Carter’s UGA de-commitment ‘was not his decision’

Nick Chubb and Sony Michel staying with Georgia for their senior seasons has had some major ramifications, especially for former running back commitment Toneil Carter.

Carter announced his de-commitment from Georgia on Monday after making his choice of the Bulldogs on July 10. Even after signing financial-aid agreements, Carter’s offer essentially was pulled by Georgia, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. While Carter was told this during the weekend, he was not previously aware the coaching staff wouldn’t want him as a part of the class of 2017 if Chubb and Michel both returned for their senior seasons.

While the financial-aid agreements forced Georgia to keep a spot open for Carter, the prized running back didn’t feel wanted by the Bulldogs anymore. Not too long after his de-commitment from Georgia, Carter committed to Texas.

Carter originally planned to enroll at Georgia immediately after playing in the Under Armour All-American Game on Jan. 1 in Orlando, Florida. That was finalized when Georgia head coach Kirby Smart and running backs coach Dell McGee visited Langham Creek in Houston, Texas, during the recruiting period.

Carter’s head coach at Langham Creek, Todd Thompson, said the decision was no longer in his former player’s hands.

“This was not Toneil’s decision; I just want people to know that,” Thompson said. “Toneil graduated on Friday, and we found out about this news on Saturday.”

Carter had refused to budge from his commitment even Texas hired head coach Tom Herman, but Carter committed the Longhorns on Monday afternoon.

Georgia now stands at 20 commitments for the 2017 class, and only one running back remains committed in the class: four-star D’Andre Swift. Carter ranks as the seventh overall running back nationally, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings.

“It’s disappointing for Toneil, because he was 100 percent committed to Georgia,” Thompson said. “He had interest from Texas, and he hadn’t paid much attention to the Longhorns’ recruitment. Now, as an early enrollee, he’s in a bad situation.”

Carter committed to Georgia the same day as four-star offensive lineman Andrew Thomas. The commitments came at Nike’s showcase event, “The Opening,” which featured plenty of Georgia pledges.

Thomas said he’s saddened to see Carter depart from the class.

“It’s definitely a loss as he’s a great player,” Thomas said. “But he has to do what’s best for him and his family.”

This story was originally published December 19, 2016 at 4:14 PM with the headline "Carter’s UGA de-commitment ‘was not his decision’."