Decommitments and flips that have shaped the 2025 recruiting cycle

College football recruiting is defined by commitments in the first eight months of every cycle and decommitments in the final four. More and more, prospects are choosing to come off the board early, with hundreds making their decisions in May, June and July. As of this writing, 255 of the top 300 prospects in the On3 Industry Ranking are committed by the end of July.

The final third of the cycle is all about the opposite — decommitments and flips.

The 2023 class saw its fair share of that between September and December, and 2024 was arguably even bigger. Five current five-stars have already decommitted or flipped once, as well as a number of elite prospects changing their minds.

As July comes to a close, On3 breaks down the biggest decommitments and flips thus far in the 2025 cycle:

Dakorien Moore spurns Texas twice for LSU and then Oregon

While everyone was still focused on the 2024 class last fall, LSU beat Texas for the nation’s No. 1 WR in the 2025 class in Dakorien Moore. The decision came as a significant shock at the time, in large part because the Longhorns were thought to be his college destination.

And even after his commitment to the Tigers, Texas never gave up on him. But neither did Oregon or Ohio State, and the Ducks became a serious contender when they hired running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples. A very well-connected coach in the Dallas Metroplex and the son of Duncanville High (where Moore plays) head coach Reginald Samples, Ra’Shaad instantly made an impact for the Ducks.

Moore took official visits with each of the four aforementioned programs, and on the 4th of July he pulled off a stunner by committing to the Ducks with a fireworks reveal. His pledge gives Dan Lanning and Co. two five-star receivers in this class, and while it’s not impossible for him to flip again, the current expectation is that he will sign with the Ducks.

Justus Terry, Isaiah Gibson sting USC

USC made a big splash of its own this offseason by hiring former Los Angeles Rams defensive line coach Eric Henderson, who mentored — among others — All-Pro and future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald. Henderson’s hiring brought instant credibility to USC’s embattled defensive coaching staff, and recruits took notice of it.

In late March, they received visits from a host of elite Georgia-based prospects, including five-stars Isaiah Gibson and Justus Terry. The latter was committed to the Bulldogs at that point, while Gibson was considered a strong UGA lean. Both surprisingly pledged to the Trojans on their visit, marking a huge win for Lincoln Riley and Co.

That victory would be short-lived though, as both Terry and Gibson decommitted in June. Soon after, Gibson announced his pledge to Georgia. And while he still remains uncommitted, Terry is considered a very strong lead to the in-state program as well.

Alabama wins some, loses a few more

Nick Saban stepping down as Alabama’s head coach in January set off a massive recruiting chain reaction. Five of the Crimson Tide’s 2025 commits backed off their pledges within a week of his announcement, including five-star Jaime Ffrench and elite prospects like Javion Hilson.

When Kalen DeBoer was hired to replace him, a lot of questions were asked about his ability to recruit at the level Saban had been. But those have been answered in a big way, with the Tide holding the country’s No. 2 recruiting class and four five-star commitments. Among them is quarterback Keelon Russell, who himself flipped his pledge from SMU to Alabama this summer.

Alabama hasn’t been immune from more defections though, as earlier this week they lost elite WR/DB Derick Smith and four-star defensive lineman Antonio Coleman to rival Auburn.

Other major recruiting decommitments and flips

Among the other newsworthy moves so far this cycle are:

• Elite running back Akylin Dear decommitting from Ole Miss as the Rebels lost four pledges in the span of just a few days. Alabama is considered the heavy favorites to land him.
  
• South Carolina got a massive steal when it landed four-star cornerback Shamari Earls over Michigan and others. But Georgia turned up the heat on Earls in June, and he eventually flipped to the Bulldogs in early July.
  
• USC also had commitments from top-100 safeties Anquon Fegans and Hylton Stubbs at different points, but lost both of them to Auburn and Florida, respectively.
  
• Borderline top-100 tight end DaSaahn Brame chose Oregon over Tennessee in June, only to flip from the Ducks to the Vols at the end of July.
  
• Ohio State was a beneficiary of Alabama’s mass departures in January, not only with transfer safety Caleb Downs but also four-star EDGE Zion Grady.