Flip Watch: Committed Texas and Louisiana prospects that could flip
Top prospects are making their decisions earlier and earlier each recruiting cycle and 2020 delivered on plenty of bit commitments in the spring and summer. Of course, commitments are merely verbal pacts until they're put to paper.
The Early Signing Period is quietly creeping up, so Rivals Texas and Louisiana Analyst Sam Spiegelman put the spotlight on eight prospects in his region on who could be on flip watch leading into December.
Burns is playing for IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.,, but he hails from Terrell, Tex., and was supposed to be a difference-maker on the Dallas Skyline defense in 2020. The Lone Star State native spent much of offseason making appearances at Texas and other in-state schools before ultimately committing to Ole Miss at the tail end of the spring.
Burns is very comfortable playing in the SEC and has a strong connection to former North Texas staffer Jeff Koonz, but Todd Orlando watched Burns play at IMG and wasted no time offering. The Longhorns are sure to get a visit (or two) from Burns when his season concludes in November and Texas has quickly emerged as a major threat to the Rebels for the talented outside backer.
Cooper gave a commitment to Oklahoma over the summer and it seemed like a perfect landing spot with Alex Grinch trying to retool his front seven on defense. Cooper has enjoyed a fantastic start to his senior campaign, which has resulted in offers from Miami, Utah and the hometown team LSU.
Ed Orgeron has been enamored with the play of Cooper and has had the linebacker on campus twice already, and he's sure to return for an official visit before he signs. Expect the Tigers to continue to pressure Cooper to stay in-state.
Dixon was one of two Carthage standouts to commit to Arkansas this spring and the East Texas do-it-all athlete has continually made trips up to The Hill for games this season.
One of the Carthage studs, Rivals250 tackle Ty'Kieast Crawford, backed off his pledge. Texas is kicking the tires on Dixon, the younger brother of current Longhorns tailback Keontay Ingram. With Arkansas' on-the-field struggles, this is one recruitment to keep an eye on down the stretch.
For the bulk of his recruitment, Douglas raved about Florida and being the next Percy Harvin in Gainesville. At times, it appeared as if the four-star athlete was choosing between LSU and Florida, but he provided some fireworks on Independence Day by committing to Florida State.
As his senior season winds down, the Gators remain in contact with Douglas. So has Louisville and both schools are expected to host him for official visits before he graduates in December. With plenty of blemishes on the Seminoles' season so far, Douglas is one prospect sure to explore all of his other options before signing.
Eaton gave a commitment to Texas over Texas A&M and Oklahoma in August and it seemed as if his recruitment was over. Not so fast. The four-star cornerback with tremendous upside returned to Norman for an official visit earlier this fall and the Sooners are pressing for Eaton to fill a glaring need in the secondary.
Oklahoma got the best of the Longhorns on the field this October and it appears as if the Sooners are going to give them a run for their money with one of their prized defensive backs as well.
We were all younger, thinner, healthier and better-looking when McClellan pledged to Oklahoma back in 2017. Heck, Lincoln Riley had yet to coach a game for the Sooners when the Rivals100 back first made his commitment.
However, McClellan has made an official visit to Texas and will make it Alabama next month for the LSU game. Keep an eye out for the Tigers, who are in search of a bell-cow for their 2020 class, too. With that in mind, the Sooners remain in the driver's seat to hold onto to the elite back.
Mims has been arguably the best receiver in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 2019, beating up some of the better defenses and teams in the region and state midway through his senior season. Mims quietly committed to Stanford before his season got underway, choosing the Cardinal over TCU and Oklahoma, but recently made a trip back up to Norman for the West Virginia game. The Sooners recruit North Texas extremely well and Mims' recent body of work makes him an obvious fit in Riley's offense. This is one recruitment worth monitoring closely.
Scott made some noise when he pledged to Kansas this summer, making a statement that he wanted to help turnaround the Jayhawks and be an instant-impact player on Les Miles' defense. That hasn't deterred other schools from continuing to press for his services.
Oregon, Nebraska and SMU are all in line for official visits before Scott puts his signature to paper, and each school has made a serious plea to land the four-star linebacker. Scott loves the idea of being the big man on campus in Lawrence, but he's sure to look at all of his options before making it official.