Justice Hayes, Top Decommitments and College Football Recruits Who May Jump Ship

Decommitments are part of the game in college football.

For those of us who follow the scene closely, a commitment is a lot like getting engaged. It's a huge step toward a union, but there's still plenty of wiggle room to get out of it.

In the 2011 recruiting class, no team has been spurned quite as badly as Notre Dame, with three major decommitments in the last month that have turned a once-stellar recruiting class into one in danger of crumbling. 

Here are the top 10 decommitments for the 2011 recruiting class, as well as five big-time prospects that are wavering on their decisions and could be the next to jump ship. 

No. 5 Wavering: Albert Louis-Jean, S, Miami (Updated)

Louis-Jean is best known for his ability to land a big hit, and he's the type of player that's just waiting to put an opponent to rest. 

His coverage skills are as good as anyone's, and his speed is truly elite. He has the potential to be a star at either cornerback or safety, but based on his tackling ability, he seems best suited for the safety position.

Louis-Jean visited Penn State earlier this month and while he reaffirmed his commitment to Miami after the visit and tried to brush off the incident, logic says he's probably looking around. 

Update: Louis-Jean decommitted from Miami

No. 4 Wavering: Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Miami (Updated)

Bridgewater is the next great quarterback from Miami Northwestern High School, and if you had to compare him to anyone it would be UM quarterback Jacory Harris, who was the starter at Northwestern before Bridgewater.

They both throw an accurate ball, have great pocket presence, will stand in the face of pressure till the last second, are mobile and can throw on the run when the pocket collapses.

If you have no doubt that Bridgewater isn't wavering on his commitment to Miami, his September comments to Scout.com should change your mind.

"It is a strong commitment," he said. "Well, I would say it's not completely strong because I'm still considering a few other schools."

Update: Bridgewater decommitted from Miami 

No. 3 Wavering: Herschel Sims, RB, Oklahoma State

He's the definition of a home-run hitter and is one of the most exciting players to watch in the country. It seems like he only plays better the bigger the stage is and gains momentum throughout a game rather than wearing down like some backs.

Sims is on the small side at a generous listing of 5'9" and 190 lbs, but when you're drawing comparisons to LaDainian Tomlinson, that isn't something to be too worried about.

The 5-star back created quite a stir when he was quoted by a TCU website a couple of weeks ago as saying he is now a soft verbal to Oklahoma State and is considering the Horned Frogs.

The topic buzzed even more when he didn't refute the claim in an interview with Scout.com over the weekend. 

No. 2 Wavering: La'El Collins, OT, LSU

At 6'5", 285 lbs, Collins is 15-20 pounds away from being an off-the-charts prospect at left tackle. His strength, athleticism and blocking skill are about as good as anyone's in the class.

Collins excels at both pass-blocking and run support and does a great job of getting to the second level. He also has that bit of nasty you like to see in offensive linemen—not to mention great character and a motor that runs hard every single play.

The longtime LSU commitment took a trip to Auburn a couple of weeks ago and while he's still sticking with his in-state team, Collins revealed that Auburn is in the picture as well now. 

No. 1 Wavering: De'Anthony Thomas, CB/RB, USC

Thomas' future is at cornerback first and running back second, but he has the potential to be a star on both sides of the field. At 5'9" and 170 lbs, he might not have the size to hold up as a running back on the college level, but he definitely has the skill-set to be a force. 

He's a legitimate 5-star prospect on either side of the field. Thomas' vision, speed, elusiveness, balance and surprising power make him one of the most dangerous rushers in the country. It wouldn't be surprising at all to see him play both ways on the next level. 

Thomas went from a solid verbal to a soft verbal and now back to a solid verbal for USC, but he recently said that he'll "take a couple of phone calls" from other suitors trying to pry him away. He also didn't specify if he would stay solid with his commitment to USC. 

No. 10 Decommitment: Javares McRoy, WR, Texas Tech to Florida

At 5'9" and 165 lbs, McRoy is on the small side but makes up with it with incredible speed and elusiveness. He can change directions about as well as anyone in the country and will cause headaches for defenses regularly.

If he was bigger and more polished, McRoy would likely have been a 5-star prospect, but a good senior year could see that happen regardless of his size. He's one of the best playmakers out there and a name to keep track of.

He was Texas Tech's first commitment for the class of 2011 when he originally committed back in December 2009. In June he decided to change his mind and switched his commitment from the Red Raiders to the Gators.

No. 9 Decommitment: Lonnie Gosha, DT, Florida State to Uncommitted

Lonnie Gosha is on the small side for a defensive tackle at 6'3", 245 lbs, but he plays a lot bigger than he's listed and is actually quite good at taking on the double team. 

An athletic prospect against both the run and the pass, Gosha needs to bulk up in order to deal with the wear and tear playing in the trenches will involve.

He originally committed to FSU in March of 2010, but he's quickly become one of the most coveted defensive lineman in the state of Florida—which prompted his decommittment the following month so that he could visit other schools officially.

