How other Penn State de-commitments panned out after Alvin Henderson flips to Auburn

With every football recruiting cycle comes a lot of emotion from passionate fanbases. Penn State fans are no exception and are always excited when the program lands a big-time recruit. However, the recruiting trail comes with disappointments too. Ranging from missing out on a recruiting prospect to having a committed prospect de-commit and go elsewhere much like Alvin Henderson.

Penn State fans should not be alarmed or too worried though, it is not the first time it has happened. Yes, sometimes it hurts, sometimes it works out for the best, and sometimes a player just needs to make sure it is the right decision before they go through with a commitment.

When it comes to Henderson, it didn't take Penn State long to land a recruiting replacement in four-star Jabree Wallace-Coleman, one of the top running backs in the state of Pennsylvania.

Let's look back at a few notable de-commitments and how those careers turned out.

Brandon Wimbush

2014 was James Franklin's first season at the helm at Penn State and one of his first targets on the recruiting trail was dual-threat quarterback, Brandon Wimbush. During his junior year of high school, Wimbush threw for 1,472 yards and 14 touchdowns, running for an additional 578 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Initially committing to the Nittany Lions, Wimbush recanted citing his concern for the quarterback room at Penn State. It is safe to say, that this worked out for the best for the Nittany Lions, as Trace McSorley would lead Penn State to a Big Ten championship along with a victory in the 2017 Fiesta Bowl. Meanwhile, Wimbush fizzled out at Notre Dame and transferred to UCF for his final year of eligibility.

Justin Fields

This one actually stung then and still stings now. Penn State was on the verge on winning a Big Ten championship back in 2016 and had just received a commitment from five-star quarterback, Justin Fields. But, just 7 months later the highly coveted prospect de-committed from the Nittany Lions.

Some speculate it was because Fields did not necessarily see Penn State being a national championship contender. Fields flipped his commitment to Georgia where he played for a season before ultimately transferring to Ohio State, and leading the Buckeyes to two College Football Playoff berths, and an appearance in the National Championship game in the 2020 season.

Micah Parsons

Thankfully Micah Parsons decided to continue the tradition of great linebackers at Penn State. Parsons' recruiting process was a very dramatic one. Committing in February of 2016, Parsons took the process for a nice joy ride and then de-committed from Penn State, saying he made his decision "too soon." There was speculation he would end up at Ohio State, and he even uploaded a picture of a new puppy he named Brutus. In the end, however, it was the Nittany Lions that won out on the sweepstakes and got a re-commitment from Parsons.

Fans can never be sure when it comes to recruiting, whether if it is the recruit will stick, or if they even pan out, but one thing is for sure, it will always bring drama and excitement!