Every year, there are big flips during the week of Signing Day. A different school builds momentum late with some visits and then shocks the college football world by acquiring top talent at the last minute. Here are the five biggest flips from Early Signing Day this week.
Dante Moore
Oregon to UCLA
The 6’2″ 210-pound quarterback committed to Oregon on July 8th, 2021; just two weeks after taking his second visit to Eugene. The 11th-best player in America and the 5th-best quarterback had some rumors of flipping to Michigan State but stayed committed to the Ducks. That is until Kenny Dillingham left to become the Arizona State head coach. Dillingham was the primary recruiter for Moore, and he had built up a good connection with him.
Meanwhile, Moore didn’t have the same connection to new offensive coordinator Will Stein, leading to Moore looking at other schools. He looked to the south and visited UCLA on December 9th. On Monday, Moore flipped to the Bruins and officially filled out his letter of intent on Wednesday. Moore is the highest quarterback, and the third highest-rated recruit UCLA has ever gotten and looks to be a star as the Bruins transition to the Big 10.
Kadyn Proctor
Iowa to Alabama
Iowa had kept the hometown kid local for a long time, but couldn’t hold on long enough against Alabama. The 6’7″ 330-pound tackle from Des Moines, Iowa is a physical monster and was projected to be the next in line of elite Hawkeye linemen. He initially committed to Iowa on June 30th, after visiting Iowa six days prior. Despite the commitment, Proctor visited Michigan in September, then Oregon in November.
Later, he took his last visit to Alabama on December 16th. While Proctor could have been great at Iowa, he felt like he was “settling” by going to Iowa, and chose to challenge himself in Tuscaloosa. Proctor officially committed on Tuesday, adding himself to Alabama’s top class.
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Peyton Bowen
Notre Dame to Oregon to Oklahoma
A talented 5-star safety from Denton, Texas was a big pickup for the Sooners. Bowen initially committed to Notre Dame on New Year’s Day, 2022. Bowen was one of head coach Marcus Freeman’s first big commits, and while he did flirt with Texas A&M for a while, he ruled the Aggies out. It looked like he was down to Oklahoma, Oregon, or Notre Dame. While Bowen committed to Oregon on Wednesday, there were rumors Thursday morning about him staying there.
He never signed his letter of intent, and flipped to Oklahoma that day, further complicating his recruitment. Losing Bowen is a bad break for Notre Dame, who has now had seven de-commits, including two five-stars who changed their mind about playing for the Fighting Irish. For Oregon, it takes some of the lusters of their otherwise amazing signing day on Wednesday.
Kayin Lee
Ohio State to Auburn
Lee had been committed to the Buckeyes since June 27th, 2022 before flipping on Early Signing Day and Hugh Freeze. After Freeze was hired, the Tigers made a big push on the 5’11″ 185-pound cornerback from Ellenwood, Georgia. Per the 247sports composite, he is the 209th best player, 25th best corner, and 19th best player from the state of Georgia.
Of Lee’s four crystal balls before his commitment, none of them were to Auburn. three were to Ohio State, and one was to Georgia. Lee is a talented cornerback and will be a great pickup for Coach Freeze as he looks to rebuild Auburn after the Harsin era failed miserably.
Dylan Spencer
Texas to Texas Tech
Spencer initially committed to Texas on March 15th and looked locked into Texas for a long time, saying he was “100% locked into Texas”. Unlike some of the other recruits mentioned, he looked to stay loyal to the Longhorns, until he took an unofficial visit to Houston in December without telling the Texas coaches. After this, Texas stopped fighting Spencer from checking out other schools.
He officially visited Lubbock on December 16th and committed three days later on Monday the 19th. The 4-star is a 6’4″, 240-pound edge rusher and is a big pickup for Coach McGuire and the Red Raiders who is having a great class; currently sitting at 27th nationally.
