Life as a 2-Star: What It's Like to Get Your Offer Yanked, and What Happens Next

The school D.J. Charles was committed to play for had just hired one of the biggest names and brightest minds in all of football. Lane Kiffin—the Lane Kiffin—had agreed to become the next head coach of Florida Atlantic University.        

Getting an offer from FAU had been a big break for Charles in the first place. It was the best offer he'd gotten when he accepted the verbal agreement. And while he hadn't originally committed to play under Kiffin, he loved the idea of it.

"I was very excited," says Charles, a senior safety at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida, reflecting back on the change. "He was coming from one of the top programs in college, winning championships and doing big things. I was excited to have him as my head coach."

But then Kiffin didn't call. And neither did his brother, Chris Kiffin, who took over as the team's defensive coordinator.

No one called, for that matter. The initial excitement began to morph into concern.

Eventually, Chris Kiffin reached out on Twitter, and the two exchanged messages. According to Charles, Kiffin asked him why he decommitted from FAU. Charles told Kiffin he had not, uncertain where that information had come from. Kiffin said he would get back to Charles after they reviewed film and transcripts.

"Once I heard that," Charles says, "I got a sense that something was wrong."

It was not until Charles' father, Lebert, reached out to the program that the family learned their son no longer held a scholarship offer.

"I spoke to someone—not anyone on the coaching staff—to find out what was going on," Lebert Charles says. "They told me then that D.J. didn't have an offer. I was shocked. I didn't say anything. I just hung up the phone.

"To this day, no one has [called D.J.] or called me to let us know what was going on."

And that's when it finally sank in.

Image courtesy of D.J. Charles

Every year, you hear stories like this—stories about coaches yanking offers, with kids left not knowing what to do, where to turn.

This year, Charles realized, the story would be about him.

You do not know of D.J. Charles, nor should you be expected to. He is one of many football players around the country who have experienced how brutal recruiting can be.

Charles is a 5'10", 193-pound senior who is listed as an athlete. Though he's played many positions over the past four years, he's expected to play safety at the next level.

While defense might be his focus, Charles owns the longest touchdown in his high school's history—a 99-yard run that showcased what he is capable of: speed, wiggle, versatility and even some power. Not elite speed, not elite power, not elite wiggle. But he's a good, if not great, high school talent.

Charles is listed as a 2-star prospect on Scout.com, which is where his story truly begins. In recruiting, the conversation usually starts here.

He was not recruited by Alabama or Florida State. He was pursued by Central Arkansas and Eastern Kentucky and eventually FAU after he visited the school for a camp.

His decision to commit came with a certain bit of pressure. FAU didn't want him to wait.

"They came and told me they had one more roster spot left for a scholarship," Charles says. "I could commit now and take it, or it could be taken. That's when I committed."

Charlie Partridge was fired as FAU's football coach not long after, with national signing day closing in. When Partridge was removed, Charles reached out to two FAU assistants to see if he still held an offer. Neither could make any promises, and both were eventually let go.

Kiffin was hired Dec. 13, and thus began a transition that is never seamless or easy. Not long after, Charles' father found out his son would have to play elsewhere.

The story is not particularly unique. Charles is a symbol of what college football recruiting is like for the silent majority of hopeful athletes around the country. It's not the parade of cookie cakes, hat ceremonies and nationally televised announcements that it is for the elite of the elite.

The red carpet isn't usually laid out for most, who must scratch and claw their way through a delicate and unforgiving process to find a football home. And even then, it's sometimes not enough.

Charles is not the first player to have a scholarship pulled with signing day near, and he certainly won't be the last.

Across all levels, and even more so now given the fact that job security for collegiate head coaches is at an all-time low, these situations occur. Each time a coaching change is made, a new coach must come in and evaluate a group of young men he inherited.

