College Football Recruiting 2011: Brent Calloway and the Top Decommitments

One of the components of college football recruiting that we all forget about is that the players that we cover and want our favorite program to sign are truly still just wide-eyed teenagers. They're very impressionable and anything can sway their decisions.

Decommitments happen in large part due to that reason, and when they happen, there is a large uproar from fans. With these recruits, we'll check out the top decommitments to happen so far this recruiting year and also at some other prospects who may change their mind.

Let's begin before one these guys switch again.

16. Chris Barnett

Barnett committed to Oklahoma during their Junior Day in the early spring of last year and vowed he was solid and would not talk to other schools. For a short while, he stuck to that vow. Then he broke it.

Barnett then stated he wanted to keep his options open and started talking to Arkansas and Texas. In June, he decommitted from the Sooners and re-opened things up but said Oklahoma was still a very big option for him.

He committed to Arkansas in October.

15. Mustafa Jalil

We all know how the strong bond of Viliami Moala and Mustafa Jalil is and how strong they feel about going to Cal to play together. They'll make a strong defensive tackle combo in Berkley.

When their recruitment started, that scenario didn't look to be a slam dunk as Jalil was originally committed to San Diego State, but switched to the Bears last April.

Since bolting for Berkeley over the Aztecs, Jalil has been in the ear of Moala, who finally made his Cal affection public during the Army game.

14. Ryan Shazier

Shazier is an athletic linebacker out of Florida who lined up at defensive end, tight end and receiver during his high school tenure. His skill set projects to outside linebacker in college and many fans in Gainesville were eagerly awaiting the chance to see him play every Saturday.

With coaching changes, rival college coaches jump on recruits at even just the slightest hint of a change and urge them for visit to campus.

Jim Tressel did just that as he got Shazier to switch to Ohio State during the Meyer-to-Muschamp Florida coaching switch.

13. A.C. Leonard

You win some and you lose some in recruiting. Florida did lose Shazier, but they gained tight end A.C. Leonard. Again.

Leonard committed to Florida early in the process, then went on what he described as a boring visit to Gainesville in early October. He decided to re-open his recruitment and looked at schools such as Miami, Nebraska, Alabama, and Louisville.

Then less than a week after his decision to bust open his pledge, he decided to remain a Gator and re-affirm his commitment.

12. Nick Waisome

Waisome is a very solid cornerback prospect who will become a very productive islander in college with his athletic ability, agility and quickness.

He verballed to Florida in the summer and was such a devout Gator that he began recruiting other players to come with him to The Swamp.

Then he got word in December that Urban Meyer was leaving, and coupled with a solid visit to Florida State, he switched up and converted to being a Seminole.

11. Justice Hayes

Hayes is among the most quick running backs in he country and can cut on a dime. He also has the ability to become a great defensive back and return at the next level, and has shown very good maturity and leadership qualities by publicly stating he is still solid to Michigan after Rich Rod's firing.

Hayes was also at one time solid to rival Notre Dame. He announced in July he was going to play in South Bend, yet by November he was back to being open and eventually settled on Big Blue.

Could he change again now that the Wolverines won't be getting LSU coach Les Miles and still lack a coaching staff?

10. Gerrod Holliman

Holliman is a talented free safety-type defensive back out of the Miami area and seemed poised to head to Ole Miss, as he pledged to the Rebels in July.

He took a visit to Louisville in October and came away very impressed, thus he chose to open things up again. Hometown Miami came on strong in December and made a very strong push to keep Holliman from leaving under their nose.

Holliman then decided last week that Louisville was indeed the place for him and pledged to play for Charlie Strong.

9. Albert Louis-Jean

Louis-Jean may be an example of a player committing to a coach and not the actual university, as he fell in love with Randy Shannon and the Miami coaches very early and pledged to the Canes in March.

In early November, we got word that he was actually rethinking things and with the rumors swirling about Shannon uncertain future, Louis-Jean decided to re-open his recruitment and decommit from The U.

He settled on Boston College in late December.

8. Teddy Bridgewater

Bridgewater seemed destined to be a Hurricane. He's from Miami, went to powerhouse and Miami pipeline Northwestern Hgh School, and even reminded everyone of former Northwestern and current Hurricane quarterback Jacory Harris.

Bridgewater committed to Miami in the late spring and was solid with the Canes for months.

With Randy Shannon being dismissed, Louisville hopped in and got the quarterback to announce he would be leaving the the Sunshine State to help Louisville return to form.

7. Aaron Lynch

Wow, talk about confusion and wavering. Aaron Lynch may be the poster child for the wavering recruit in this year's class.

He was initially committed to Notre Dame and excited about playing with Irish commit Stephen Tuitt, yet he then started talking about how he loved Florida State.

He's set to visit Notre Dame on January 14 and maybe he will recommit to the Irish. Or maybe he will just talk about how much he likes Florida State to the Notre Dame coaches. Or call Jimbo Fisher and talk about how cool South Bend is.

Who knows.

6. Damian Swann

Swann verballed to Georgia last week during the Army game and we all thought he was solid. What could go wrong—he was staying home to play for the Bulldogs and seemed excited.

Afterwards, he started saying he wished to keep his options open and might like to go on more visits, including to Miami and USC.

So while Swann talks like a Dawg, he may end up walking with Canes or Trojans before it's said and done.

5. Jeoffrey Pagan

Pagan is a big defensive lineman prospect from North Carolina who is uber-athletic. He's got great speed to chase and pursue from the backside, a burst to finish, and leverages against the run.

He was considered a soft verbal to Florida through the fall, yet decommitted around Thanksgiving from joining the Gator's recruiting class.

Pagan has been battling a knee injury, yet he's currently eyeing Tennessee, Alabama, LSU, USC, Clemson, Georgia and Oregon as potential options.

4. Brandon Williams

Williams is a top-flight running back and surprised us at the Under Armour game by being a bit bigger and bulkier than we thought he was.

He was bound to be a Baylor Bear early in the process then decommitted to look at Oklahoma.

It's safe to say Williams will help replace DeMarco Murray as he is now indeed committed to play for the Sooners.

3. Dee Hart

Hart is an electrifying player with the ball in hands and a threat to score anytime he's near a stadium—running, receiving, returning, you name it and Hart can do it.

He was poised to head up to Michigan to give Big Ten defenses fits and form a great one-two punch with Denard Robinson.

Hart chose not to get caught up in the current Ann Arbor chaos and decommitted from the Wolverines and switched to play at Alabama, making it official during the Army game.

2. Christian Westerman

Westerman was a typical Texas verbal commit, as in he was in love with Austin and Mack Brown, and committed early in the process.

With Texas not enjoying the success this year that we've seen them achieve in the past and Mack Brown making some offensive coaching changes, Westerman has looked at Auburn and paid a visit to USC this month.

It looks like there is a solid chance that the Tigers or Trojans pry him away from Texas.

1. Brent Calloway

The Calloway decommitment was shock since many felt he was solid to Alabama and we all just assumed that he was fine playing linebacker in Tuscaloosa.

Come to find out, Calloway has always thought of himself as a running back and barely lined up at linebacker during his senior year at Russellville. He told the Tide coaches he wanted to continue playing running back and they felt linebacker was his best spot.

Calloway then spoke with Auburn, which told him he could play running back for the Tigers; thus Calloway, a one-time Alabama pledge, is now an Auburn commit.