The 10 Best National Signing Day Commitments Ever
Nowadays, when college recruits decide where they will go to school, many prominent names make their announcements in style.
Declaration videos shot in high-definition with stunts, gags and storylines packed in have become commonplace in today’s recruiting world. Still, plenty of players spiced up their announcements long before the era of the elaborate commitment video.
Here's a look back at some of the top commitments ever:
10. Isaiah Crowell picks Georgia, holds puppy (2011)
America loves football. America loves puppies. Isaiah Crowell managed to combine both, turning his commitment to Georgia into a very special moment.
Crowell didn't do anything fancy or pull any tricks, but the 40-second wait for the little white bulldog to appear at the end was definitely worth it.
9. Deontay Anderson skydives, picks Ole Miss over LSU, Texas (2016)
A dude jumped out of a plane to tell us all where he was going to college.
Deontay Anderson literally fell through the sky to share that he was committing to Ole Miss in this really cool video. He evades the selection of several other schools before revealing a "Hotty Toddy" shirt once he's returned to solid ground.
8. Tahj Rice commits to Duke, uses superpowers to fend off other schools (2017)
Rice announced his commitment to Duke in a two-minute long film in which Rice plays the role of a superhero who fends off adversaries representing Oregon, Virginia Tech, Louisville and USC before revealing a Blue Devils shirt.
Elaborate and unique.
7. Jack Jones joins Snoop Dogg, announces commitment to USC (2016)
Snoop Dogg. I could rest my case there, but the scene includes the type of theatre and intrigue that not too many guys' annoucements will match.
Seriously. Snoop Dogg!
6. Jamal Adams reveals commitment to LSU with infant niece's shirt (2014)
Simple and sweet.
Jamal Adams announced his commitment to LSU during the 2014 Under Armour High School All-America Game by having his infant niece wear a Tigers shirt.
Flashy? No. But if you didn't smile at this one, you're either a) a fan of another SEC team or b) ... actually, I'm not sure why else this wouldn't melt your heart.
5. Dre Kirkpatrick chooses Alabama, says Texas hat doesn't have swagger
Kirkpatrick was rated the No. 1 cornerback in the nation at the time of his recruitment, so it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that as a young man (and even know), he was confident.
Kirkpatrick was considering a handful of schools, but whittled his choices down to Alabama and Texas. Each school was represented by a hat on a table before him during his announcement ceremony.
Initially, Kirkpatrick began to pick up the Texas hat, but said, "This hat right here? It ain't got no swagger. So I'm gonna get some swagger on."
Kirkpatrick was presented with a bag that contained a box that contained another bag that held a black Alabama cap to place on his head.
4. Chaz Ah You lands helicopter on BYU's field (2017)
Chaz Ah You committed to BYU by landing a helicopter directly at midfield inside LaVell Edwards Stadium. That is wild!
Ah You was presented four flight patterns to take: BYU, UCLA, Stanford or Washington. The minute-long video provided some beautiful shots of the wintery Utah landscape, which on its own is memorable enough.
Creativity: 10/10. What-the-heck factor: 10/10.
3. Omar Bolden pushes three hats away, picks Arizona State (2007)
I am, admittedly, partial to pettiness. Bolden's commitment announcement is nothing but that.
Bolden sat at a table with three schools' hats present before him: Oregon State, Washington and USC.
"Well, it's certainly not going to be Oregon State," he begins, pushing the hat away in disgust. "Or Washington," he adds, again knocking the hat off the table. "I think it might be... Nah, it ain't gonna be no Trojan," he continues after starting to put the USC cap on his head before flinging it across the room.
Bolden pulled out an Arizona State hat from behind his back, then announced, "I'm gonna be an Arizona State Sun Devil."
The sheer pettiness of Bolden's announcement makes it an unforgettable moment in recruiting. Takieon Reed of Ole Miss pulled off a similar stunt last year, when he emphatically chose the Rebels over Mississippi State.
Pettiness may not always be the best course of action, but it's certainly entertaining.
2. Derric Evans commits to Tennessee while drinking wine in a hot tub (1989)
It's a shame that it was impossible to locate a full video of this, but perhaps it adds to the legend of Evans's commitment tale. In a time well before commitment videos and theatrics were a thing, Evans apparently signed his national letter of intent in a setting that would undoubtedly set the internet on fire these days. "All bling-blinged out, with a glass of wine in one hand and a ballpoint pen in the other," Evans signed with Tennessee, according to the Lincoln Journal-Star.
Images are the only evidence we have. If only.
1. Landon Collins commits to Alabama, mother disapproves (2012)
Landon Collins's commitment wasn't particularly atypical from most highly-rated football recruits these days. During the 2012 Under Armour High School All-America Game, Collins sat alongside his family and decided between Alabama and LSU. He chose Alabama, but his mother, April Justin, was not pleased.
The best part was the moment that personified the signing day spectacle: Justin took the mic to explain her displeasure. "I feel LSU is just a better place for him to be," she said. "LSU Tigers, No. 1. Go, Tigers!"
Collins was cool about it, grinning ear-to-ear throughout the segment. "I don't know what to say," he said. "She'll still support me, I guess."
Of course, Collins's decision appears to have paid off. While LSU has made a case for being one of the top developers of NFL-caliber defensive backs over the years, Collins found success while at Alabama, winning a national championship and two SEC titles. And then in February, Florida-bound receiver Jacob Copeland’s mom paid homage to Collins’s in her own way.
