The Daily Gamecock

Column: Recruits have commitment issues

In the 2017 football recruiting cycle alone, 630 (and counting) players have decommitted from coaches and teams after announcing their verbal commitments. By the time you read this, that number could be up to 650, or maybe even 700. That's because high schoolers are dishonoring their pledges at an unprecedented rate this cycle, as was the case with the 2016 class.

To put it in perspective, the 2016 cycle saw 249 decommitments. Just a year before, 120 players left their original schools, five times fewer than what we're seeing now.

In 2010, that number was just four.

Every recruit has the right to decommit, whether it be due to coaching changes or simply a change of heart. I totally understand that. But commitments seem to mean a lot less now than they may have a few years ago. To me, when someone commits, he has the intention of attending whatever school he's chosen. However, recruits are continuing to flirt with other schools after their commitment, which doesn't really feel like commitment to me. 

This isn't to criticize any one particular player, but in following South Carolina recruiting, I've seen a few examples of this. 

The most heartbreaking example for South Carolina fans came earlier this week, when four-star safetyHamsah Nasirildeen announced his decommitment from the Gamecocks and that he would sign with Florida State. Nasirildeen committed to the Gamecocks in August, but he took an official visit to Tallahassee during the fall.

With Nasirildeen out of the class, South Carolina has shifted its focus to its class's top-ranked player, defensive back Jamyest Williams, who is being heavily pursued by Georgia. Williams was on an official visit in Athens this past weekend, and his dad posted on Facebook that he thinks his son is split 50-50 between the Gamecocks and Bulldogs. The younger Williams posted on Twitter that he wouldn't be doing interviews until Feb. 1 when he makes his "final decision."

That's everything I don't like about recruiting. When you make your commitment, that is supposed to be your final decision. There's nothing wrong with waiting until signing day to make your decision. Several players in each cycle do that; that's what the day is for. However, the day isn't for backing out of a commitment and signing with a new school. 

The only explanation I can come up with for such a sudden spike in decommittments is the attention commits get on social media. Almost all commitments are announced on Twitter now, giving recruits an opportunity to grab their 15 minutes of fame. I'm not suggesting that players make commitments with the intention of decommitting, but the extra attention they receive after announcing their decision could influence an early commitment. 

When I think of the true definition of commitment, tight end Will Register comes to mind. Register committed to South Carolina in June 2015 and has never wavered, taking no official visits despite offers from Tennessee, Michigan, Clemson and others. 

Whether players like Williams flip or not from schools across the country, commitments have changed for the worse. Without decommitting, it doesn't feel right for players to be talking about making their "final decision." Either commit 100 percent like Register, or don't commit until you're ready to stop pursuing other options. There shouldn't be a middle ground. 


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