By Cory Lemer
Merry Flipmas and Happy almost New Year. Early Signing Day concluded yesterday with the nation’s top prospects signing with their respective college. One important aspect of every ESD is the flips. Every year, colleges scramble to flip top recruits to their team at the last minute. In this article, we will take a look at my top five recruiting flips during ESD.
1. Jeremiah McClellan
Ohio State to Oregon
Bryan Hartline recruited the talented duo of Jeremiah McClellan and Jeremiah Smith to Ohio State. Both receivers were on flip alert heading into signing day, and despite Smith sticking with the Buckeyes, it was not smooth sailing.
McClellan hails from Missouri and attends Christian Brothers College. During his recruitment, he eclipsed 43 offers from the nation’s top schools in the country.
After the success of Troy Franklin during this season, it seems Dan Lanning and Primary Recruiter Junior Adams lured the talented Wideout west in a massive win for Oregon Football, who had struggled at recruiting WRs before Lanning arrived.
"It was really stressful… Last night I'd probably say was when I found out."
4-star receiver Jeremiah McClellan (@jay_mac2481) took his decision down to the wire… but ultimately picked @CoachDanLanning and @oregonfootball.
Here's the CBC star on his decision: pic.twitter.com/y7THenlTej
— Corey Miller (@corey_miller5) December 20, 2023
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2. Aeryn Hampton
Texas to Alabama
Nick Saban has done it again. The King of Flipping showed he still has it in him after flipping four-star WR Aeryn Hampton from his former Offensive Coordinator, Steve Sarkisian. His commitment came down to Alabama and Texas, with the Longhorns taking the head-to-head victory over the Tide this year.
Hampton is listed as an ATH and can play as a receiver or in the secondary and, as a recruit, held over twenty-five offers to play college ball. Saban stated he was a “dog” and this is a guy the Tide wanted.
Holmon Wiggins and Tarvaris Robinson led the late push for Hampton, and once predictions of the Tide started to roll in, Texas fans saw flashbacks from the Brockermeyer brothers a few years ago. The Tide were once again ESD Winners.
🚨 EXCLUSIVE VIDEO 🚨
New #Alabama commit Aeryn Hampton talks about his decision to flip on #NSD #RollTide pic.twitter.com/DU4zjRzexJ
— Brandon Howard (@BHoward_11) December 20, 2023
3. Amaris Williams
Florida to Auburn
At one point in this cycle, Florida and Billy Napier held a top-three class. Following a disappointing 5-7 season, the class has started to fall apart. With the flip season upon us, the question became who would leave the Gators class? DL Amaris Williams is one of many who entertained a change of scenery.
Under Hugh Freeze, Auburn recruiting has taken off, landing two five-star WRs and many more talented prospects. This four-star became the latest highly talented recruit to join the Tigers. The Clinton, North Carolina prospect puts another blow to Napier’s class.
🎄 MERRY FLIPMAS 🎄
AMARIS WILLIAMS. YOU ARE AN AUBURN TIGER 🥶🦅 pic.twitter.com/5rlfM8gibS
— Auburn Barstool (@WarDamnStool) December 20, 2023
4. Armondo Blount
Florida State to Miami
The recruitment of five-star DL Armondo Blount was crazy, to say the least. The Miami Central star committed to Miami in September but later flipped to in-state rival Florida State. Blount remained loyal to the Seminoles until he flipped his commitment back to Mario Cristobal and the Canes on signing day.
The five-star DL racked up thirty offers from the top schools and ranked 22nd in the nation. Blount transferred to Miami Central before 2023, where he accumulated 58 tackles (19 TFL), 11 sacks, 4 FFs, and 2 FRs. Blount is a huge recruiting win for Jason Taylor, Mario Cristobal, and the Miami staff.
Armondo Blount 😤💪🏾 #GoCanes pic.twitter.com/w8yDhU33Pb
— U Heard 🟢🟠🙌🏽🙌🏽 (@UHeardPod) December 21, 2023
5. KJ Bolden
Florida State to Georgia
Mike Norvell and Florida State landed their first of many big-time recruits this cycle in KJ Bolden. The five-star safety hails from Buford, GA, and attends Buford High School, which has seen many players commit to Georgia over the years.
Dylan Railola, his Buford teammate, flipped from Georgia to Nebraska before signing day, leaving Georgia fans angry as they “can’t keep top talent in the state.”
Before flipping, Bolden had entertained Auburn and other schools before signing day, making for an interesting commitment. Kirby Smart got back at the angry fans and flipped Bolden, keeping the number one safety home.
After a (relatively) rough December for Georgia with an SEC Title loss, missing the playoff, recruits leaving, and many transfers, this was a massive win for the Dawgs.
5-star KJ Bolden is now a ‘Dawg.
He details why. pic.twitter.com/nLaDnGQZmq
— Jeff Sentell (@jeffsentell) December 20, 2023
There were other recruiting flips throughout the day; however, these were the most impactful in my opinion.
