This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Apparently, a day can make a big difference with a recruit.

On Friday, Utah was euphoric over Aaron Sharp's commitment, a quarterback out of Houston Texas and one of the best dual threat prospects in the country.

By Saturday, Sharp was no longer a Ute. In what was a hasty switch, Sharp de-committed to Utah and pledged his services to Kansas State.

What happened to bring along the change in decision? Not many knows at this juncture. All that most are sure about is the fact that the Utes had their top quarterback target committed and now he's gone.

On some level, this isn't a unique situation. De-committments in college football recruiting happen all the time, much more than in any other sport. And in college football, recruiting can sometimes be a dirty, grimy game. College football coaches rarely stop recruiting committed players. In basketball, respecting the commitment of a recruit is a largely unwritten rule. But in football, a recruit that makes a pledge to a school is often recruited at the same pace that he was before he committed.

Is that what happened in this case? That certainly isn't clear. Does it hurt Utah? Marginally. While the Utes no doubt would've loved having Sharp in the fold, they aren't without talent - young talent - at the position. Travis Wilson is a projected starter and he's a sophomore. Adam Schulz had a wonderful spring and has the look of a more than capable back-up. Connor Manning is a classic big armed pocket passer as a true freshman. Brandon Cox has plenty of talent as a freshman dual threat.

Plus, Utah has six months to find a replacement for Sharp. So while the de-commitment does in fact hurt, it's in no way a blow that the Utes can't recover from.

Tony Jones