4-Star RB Devwah Whaley Opens Up on UGA Decommitment, Recruiting Plans
When news first broke of Mark Richt getting dismissed by Georgia, one of the first recruits to express his displeasure was 4-star running back Devwah Whaley. He made it very obvious he wasn't happy, and his commitment status may be affected by the move.
"I didn't see this coming at all," Whaley told Bleacher Report following the Nov. 29 announcement. And when he was asked if the coaching move could potentially make him reconsider his options, he didn't hesitate with his answer.
"Yes, it does shake things up," he said.
On Monday, the Beaumont, Texas, standout officially parted ways with Georgia. He thanked the coaching staff for its efforts and then publicly announced he would explore his options, via Twitter.
"When Coach Richt got fired, it just wasn't feeling the same," Whaley said Monday night. "He was a big part of why I chose UGA, and it just didn't feel the same."
Whaley, the nation's No. 4 running back in the 2016 class, committed to Georgia on Thanksgiving. Three days later, Georgia announced the firing of Richt. Georgia formally introduced new head coach Kirby Smart on Monday but also happened to lose a key commit in an offense that's been geared toward producing a quality run game.
Georgia now has 16 commits in its 2016 class, including 5-star quarterback Jacob Eason and 4-star running back Elijah Holyfield. Eason, from Lake Stevens, Washington, is a player to watch, as he's still committed to the Bulldogs but also is very interested in Florida, according to David Krueger of the Everett (Washington) Herald. Holyfield, from Atlanta, is still committed and was looking forward to teaming up with Whaley to form a new 1-2 running punch.
Whaley's decommitment now leaves the question: What next? The 6'0", 209-pound back has 21 reported offers, but Georgia, Arkansas and Texas were among the schools he was still interested in. Whaley originally was scheduled to take an official visit to Texas this weekend, but he will instead stay home to take the ACT. He took an official visit to Arkansas in November.
One school that Whaley's been linked to is Miami, primarily because Richt accepted the head coaching position with the Hurricanes and was formally introduced last Friday. Whaley set the record straight Monday regarding any potential rumor.
"I have not had any contact with them," he said.
As far as a new decision goes, Whaley said he will take his time and re-evaluate his options. The winning school gets an athlete who rushed for 1,530 yards and 21 touchdowns this season, according to the Beaumont Enterprise. He rushed for nearly 3,800 yards in three varsity seasons.
Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles.
