National Signing Day 2012: Top Committed Recruits That Should Look Elsewhere

National signing day is less than a week away, and that is when recruits will sign their national letter of intent to different schools. While several elite recruits have made verbal commitments to top college football programs, a few of them are going to make mistakes because they'd have more success in their college career at some other school. 

De-committing from schools is a growing trend in college football recruiting, and while we will see more of that happen this year, a lot of recruits will stick to their word. 

Still, that doesn't necessarily mean they're headed to the best school for them. With that said, here are three recruits that should decommit and pick a different school. 

Shaq Thompson, S 

This 5-star defensive back decommitted from Cal, but ended up committing to the Bears again. Once recruiting coordinator Tosh Lupoi left, though, Thompson was right back on the fence, thinking about leaving the Golden Bears once again. 

Thompson told Tara Turnure of FOX Sports that he is "50-50 between Cal and Washington."

According to The Oregonian, Thompson was tweeting back and forth with former Ducks running back LaMichael James. 

He has no clue where he wants to go, which is why he's better off leaving Cal for some other school. If Cal was really the place for him, he wouldn't be so wishy-washy about everything. 

What's more, the Golden Bears aren't even that good. Washington would be a better fit for Thompson, but it's Oregon that is the best destination for Thompson. If he wants to win, he'll dump Cal for the Ducks because Oregon is building a national powerhouse that will continue to win big for years to come.

Cal, on the other hand, will continue to be mediocre at best.  

Johnathan Gray, RB 

Let me start by saying Gray isn't likely to go anywhere. He committed to the Longhorns back in April of 2011, and he's from the state of Texas. 

However, I still think he'd have a better career by going to a different school. There's no denying Gray has skills—he's the No. 1 running back by ESPN and Rivals. Still, the Longhorns have great young talent at running back, and Gray could find it difficult to earn playing time. Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron are rising sophomores who carried the load for Texas this past season.

True, neither were dominant nor overly impressive, but they both didn't play a full season. Gray has the skills to compete for the starting job, but both Brown and Bergeron have the upper hand and are much more likely to see the field than he is. 

Gray also received offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor and TCU. He has potential to be a star at Texas, but it's very likely he gets buried on the depth chart. He could go elsewhere to get a better chance at starting right away. 

Cyrus Jones, ATH 

Nick Saban has 27 verbally committed players for the Alabama Crimson Tide's 2012 recruiting class, and since he isn't done, there are going to be some problems. 

I don't think Jones will be affected by this, but what does hurt him is the fact Alabama has several other talented athletes already. 

Listed at 5'11" and 185 pounds, Jones is likely to play cornerback at the college level. He has the skills to play wide receiver and running back as well. 

Jones would benefit from flipping to a school that isn't stockpiled with recruits that are just like him. What's more, the Crimson Tide's roster is loaded with players similar to his style, which will hurt his chances of seeing the field of play until later in his career. 

Other schools like Auburn, Stanford and Notre Dame might have been a better landing spot for Jones, but Saban enticed him to come play in Tuscaloosa. When you keep winning the big games, the recruiting gets easier.

Still, Jones would likely seen more action if he where to pick a different school. Instead he'll have to prove himself at Alabama, which won't be easy with such a deep roster.