Tough weekend on recruiting trail for some fantastic for others, Florida takes a hit
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
Wins and losses in sports is all about where one hitches their proverbial horse. Over the weekend, 10 ranked players in the 2024 class alone decommitted making it a rough couple of days for affected coaching staffs. On the other side of the ball, new opportunities are on the horizon for other college football programs with some players already finding a new home.
The change in plans was jump started on Friday when three-star Huntington Beach (Cali.) offensive tackle Justin Tauanuu left Stanford’s 2024 class. That was followed by three-star Holmes C.C. WR Jarvis Rush (Goodman, Miss.) leaving Southern Miss’s’ class, Mater Dei Catholic (Cali.) CB Isaiah Buxton turning away from Arizona, and three-star Goshen (Ala.) running back Jamauri McClure looking for options away from South Alabama.
The big fireworks came on Saturday when the Florida Gators lost four-star WDE Jamonta Waller (Miss.), who is now committed to Auburn. The next hit for the Gators came on Sunday when four-star CB Wardell Mack (Louis.) decommitted and quickly announced his commitment to the Texas Longhorns.
On Sunday, four more three-star prospects decommitted, CB Ziggy Holloway (Georgia Southern), TE Dominic DeLuca (Temple), DL Kevin Norwood (South Alabama), and CB Jaren Sensabaugh (Vanderbilt).
Mack and Waller were not the only ones to name a new next level fit on the same day as of his decommitment, Justin Tauanuu switched his pledge from Stanford to USC.
Some other notable 2024 players dropped their commitment over the weekend with Florida State landing four-star cornerback Jamari Howard, Auburn securing Holmes C.C. safety Laquan Robinson, and Oklahoma State wrapping up Junipero Serra (Cali.) three-star QB Maealiuaki Smith.
The seniors were not the only ones getting in on the recruiting action this weekend, the 2025 class also made some noise. On Friday, Missouri lost three-star defensive lineman Juju Marks, in-state four-star offensive tackle Nick Brooks walked away from the Hawkeyes, and three-star Texas safety Joseph Albright said goodbye to Arizona State.
The biggest change of heart along the recruiting trail happened on Sunday when five-star Florida receiver Winston Watkins Jr. decommitted from Colorado. Going forward in Watkins’ recruitment, watch out for Ohio State, Texas, Florida State, Florida, Miami, and Oregon.