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The 10 biggest flips of the first day of the Early Signing Period

CLASS OF 2019 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position

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MORE EARLY SIGNING PERIOD: Blog | Bama at No. 1 in rankings | James Franklin talks NSD

The first day of the Early Signing Period has come and gone but left in its wake is the chaos caused by recruits signing with teams that did not hold their verbal commitments, also known as flipping. Here are the 10 biggest flips of the first day of the Early Signing Period ranked by significance.

1. Rivals100 QB Sam Howell flips from Florida State to North Carolina

Howell’s flip from Florida State to North Carolina was driven by the Seminoles losing offensive coordinator Walt Bell to UMass and not being able to get a replacement in place early enough for Howell to build a relationship with him. New Tar Heels head coach Mack Brown has his franchise quarterback that could potentially see playing time from day one and the quarterback position at Florida State is more uncertain than ever.

MORE: Commitment Analysis: Howell to North Carolina | Howell breaks down his pledge

2. Rivals100 DB Daxton Hill flips back to Michigan from Alabama

Hill had been committed to Michigan since August but flipped to Alabama earlier this month. Heading into the Early Signing Period it was unclear whether he would sign with the Crimson Tide this week or wait until February. Shortly after Battle (see below) made his flip from Ohio State to Alabama official, Hill flipped back to Michigan and signed with the Wolverines. The only reason Hill isn't first on this list is because teams live and die by their quarterback play and Howell could end up starting as a freshman.

MORE: Hill surprises with flip to Michigan

3. Rivals250 QB Dwan Mathis flips to Georgia from Ohio State

Mathis originally committed to Iowa State as a sophomore but changed his mind and picked Michigan State a few months later. This past summer he had another change of heart and flipped to Ohio State. Mathis started reaching out to Georgia this week because of the reports that Bulldogs freshman quarterback Justin Fields would be interested in Ohio State. The addition of Fields to the Ohio State quarterback room would make the depth chart very crowded and Mathis saw a better opportunity at Georgia.

MORE: Georgia flips Rivals250 QB | Dawgs pull surprising flip | How it happened

4. Rivals250 DB Jordan Battle flips to Alabama from Ohio State

Battle had been committed to Ohio State since June but never really stopped listening to other schools when they showed interest. Alabama made him a priority and ended up getting him to flip early Wednesday morning.

MORE: Commitment Analysis: Battle flips to Bama

5. Four-star DE Derick Hunter flips to Texas A&M from Florida State

Hunter surprised lot of people when he flipped to Texas A&M. He wasn’t shy about looking around while committed to the Seminoles and took a few official visits. Hunter took his official visit to College Station in early October and the coaching staff stayed on him until he flipped on Wednesday.

6. Four-star DB Gregory Brooks Jr. flips to Arkansas from Mississippi State

Brooks committed to Mississippi State in June but Arkansas, which came in second the first time around, never backed off. The persistence of Razorbacks head coach Chad Morris paid off and he ended up flipping the Louisiana native at the beginning of the Early Signing Period.

MORE: Brooks flips to Arkansas | Louisiana four-star flips from Miss. State

7. Three-star DB Briton Allen flips to USC from Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech reeled in Allen's commitment about a month ago even though a coaching change was in progress. USC capitalized on that uncertainty and got Allen to change his mind on Wednesday.

MORE: USC flips Georgia Tech commit

8. Three-star QB Evan Conley flips to Louisville from Appalachian State

Generally a flip from a program like Appalachian State to a Power Five program isn't considered a significant recruiting coup but it is clear that new Cardinals head coach Scott Satterfield knows who he wants running his offense. Satterfield recruited Conley to Appalachian State and now he is bringing him to Louisville.

MORE: Louisville lands Conley

9. Three-star RB Aaron Young flips to Rutgers from Michigan State

Young committed to Michigan State in late October with Rutgers, Northwestern, Arkansas, and Penn State in his final group. The Scarlet Knights did not back off and having his brother on the team certainly helped bring Young back into the picture.

MORE: Commitment Analysis: Aaron Young to Rutgers | Young flips to Rutgers

10. Three-star ATH Ty DeArman flips to Oklahoma from Arizona State

A long-time commit to Arizona State, DeArman made the signing day flip to Oklahoma. The Sooners needed to add a safety to this class and they turned to the Sun Devil commit that had camped with Oklahoma earlier in the year.

MORE: DeArman is a Signing Day surprise for Sooners

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