Signing Day Soap Opera For Top Recruit
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – National Signing Day in high school football is always filled with plenty of drama, but the events at South Plantation High School in Fort Lauderdale may be the biggest soap opera in the country.
It all started when five-star running back Alex Collins declared on Monday he was going to sign a scholarship to play college football at the University of Arkansas. Collins chose the Razorbacks over the University of Miami, which was his mother's top choice.
Collins was going to sign with Arkansas in a ceremony at South Plantation High School Wednesday, the first day letters of intent can be sent to schools. But before the ceremony started, Collins' name was removed from a placard at the table and the ceremony went on without him as other recruits signed with other schools.
According to ESPN, the scholarship papers are no longer there after Collins' mom disappeared with the papers. Collins doesn't live with his mother, but she really wanted him to sign with the Hurricanes and stay in South Florida.
Collins wasn't at school in the afternoon and he was reportedly looking for his mom. According to SBNation.com, Collins may try to find his father and have him sign his letter of intent.
South Plantation High Athletic Director Mike Collins told CBS4 Wednesday afternoon that Arkansas has been in contact with the school and the Razorbacks are being very patient waiting for Alex to sign.
Athletic Director Collins said everything is in the process of getting worked out, but there is no contact with the family as of Wednesday afternoon.
Mike Collins said the school would have still liked to honor Alex, but trying to get everything arranged on short notice for another ceremony will be tough.
For the Hurricanes, the difference in getting Collins and losing him to Arkansas is large. The Canes' recruiting class has been sub-par by its standards, but landing a five-star running back to pair with Duke Johnson would completely change the landscape for Miami.