Sting Factor: The 10 Biggest decommitments of January
A large majority of the 2019 class signed in December, leaving some to opine that there wouldn't be much drama in the run up to next week's National Signing Day. As it turns out, January was full of drama, especially on the de-commitment front, with 20 Power Five commits reversing course during the month.
Before we turn our full attention to next week's big day, we look back at the January decommitments at Power Five programs and rank the top 10 in order of “sting” to the programs that lost the verbal commitments.
MORE: Top remaining Big Ten targets | SEC | ACC | Pac-12 | Big 12
Bru McCoy flips from USC to Texas
USC fans have probably heard enough about McCoy to last a lifetime and his unusual de-commitment will go down in recruiting lore. After committing and signing with the Trojans and starting classes at USC, McCoy reversed course and instead elected to transfer to Texas. There was some internal debate whether to even count McCoy as a de-commitment and not a transfer, but considering he changed his mind before traditional signing day even came, it was deemed that he would count towards the Longhorns class. Losing McCoy the way they did is painful enough for the Trojans, but losing a player at a position of need is also a major blow to the class.
Sting Factor: 10
Jerrion Ealy decommits from Ole Miss
A multi-sport star who may very well decide to play professional baseball instead of college football, Ealy had been committed to Ole Miss for more than a year before backing off his pledge in January. Most assume that Ealy is bound for Clemson and the Tigers had been working hard to get him away from the Rebels, but now Alabama is also in the picture headed into his decision. Losing a long-time in-state commit to one of the nation's top teams is tough, especially with the Rebels in need of talent.
Sting Factor: 9
Charles Moore decommits from Mississippi State
Moore was committed to Mississippi State for a year and a half, so losing his commitment so close to signing day really hurts. After struggling with injuries during times in his career, a fully healthy Moore impressed during his senior season as well as at the Under Armour All-America Game. That helped his recruitment take off, with Florida, Florida State and Auburn coming into the mix. Now it looks like Moore is headed out of state and likely to stay in the SEC, a double whammy for Bulldogs fans.
Sting Factor: 9
Lakia Henry decommits from Tennessee
One of the nation's top junior college players, Henry committed to Tennessee in the spring and was set to fill a hole at a major position of need. But as the fall wore along, Henry began to waiver, mainly because of the efforts of Arkansas. After finally deciding to re-open his commitment, Henry became even popular with schools like Ole Miss and Texas entering the mix. Losing Henry will hurt even more for Tennessee if they can't land another linebacker to replace him on signing day.
Sting Factor: 8
Jamious Griffin decommits from N.C. State
N.C. State did a great job of evaluating and recruiting Griffin, landing his commitment in May. But after another huge season on the field, Griffin began to see another major uptick in his recruitment, with new programs like Auburn coming into the mix. The new interest, combined with a few coaching changes along the N.C. State staff led Griffin to take a look around and back off his pledge, and it seems unlikely he'll end up back with the Wolfpack. This one might sting even worse if Griffin signs with Georgia Tech, one of N.C. State's in-conference foes.
Sting Factor: 8
DJ James decommits from Mississippi State and commits to Oregon
Another loss for Mississippi State, James decommitted from the Bulldogs after being committed for 11 months. The late push by Oregon to get him in the mix adds to the sting, especially considering the long-time effort Mississippi State had put into him. With long defensive backs at a premium following the early signing period, it hasn't been easy for Mississippi State to find a replacement either, adding to the sting.
Sting Factor: 7
Jordan Wilmore decommits from USC
Another Trojan who jumped ship in January, Wilmore is a physical running back who the school targeted early in the process and landed his commitment over the summer. After a number of staff changes at USC, including Kliff Kingsbury's brief stint as offensive coordinator, Wilmore began to entertain other Pac-12 options. UCLA, Utah and Arizona are in the mix and it looks as if the Trojans will have to face Wilmore plenty in the future with him likely to land in their division.
Sting Factor: 7
Ty Murray decommits from Louisville and commits to North Carolina
Murray initially stuck with Louisville through the school's coaching change and it looked like there was a chance the new staff would have a chance to get him officially signed. But shortly after the dead period ended, Murray announced his flip to the Tar Heels, leaving Louisville with another hole to fill. Considering the dearth of talent on the Louisville roster, losing a big body like Murray hurts, especially with him staying within the ACC.
Sting Factor: 6
David Summers decommits from Maryland and commits to Syracuse
There aren't many quarterbacks left on the market and Maryland is finding that out the hard way after losing Summers to Syracuse earlier this week. After the coaching change, the Terps didn't exactly push to keep Summers committed, but with not many options available to replace him, it will be worth watching to see how much this one comes back to sting Maryland.
Sting Factor: 5
Dorian Hewett decommits from Syracuse
This one is an unusual case, because when Hewett decommitted from Syracuse it looked like he was bound for another destination, especially after schools like Washington and USC entered the picture. But the closer it gets to Signing Day, the more likely it is that Hewett ends up back with the 'Cuse. The speedy safety would be a nice addition and there's a reason why the Orange didn't give up even after his decommitment.
Sting Factor: 5