Top recruit who flips from USF to Notre Dame shows what a verbal commitment really is

Perhaps the shakiest thing in college football is a “verbal commitment” from a player your team is recruiting. Especially in today’s NIL-fueled environment, a coach can’t feel safe until the player is on campus, in class, and finally on the field.

Sometimes, a player's word doesn't match the deed.

USF had that truth reinforced when On3's Hayes Fawcett reported that Antavious Richardson, one of the top prizes in the Bulls’ 2025 class, “committed” to Notre Dame, probably as a receiver. Richardson is a quarterback at Greenville (Ga.) High School, but likely will play a different position once he settles on a college. USF had him projected as a cornerback.

Wait, you say! Didn’t he just “settle” on Notre Dame?

Yes, he did, but it won’t be official until he signs his scholarship. The earliest that can happen is December 4, and until that point it’s doubtful that other schools interested in a player with his skills will just go “aw shucks” and move on.

They can all be very persuasive, too.

On3 had him ranked as the No. 10 “athlete” in the nation, so he should probably keep his cell phone charged.

It’s been an interesting journey for Antavious, who originally committed to Georgia State until flipping to USF in late June. But by August, bigger fish like North Carolina, Duke, Alabama, and Louisville came calling.

When that started happening, and he started listening, the odds were good that he was going to flip again.

For what it’s worth, On3 still ranks USF’s 2025 commitment class as 65th in the country and the best among Group of 5 schools. Coach Alex Golesh, a relentless recruiter, has the Bulls ahead of such Power 4 schools as Cal, BYU, and Colorado.

It’s fun to kick that stuff around, even when we’re discussing talented teenagers trying to process the flattery from big-time programs they’ve only seen on TV.  But it’s not so much fun for the coaches, whose employment can hinge on how many of those still-developing youngsters they can not only gather, but also keep.

NIL has changed recruiting, as has the transfer portal.  Players also learn the reality of playing college football is a lot different from the courtship before they enroll.

I remember a highly touted recruit at Florida State got excited after he made a good play as a freshman. He ran to the sidelines and jumped into the arms of startled Bobby Bowden.

Afterwards, Bowden quipped, “Recruiting is over. He’s gotta stop calling me Bobby.”

I’ll venture a small guess that recruiting is not over for Antavious Richardson just yet. Notre Dame is a special place, but other places are too. And as a wise man once said, it ain’t over ‘til it’s over.