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The process of recruiting can be a virtual merry-go-round between commits and de-commits, especially in the week or two before National Signing Day. The Bowling Green Falcons have experienced their fair share of this tug-of-war between schools. In this case, it has resulted in the loss of two players who had originally committed to BGSU.
Javonte Bagley is a wide receiver from Vero Beach, Fla. who stands 6-3 and is listed at 180 pounds. He originally committed to Bowling Green on January 7th, but on Monday (Feb. 3), he flipped his commitment to the Louisville Cardinals. Rivals.com and 247Sports both list Bagley as a two-star player.
On the surface, this doesn't appear to be a terrible loss for BGSU. The Falcons will bring back a huge stable of talented receivers in 2014, including Ryan Burbrink, Ronnie Moore, Chris Gallon, Jared Cohen and Heath Jackson. That list doesn't include transfer Gehrig Dieter, who will be eligible in 2014 and is regarded by some as potentially BGSU's best receiver. It also doesn't include Roger Lewis, a 6-3/205 wide receiver who is regarded as the Falcons' best recruit at the position.
It seems likely that Bagley believed he would have a difficult time breaking into the lineup for immediate playing time despite the up-tempo offense run by Dino Babers. Instead, he chose to commit to Louisville, where he will play in a similarly high-octane offense and may have a better chance to play right away.
A complete story about Bagley's commitment to Louisville can be found at the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Bowling Green's other loss is tight end Andrew Podbielski. Podbielski stands 6-5 and weighs 240 pounds, and he hails from Beaver Falls, Pa. (Blackhawk High School). He would have potentially served as a replacement for Alex Bayer had he come to Bowling Green, and he committed last spring while Dave Clawson was still head coach.
Instead, the player given two stars by Rivals.com has committed to Bucknell and will presumably sign with the Bison tomorrow. According to the Beaver County Times, it appears that Podbiielski's change of heart has to do with new coach Dino Babers and his spread offense. Since Babers' offense rarely uses a tight end, it's unlikely that Podbielski would see much playing time or garner much in the way of receiving statistics. As with Bagley, this does not appear to be a big loss for the Falcons.
