National Signing Day 2011: The Top Teams Sweating Their Commitments

A commitment is a non-binding verbal pledge to a school stating that a player plans on signing with that program come National Signing Day.

While most recruits stick to the term and pledge of a commitment and end their recruitment, there are some who continue to look around and flirt with other schools, causing their committed school to become uneasy. There are some prospects this year who are causing heavy unrest to teams and fan bases.

Let's check some team's who won't stop sweating bullets until National Signing Day is over and their commits have faxed in their signed letters of intent.

Arkansas

The Hogs are hoping tight end Christ Barnett sticks to his commitment over bolting north for Ann Arbor.

Brady Hoke and Michigan have come on hard and surged for Barnett, who likely won't sign until after National Signing Day. Barnett was a one-time Oklahoma commit who then switched to Arkansas.

Now the 6'6", 245 pounder has taken trips to Michigan and Miami. Miami seems like a long shot, but he's very interested in Michigan.

Arkansas won't feel good until they get his signed letter.

Texas Tech

Tommy Tuberville has been quietly lurking in the shadows for some of the nations top prospects in his first full year at the helm in Lubbock.

While they lost elite cornerback prospect Marcus Roberson to Auburn, the Red Raiders shouldn't think that will be only defect from their class.

JUCO defensive lineman Dennell Wesley is starting to favor Kansas State a bit and remains torn between Texas Tech and the Wildcats of Manhattan. He'll make a decision on Wednesday, but this could mark the second de-commitment from Texas Tech within two days.

Notre Dame

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LOS ANGELES - NOVEMBER 27: Head coach Brian Kelly of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish gestures during the game with the USC Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 27, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. Notre Dame won 20-16. (Photo by Stephe

Bran Kelly lost out on Savon Huggins to Rutgers but he still has a defensive front coming to South Bend that could feature three of the top 40 defensive players in the country. Or will it?

Ishaq Williams and Aaron Lynch both are solid to Notre Dame now, but Stephon Tuitt could flip flop again back to Georgia Tech. Lynch went back and forth himself between the Irish and Florida State.

Tuitt says he's solid to Notre Dame firmly now, but Georgia Tech will keep working on him until National Signing Day, which has to make the Irish sweat.

Florida

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GAINESVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 14: Former defensive coordinator for the University of Texas, Will Muschamp speaks to the media after being introduced as the head coach of the University of Florida on December 14, 2010 in Gainesville, Florida. Muschamp is re

Jim Tressel has already stolen away one Florida recruit and he could get another one by Wednesday.

Ohio State convinced linebacker Ryan Shazier to make the switch during the Florida coaching turnover in late December, and is now working on receiver Ja'Juan Story.

Story is a Gator commit, but he is now 50-50 between the Gators and Buckeyes. Will Muschamp has to be sweating about this along with possibly losing out on Tim Jernigan. Breathe Gainesville, deep breaths.

Oklahoma State

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COLUMBIA, MO - OCTOBER 11: Head coach Mike Gundy of the Oklahoma State Cowboys looks on against the Missouri Tigers for yardage on October 11, 2008 at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by G. Newman Lowrance/Getty Images)

Mike Gundy will tell you he feels good about Herschel Sims and so will Sims' high school coach, who Sims told he is firm to Oklahoma State.

Yet Art Briles and the Baylor Bears just won't take no for an answer. They have been relentless in recruiting the super talented running back. Sims has been linked to Baylor and Oklahoma State. It also remains a possibility that he opts for the Bears at the last moment on Wednesday.

Gundy, a man, in his 40s, as we all know, is surely privately feeling insecure about Sims just a tad.

USC

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HONOLULU - SEPTEMBER 02: Defensive and Recruiting Coordinator Ed Orgeron of the University of Souther California Trojans leads the team to the edge of the tunnel before the start of the Trojan's season opener against the Hawaii Warriors at Aloha Stadium

USC has been rolling like a well-oiled machine this year in recruiting and you won't even know they have the "S" word placed on them. Sshhh.

But the Men of Troy are sweating a bit as their linebacker commit, Kent Turene is now looking at Georgia and Texas Tech. Turene pledged to USC early but they could lose him late.

In even bigger news, 5-star athlete DeAnthony Thomas took a trip to Oregon and came away impressed last weekend. Rumors are swirling that Thomas is trying to lure the other Trojan 5-star commit George Farmer and USC recruit Marqise Lee to Oregon. But USC commit and Thomas' God brother, Victor Blackwell, has stated that none of it's true and he's sure Thomas and Farmer are 100 percent to USC. Lee is also expected to sign with the Trojans on NSD.