5-Star RB Herschel Sims: Does TCU, Coaching Have Him Wavering On Oklahoma State?

Five-star running back Herschel Sims, the No. 8 prospect at his position in the 2011 recruiting class, committed to Oklahoma State back in April. But in recent weeks, he's given the Cowboys and their fans reason to be nervous.

Sims created quite a stir when he was quoted by a TCU website in November as saying he was 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 shortly after. 

On Monday it was reported that Oklahoma running backs coach Robert Gillespie would be joining former Cowboys offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Dana Holgorsen at West Virginia. 

Must Read: 2011 Recruiting: Where Are the Top 10 Running Backs Headed?

Considering that Gillespie had played a major role in Sims recruitment to Oklahoma State, the news came as quite a shock to both Sims and the Cowboys 4-star quarterback commit J.W. Walsh, both of whom are playing in Saturday's U.S. Army All-American Bowl. 

“I actually went up [Walsh] and told him [about Gillespie leaving] and he was actually in shock,” Sims said in an interview with Scout.com. “He was upset, but he was telling me to try not to think about it too much and just enjoy this week and go back and talk to my family."

While Sims maintains that he's still committed to Oklahoma State and will probably end up there, he isn't ready to rule out playing for TCU. However, the Horned Frogs move to the Big East could be a problem for Sims, who would rather spend more time closer to home. 

“TCU is always in the running, but they are going to the Big East and I don’t know about that. I am already going away from my home to Oklahoma, but that is not that bad. It is still close by and you can drive five hours to go see," Sims said. "But going up to Pittsburgh and Connecticut and all that stuff, you never know what is going to happen."

At this point, no other schools besides TCU and Oklahoma State are pursuing Sims, but with the Horned Frogs coming off an impressive 13-0 season, the buzz surrounding the school is only growing louder.