Every time 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 1-10, with one being no big deal and 10 being a catastrophic hit.
*****
MORE STING FACTOR: Nick Elksnis' decommitment from Penn State | Melvin Jordan's decommitment from Florida State
CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
*****
Shortly after camping at Alabama last summer, four-star cornerback Latrell McCutchin committed to the Crimson Tide. It further showed that Alabama could go anywhere for anybody as McCutchin is from Austin (Texas) Lyndon B. Johnson.
However, the four-star is back on the market after backing off his commitment over the weekend following a trip to Oklahoma.
After making his Alabama pledge, McCutchin loaded up on offers and kept talking with coaching staffs across the country. He still took numerous visits to Alabama and was back in Tuscaloosa recently.
Anytime a prospect de-commits from Alabama it’s a surprise but it’s no shock he reopened things after his Oklahoma visit since the Sooners have become a huge contender in his recruitment. LSU, Florida and Ohio State could be among that top group as well.
McCutchin missed nearly all of his junior season with a leg injury and he’s not expected back for at least a few more months. That gives him more time to see other schools - and to think about his next steps.
LOCAL REACTION
"Alabama lost its highest-rated recruit in the 2021 class when McCutchin decommitted on Sunday evening. His decision did not come as a major surprise as he has been taking visits including a trip to Norman this past weekend to visit the Sooners. It seems more like McCutchin wants to enjoy the recruiting process without having the pressure of being a commitment to a school while taking additional visits rather than an imminent choice for Oklahoma.
"Alabama did not slow down its recruiting efforts in McCutchin. Alabama remains in communication and will continue recruiting him throughout the year. McCutchin is also coming off ACL surgery which will have plenty of attention moving forward on how well he rebounds when he is back to 100 percent.
"Yes, it’s a solid loss for Alabama in regards to having an elite defensive back commitment, but it’s still very early in the recruiting calendar year, the Tide still have an opportunity to get him back on board and it also gives a little time to monitor the ACL recovery." – Andrew Bone, BamaInsider.com
Sting Factor: 3
NATIONAL REACTION
“Losing an elite four-star defensive back would be tough on many programs but for Alabama it doesn’t matter much. First off the Crimson Tide have a chance to add him back into the class as he’s still interested and secondly they can land a four-star defensive back anytime they want. He’s a talented kid for sure but I wouldn’t sweat this if I’m an Alabama fan.” – Mike Farrell, National Recruiting Director
Sting Factor: 3
