College Football Recruiting: 5 Switches and Decommitments We'll Never Forget

I just wanted to take a look back today at some past events in recruiting history. For this, I'm going to give you five decommitments or "switches," if you will, that we'll never forget. These have incredible shock value, making them memorable.

Decommitting and switching has become a norm in college football recruiting, but yet, it's still always surprising when they occur. The five, being shockers, involve some of the big names that we all know for good or bad reasons.

Here we go. 

5. Chris Simms to Texas by Way of Tennessee

At 6'4", 225 pounds, Simms was the prized son of former Giants QB Phil Simms. He was the prize of the '99 class. The lefty had a golden arm, accuracy and everything you wanted in a QB.

Simms pledged to Tennessee during the 1999 recruiting cycle, and Rocky Top was booming. But a few weeks later, Mack Brown swooped in and snatched up Simms, taking him to Texas.

I'm not sure if Tennessee fans look back at that as a bad thing nowadays. 

4. Marvin Simmons

Marvin Simmons was hailed as the top linebacker in the country in 2001 as he was a brutal hitting, extremely fast and athletic prep prospect..

Simmons committed to UCLA as a junior, but he never really had the grades to qualify to head to Westwood. So during his senior year at Long Beach Poly, Simmons switched to USC, but his grades still weren't too good.

Simmons failed to qualify to get into USC, opting to go to Compton College where he dominated. Again, everyone  thought he was bound for USC, but then, K-State DC Bret Bielema, now head man at Wisconsin, got word of Simmons and convinced Simmons to visit Manhattan, where he eventually signed.

3. Cadillac Williams to Auburn over Tennessee

In 2001, the 5'11", 200-pound Cadillac was one of the top players in the country.

Big time in Alabama, Williams committed to Tennessee, and you would have figured he was firm on playing in Knoxville. Nope!

Tommy Tuberville kept recruiting Cadillac and never gave up. Tuberville sealed the deal during a late home visit to Williams' home, finally convincing him to stay home and play at Auburn.

A few days later, Williams signed with the Tigers over the Vols and became a top-five pick.

2. Brent Calloway to Alabama Then Auburn Then Alabama Again

A young shocker—but a shocker nonetheless.

Calloway, a Russellville, AL, native pledged to Alabama early in the process and remained solid through his senior season in high school. Calloway felt he was a future college running back, but the Tide saw him as a linebacker.

That didn't line up with the plan Calloway had for his career, and it irritated him. Soon after, a rift began to increase, and on the morning of the Army game in January, Calloway announced a decommitment from Alabama.

He committed to Auburn only a few seconds later. As NSD approached, Calloway started having second thoughts—or really third thoughts I should say.

On the morning of national signing day 2011, he signed with Alabama.

1. Lorenzo Booker Switching to Florida State on Live TV

Booker had a core four of Florida State, Notre Dame, Washington and USC. He was a FSU fan, but USC fans wanted him bad to began a new era for Trojan football.

Ty Willingham got the Notre Dame job and immediately went hard after Booker. Some even argue that Booker committed to Notre Dame on the morning of NSD in 2002.

Yet, on live television, and in the most shocking NSD moment in history, Booker broke down crying when speaking of his recruitment. He spoke on how he loved Notre Dame but cried out about how he must attend Florida State.