as South Carolina remained top of mind. Those two programs had stood out for a long time in his recruitment and with coach Shane Beamer and position coach Torrian Gray still working on him, Solomon flipped his pledge to the Gamecocks.
Sting Factor: 7
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Ondre Evans - Flip from LSU to Georgia
Evans camped at Georgia this summer, but only a couple weeks later, the four-star cornerback from Nashville (Tenn.) Christ Presbyterian Academy committed to LSU. Georgia position coach Fran Brown never stopped coming after Evans and after a mid-week visit to Athens, the four-star flipped his pledge to Georgia. More than anything, Evans credits Brown’s persistence in getting him to flip.
Sting Factor: 6
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Joseph Stone Jr. - Decommitment from LSU
After being committed to LSU for more than a year, Stone backed off his pledge to the Tigers, which came as a surprise since they played in the SEC title game last season and are back in contention in coach Brian Kelly’s second year. But the four-star athlete from Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes decided to open things back up, and even though LSU will still be considered he was at UCF this past weekend and will be at Louisville on Saturday.
Sting Factor: 6
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PJ Woodland - Flip from Mississippi State to LSU
Once he visited LSU for the Auburn matchup, it seemed like the Tigers - and position coach Robert Steeples - grabbed the lead in his recruitment and following his de-commitment from Mississippi State, Woodland quickly chose the Tigers. Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Florida State and others were around, but once LSU got seriously involved here and then got him on campus, the Hattiesburg (Miss.) Oak Grove four-star cornerback looked like he could flip.
Sting Factor: 6
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Julian Marks - Decommitment from Missouri
After further review, Marks felt he just made an impulsive decision and committed to Missouri following its win over Kansas State. The Tigers remain a top contender for the Overland Park (Kan.) St. Thomas Aquinas standout, but USC, Michigan, Alabama and Oklahoma are some others to watch as well. The 2025 four-star liked the Tigers a lot but made a snap decision and after only a few weeks wanted to rethink things again.
Sting Factor: 5
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Trever Jackson - Decommitment from Ole Miss
It looks like Jackson and Ole Miss parted ways as the quarterback dominoes continue to move around. After an outstanding offseason and phenomenal performance at the Elite 11, the Orlando (Fla.) Jones four-star struggled early this season and now it looks like 2026 standout Dereon Coleman is getting the bulk of the reps. Jackson had more than 25 offers heading into his Ole Miss pledge in late August, so there will be suitors, but now is the time for Jackson to figure out his next steps.
Sting Factor: 4
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THE OTHERS
Four-star DB Jayden Lewis backed off his pledge to Auburn; Four-star linebacker Naki Tuakoi decommitted from Stanford; high three-star athlete Desman Stephens decommitted from Boston College; three-star tight end Benjamin Blackburn flipped from Boston College to Stanford; three-star OL Caleb Pyfrom backed off Illinois; three-star DB Khari Reid decommitted from Stanford; three-star OL Andrew Dennis backed off Michigan State; three-star DT Marcus Downs is no longer committed to Georgia Tech; three-star RB Kewan Lacy decommitted from Alabama; three-star DT Richard James Jr. is no longer committed to West Virginia; three-star DE Keona Wilhite flipped from Arizona to Washington; three-star TE Jackson Ford decommitted from Oregon; three-star DB Jaylin Lackey flipped from Virginia to Vanderbilt; three-star ATH Cam Dooley decommitted from Missouri; three-star WR Christian Zachary flipped from Virginia to NC State; three-star DB Cedric Franklin flipped from Virginia to Georgia Tech; three-star WR Syair Torrence backed off Michigan State; two-star tight end Lane Wadle decommitted from Georgia Tech; and two-star DB Callen Barta flipped from Nebraska to Kansas State.