"It happens a lot, and each situation is different," one Division I coach says. "The hardest one for me would be a coach coming in late, trying to honor kids you didn't recruit. I probably just have to take that guy because he's turned down other opportunities. Each case really is different."

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

This is occasionally how it goes—as it did with Charles—though not all offers are pulled because of a change in leadership. The practice happens regularly with the same staff in place that offered the scholarship.

"You've got schools throwing out 400 offers," the coach says. "How can you offer literally 400 kids with limited spots? Many of these offers just don't mean anything. An offer at this point means, 'I really like you,' and that just drives me crazy. It's the world we're in now."

Beyond these practices, there's a reality that the majority of high school football players around the country must face: They are one of many trying to find a place to prolong their career and get an education.

Of the 5,678 players with a 2017 recruiting profile on Scout.com, only 398 players were rated as a 4-star player or higher—seven percent of its overall pool. Dig even deeper into these rankings, and only 1,795 prospects were rated as a 3-star player or higher.

This is another world entirely. These are players holding out hope for Division I offers but facing a more likely reality of playing in Division II or III. As a result, many of them are also expendable in the eyes of coaches.

The 5-star quarterback never has to worry about his offer being pulled. He is a high-end item. But if this quarterback commits unexpectedly to a program, and the class is nearly full, what is there to do?

The 4-star offensive tackle isn't going anywhere. Neither is that 3-star defensive back. But someone has to. This scale shifts for teams that don't regularly attract 4- and 5-star players—the majority of football programs around the country, including schools such as FAU—but the practice does not.

In the instance of Charles, he landed on his feet quickly. While initially upset with the decision, which was only natural, he didn't let it drive him into the ground at this critical time. Even if he didn't quite understand why, he handled it with maturity beyond his years.

Even now, he holds no grudge. He has no animosity toward the school or its current coach.

"I think my dad was far more upset than I was," Charles says.

After he found out he no longer held an offer, he began calling schools to see if they had room.

The Orlando Sentinel published a story about his situation, which helped jumpstart a late, second round of interest.

One particular spot that intrigued him was Campbell University—a Division I FCS program in North Carolina and a member of the Pioneer Football League. One of Charles' teammates had visited the school and loved his time there. Charles visited not long after.

"I felt comfortable there and really loved what the coaches were saying," Charles says. "They sold me on the program and how I fit in. It felt good knowing I had schools that still wanted me. The coaches talked about the offer being told, and they said it shouldn't have happened. They don't know what they're missing."

Charles announced his commitment to Campbell on Jan. 30. It was a satisfying moment, even if the fallout of his original commitment still lingered.

"It was depressing, but at the same time, I know the business," Charles says. "That's recruiting. That's how it can go. It's what the coaches have to do. I could feel something like this coming, but you never really expect it to happen."

No one can expect this to happen, but it does.

UConn head coach Randy Edsall was the antagonist in a similar incident back in January, when he reportedly told linebacker Ryan Dickens—who had committed to Bob Diaco six months before the coach was fired in December—that he no longer had an offer.

Other coaches have done the same thing.

This practice isn't about them or Edsall or Kiffin, who could not be reached for comment. Coaches know how quickly their football lives can change if they do not deliver, which is why they make these decisions.

It does not justify them. It does, however, highlight a difficult reality for the thousands of young athletes looking for somewhere to play. Recruiting has never been for the faint of heart. For a 2-star recruit like Charles, it's a constant struggle up until the moment a letter of intent is signed.

Until then, there are verbal agreements and handshakes. Without binding obligations, coaches (and players) are free to do as they wish.

The timeline is what makes everything so uncomfortable, especially given that the firing and hiring season falls so close to national signing day.

It worked out for Charles. He landed in an environment he feels comfortable in and is at peace with the past few months. But he has seen a different side of recruiting—and can now offer advice for others to follow.

"All the schools that offer may not have that scholarship ready," Charles says. "Relationships and contacts are key. Have that relationship with the coach."

But even then, it might not be enough.