When Athens (Ga.) Academy wide receiver Deion Colzie recommitted to Notre Dame in September, he became the fourth player in the Brian Kelly era to do so, joining defensive end Stephon Tuitt (2011), defensive end Aaron Lynch (2011) and wide receiver Braden Lenzy (2018).
Just as there were two recommitments in 2011, there are now two in the recruiting cycle 10 years later as Valrico (Fla.) Bloomingdale cornerback Philip Riley is back in the fold for Notre Dame.
Whenever a prospect decommits from a school, some of its fan base expresses its frustrations. “He wasn’t that good anyways” or “He couldn’t keep his word, so I don’t want him.”
But then when the rare recommitment from a talented prospect such as Riley occurs, there’s jubilee. Riley originally pledged to the Irish in May but flipped to USC in September. Just a month and some change later, Riley flipped back to the Irish.
Some may roll their eyes at these moves and bring up what the word “commitment” means. And while that argument is made, these are teenagers making the biggest decision of their lives when they can’t take recruiting trips due to a global pandemic. At best, a prospect can take a self-guided tour of a University and maybe get into a school’s home game if they allow the general public (Notre Dame does not).
