2014 College Football Recruits with the Softest Commitments

This is the time of year when college coaches start to put pressure on prospects they want to flip.

So commitments start to weaken around this time of the cycle as recruits who have been pledged to a program for a long time start to have second thoughts. Others get cold feet with signing day so close, while some recruits take a last-minute trip that opens their eyes to another program.

Whatever the case may be, not all commitments are firm right now. Ole Miss will learn its fate with a safety on Friday, while a pair of Big Ten schools are trying to strengthen the pledge from their class' headliner. Plus, a trio of sleepers headed to Pac-12 schools are looking around.

Player evaluations are based on review of tape at Scout.com, Rivals and 247Sports.

Olajuwon Tucker, LB

247Sports

Commitment: USC

A 3-star linebacker, Olajuwon Tucker is one of the most athletic defensive players in the country. At 6'4" and 220 pounds, he has great speed and range to make plays all over the field.

USC got his pledge in October, but things are not set in stone. Tucker took a trip to Washington State earlier this month, and he will visit Miami in January, says 247Sports. The Trojans may be getting a tad bit nervous. 

C.J. Hampton, S

247Sports

Commitment: Ole Miss

Among the most talented defensive players in the 2014 class, C.J. Hampton is a coveted recruit. The 6'1", 195-pounder can do it all from the seams, so it's not a shock many schools are trying to flip him from Ole Miss.

Friday appears to be the day the Rebels finally find out what Hampton's going to do, as Yancy Porter of Scout.com (subscription required) reports that is when the 4-star safety will make his final decision. 

Alabama, Florida State and Arkansas are the main threats to Ole Miss. 

Craig Evans, DT

247Sports

Commitment: Wisconsin

Craig Evans, a 4-star defensive tackle, continues to be listed as a "soft" commit to Wisconsin by 247Sports. 

Evans did express interest in Arkansas to Scout.com (subscription required) in September, but that was before defensive line coach Charlie Partridge bolted Fayetteville to become the head coach at Florida Atlantic. 

At this point, if Evans' pledge was firm, he would have come out and said it. However, he continues to let the uncertainty around his relationship with the Badgers linger, which leads one to believe that his commitment is not strong.

Kalen Ballage, ATH

247Sports

Commitment: Arizona State

Listed as a "soft" pledge to Arizona State by 247Sports, 4-star athlete Kalen Ballage is a good football player. The Colorado native is 6'2" and 215 pounds and has good straight-line speed.

The Sun Devils are going to have to fight for Ballage down the stretch, as Nebraska is after him, according to Bryan Munson of BigRedReport.com (subscription required). Ballage recently hosted the Cornhuskers for an in-home visit. Plus, he took a trip to Lincoln last week.

Koa Farmer, S

Commitment: California

Koa Farmer is a talented 3-star safety from California who is 6'1" and 200 pounds. He has seen his stock rise in the past few months, which has weakened his commitment to Cal.

Farmer is listed as a "soft" commit to the Bears by 247Sports. He's scheduled to visit Berkeley in January, but he will also take a trip to Vanderbilt, says 247Sports. 

USC, Utah and UCLA also remain in the mix. 

Jeff Jones, RB

Commitment: Minnesota

The recruitment of 4-star running back Jeff Jones continues, as he is still a "soft" pledge to Minnesota, according to 247Sports. The 5'11", 196-pounder is not only an in-state recruit for the Gophers, he's also the headliner of their class.

Yet Jones recently took a trip to Iowa State, according to Allen Trieu of Scout.com (subscription required). The Gophers have to be sweating about Jones' status.

2014 Bleacher Report College Football Recruiting Heat Map

Use the 2014 Bleacher Report College Football Recruiting Heat Map to track players whose commitments are soft right now!

Edwin Weathersby is the College Football Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. He has worked in scouting/player personnel departments for three professional football teams, including the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns.