When a major program loses a key recruit, Rivals.com takes a look at how big of a blow it is to the respective school, analyzing it from a local and national level. To quantify the “sting” of each decommitment, we assign a score from one to 10, with one being no big deal and 10 being a catastrophic hit.
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THE STORYLINE
The courtship between West Virginia and three-star running back Jordan Louie was fast and furious this past summer.
The Mountaineers coaching staff started heavily recruiting him, then booked the Norcross (Ga.) Meadowcreek running back on a visit and Louie was “blown away” by what he saw, so he committed.
But heading to the end of his senior season, Louie is back on the market as he’s backed off his West Virginia pledge and is looking for a new home.
North Carolina is a program that is definitely ramping up its efforts in Louie’s recruitment and even before he decommitted the high three-star said the Tar Heels were trying to flip him.
Georgia recently had Louie in for an unofficial visit but the Bulldogs haven’t offered him yet.
On the season, the Norcross Meadowcreek (Ga.) standout has rushed for 1,538 yards and 15 touchdowns and has also caught 36 passes for 580 yards and four more scores.
West Virginia still has three-star running back Jahiem White committed in the 2023 class.
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LOCAL REACTION
West Virginia was on Louie before other schools, and the Mountaineers made a strong connection with him. They were able to uncover what many others didn't see early on in the process, and because of that it certainly stings for the coaches that this decommitment occurred later on in the process. The good news is the program still has a very good back in the fold, but it will need another. - Keenan Cummings, WVSports.com
Sting Factor: 7
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NATIONAL REACTION
West Virginia’s coaching staff did an excellent job targeting Louie early, getting him on campus over the summer and wooing him while he was in Morgantown. Louie's pledge lasted nearly to the Early Signing Period, but it very much looks like a move to North Carolina could be in the cards here, and the Tar Heels have had a lot of recent success developing running backs.
Louie is a really talented player who could be in the discussion for a move to four-star status, so it definitely stings the Mountaineers because accumulation of talent is always key to any good recruiting class. It’s not a back-breaker but it does hurt as coach Neal Brown is on the hot seat, and despite the impressive win over Oklahoma a 4-8 season is not out of the question.” - Adam Gorney, Rivals national recruiting director
Sting Factor: 7
