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Riley Cole Decommits from Alabama, Could Wake Forest Be a Potential Destination?

Things always get interesting around National Signing Day.

By Robert Reinhard
Student Sports

Riley Cole, a 6'3", 230 pound linebacker out of Oneonta, Alabama, received a scholarship offer from Wake Forest University on June 10th. It was his first Power 5 offer. On June 11th, Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide also extended Cole a scholarship offer, and he essentially committed to the Tide on the spot. On Sunday, however, Cole learned that his scholarship offer was going to turn into a grayshirt offer. Cole wasn't fond of this, and decommitted from the Tide on Sunday afternoon, just a few days before National Signing Day.

Cole is a 3-star prospect, and 247 Sports rates him as one of the top 420 best players in the country. With a number of teams trying to finalize their signing day classes, it wouldn't be surprising to see at least one more Power 5 school extend an offer to Cole. Even if Alabama deems him worthy of "only" a gray shirt offer, that still doesn't take away his high level of talent and production. For those unfamiliar, a grayshirt offer means that he would still be on scholarship, but would enroll into school a semester after the other members in his recruiting class.

So, while there are still a lot of events left to transpire, I have to think that Wake Forest would be more than happy to take a player of Cole's caliber. There's an existing relationship between Wake and Cole, and one has to think that Wake has a legitimate chance to land him.

Cole is not allowed to take an official visit to any schools until after National Signing Day (Wednesday), but he has already taken an unofficial visit to Wake Forest. So if he signs on Wednesday, then that has to be good for Wake's chances. If, however, he decides to take more visits, then that opens up a lot more possibilities. Wake Forest loses Brandon Chubb to the NFL, and will lose Marquel Lee after next season, so this would help fill a position of need in addition to getting a very good player.

Stay tuned to Blogger So Dear as we continue to follow the latest in Wake Forest football recruiting.

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