Who could be impacted by Bryce Young's decision to flip?
Sir Isaac Newton’s third law of physics states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. And while Newton wasn’t known for his love of football recruiting, his principles can easily be applied to the reaction a major commit can have on the recruiting landscape.
Over the weekend, Rivals100 California quarterback Bryce Young flipped his commitment from USC to Alabama, a move that will send reverberations across the college football recruiting landscape. Today, we examine the programs that could be impacted by his decision.
RELATED: Bryce Young flips from USC to Alabama
CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals100 | Position | Team | State
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USC
This one is pretty obvious, as the Trojans now have to move on and make a decision whether or not to take a quarterback in the class of 2020. With JT Daniels redshirting and true freshman Kedon Slovis emerging as a viable option, USC fans should feel better about the depth at the position going forward than they did entering the season.
Softening the blow of losing Young was the Monday night commitment of elite 2021 quarterback Jake Garcia, the Trojans' No. 1 target in the class. Garcia was also waiting to see how things played out with Young, and his pledge to Alabama now sets him up to be the Trojans' quarterback-in-waiting.
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OREGON
The Ducks already have one quarterback commit in the 2020 class in Jay Butterfield, but are also believed to be in good shape for CJ Stroud, the top uncommitted pro-style quarterback in the country.
While Stroud is still looking at options such as Cal, Baylor and Utah, among others, USC is now a wild card. Could the Trojans turn up the heat and try to keep Stroud close to home and make sure they have a quarterback in the class to safeguard against potential transfers? That would impact the Ducks and perhaps send them on a hunt for another prospect at the position.
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MIAMI
The U wasn’t in on Young, but had made a concerted effort to woo Garcia over the last few months, including hosting him for a visit in June. While it’s likely the Hurricanes will continue to recruit him, especially if there’s a coaching change at USC after the season, flipping him now will be an uphill battle.
The only good thing about Young making his decision now and Garcia quickly following suit is that the Hurricanes have plenty of time to turn up the heat on other 2021 quarterbacks.
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GEORGIA
The Bulldogs have never really been a factor with Young, but there could be some trickle-down effect, similar to with Oregon. The Bulldogs have been looking at adding another quarterback to this year’s class, and according to high three-star Hawaiian quarterback Jayden De Laura, the Bulldogs have been in regular contact. De Laura, one of the highest-ranked uncommitted prospects behind Stroud, is still waiting for his first Power Five offer, but has been putting up big numbers this season at St. Louis High School, Marcus Mariota’s alma mater. DeLaura would covet an offer from USC as well, and if the Trojans enter the mix it could provide some stiff competition for De Laura’s services down the road.