FSU, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and LSU are his top choices at the moment.

No. 8 Decommitment: Cortez Davis, S, Florida State to Clemson

Davis is a 4-star safety ranked No. 13 at his position by Rivals. He entered his junior year with a lot of buzz after two very productive seasons as a freshman and sophomore but disappointed somewhat and failed to live up to his expectations.

He's a a good tackler and has solid instincts, but the playmaking ability he displayed earlier in his career has been absent of late. At 6'4" and 204 lbs, he has the athleticism to play either corner or safety, so it'll be interesting to see where he fits in at the next level.

He's been jumping ship between Clemson and Florida, originally committing to the Tigers in October of 2009, then decommitting and opting for the Seminoles in February before finally decommitting yet again and rejoining the Tigers.

No. 7 Decommitment: Eric MacLain, TE/OT, Tennessee to Clemson

McLain is a 4-star talent regardless of the label you put on him. He's Scout's No. 28 offensive tackle, but that's an outdated ranking as he's recently lost nearly 30 lbs to get himself into tight-end shape for his senior year, as well as get ready for what Clemson plans to do with him at the collegiate level.

Rivals ranks him as the No. 4 tight end in the country and that seems more like it. At 6'4" and 245 lbs, he's got a huge natural frame that is nearly ideal for the position. He may be a little on the short side if you're talking elite tight ends, but he makes up for it with huge, tree-trunk arms, great body control and a solid set of hands.

He was a longtime Tennessee commitment and has lived within walking distance of the campus for nearly a decade. But in February 2009, he changed his plans and decommitted from the Vols and eventually committed to Clemson in April 2010.

No. 6 Decommitment: Chris Barnett, TE, Oklahoma to Arkansas

Barnett is one of the top tight ends in the country and is one of the most versatile athletes in the class. He played both sides of the ball as a running back, receiver, tight end, quarterback, offensive lineman, defensive lineman, linebacker and even safety.

Of course, most of his minutes and production came as a tight end, but it speaks volumes toward his abilities as a football player that he was able to succeed in so many different roles. As a tight end, he's the all-around package and one of the best pass-catchers in the nation.

Barnett originally committed to Oklahoma in February of 2009, but as his stock began to rise, he changed his mind and decided to keep his options open before eventually committing to Arkansas in October.

No. 5 Decommitment: Jordan Prestwood, OT, Notre Dame to Florida State

At 6'6" and 265 lbs, Jordon Prestwood has the building blocks of an elite prospect. He's got the size, the wingspan, the footwork and the intelligence to one day develop into a top-tier offensive tackle.

He's on the raw side and will be a bit of a project, but there's no denying that he's a top-10 talent at the offensive tackle position. 

Prestwood was the first of a wave of Notre Dame decommitments, leaving the team in November for Florida State and seemingly opening the floodgates after his departure. 

No. 4 Decommitment: Mustafa Jalil, DT, San Diego State to California

Once Jalil straps on his helmet and hits the field, this defensive tackle is a behemoth in the middle who just dominates his opponents with strength and athletic ability.

He's raw and needs a lot of work on his technique, but the instincts, power and mean streak are there. Watching the way he handles offensive lineman at the high school level, as if they were children, will instantly draw your attention.

He was San Diego State's first commitment back in November 2009 but decided to go the route of a big-time school instead. Jalil decommitted in April 2010 for a chance to play for Cal and become a Golden Bear.

No. 3 Decommitment: Justice Hayes, RB, Notre Dame to Michigan

Hayes is a nifty running back who uses his vision, elusiveness and deadly cut-back ability to mask his shortcomings in the speed and size department. At 5'10" and 180 lbs, he's definitely on the small side. But he plays like a bigger player and really excels moving in space.

His best quality is probably the way he's able to avoid tacklers and juke opponents with subtle, slight shifts in movement without wasting time and energy the way other backs do.

Hayes originally committed to Notre Dame in July but switched his commitment to Michigan earlier this month. 

No. 2 Decommitment: Aaron Lynch, DE, Notre Dame to Florida State

Lynch has the talent to play on either side of the ball. He plays both tight end and defensive end at the high school level and could potentially succeed at either in college. 

At 6'5" and 255 lbs, he's got ideal size for defensive end and has great burst off the line of scrimmage. With his level of athleticism and versatility, Lynch is a very intriguing prospect.

Lynch committed to Notre Dame in July, just one day after Justice Hayes committed, but like Hayes, he decommitted from the Irish as well and committed to Florida State earlier this month. 

No. 1 Decommitment: Brandon Williams, RB, Baylor to Oklahoma

Williams is a great all-around running back who contributes not only in the running game but also as a legitimate weapon in the passing game. He doesn't have elite size or speed but makes up for it with a gamer's mentality and playing style.

The biggest question about his game is his ability to break tackles as, right now, he often goes down on first contact.

Williams originally committed to Baylor in February 2009 and would have been the headliner of their 2011 recruiting class, but it just wasn't meant to be. He jumped ship for Oklahoma in April of 2010.