Virginia loses another commit, as Lackey flips to Vanderbilt

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Virginia has lost another football commitment, one of its higher-rated recruits for the class of 2024.

Jaylin Lackey, a 3-star cornerback from Snellville, Ga., announced on his Twitter account that he has flipped his commitment and instead of Virginia, is now headed to Vanderbilt. In his commitment tweet to the Commodores, Lackey is seen posing in a Vanderbilt uniform, saying, “I’m home.”

He was also originally offered by Kentucky, Georgia Tech and Pitt. Lackey had been committed to UVA since early June.

The Georgia prospect was the third recent UVA decommit, joining Christian Zachary, a wide receiver from St. Mathews, S.C., who is expected to sign with NC State, and safety Cedric Franklin, who also hails from the Peach State.

Franklin, a 3-star from Kell High School in Marietta who announced his decision over the weekend, held over 20 scholarship offers and will now open his options back up.

“I’ve made a tough decision to decommit from the University of Virginia,” Franklin wrote on his Twitter account. “I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the Coaching Staff for their belief in me and to the community for your unwavering support. Your faith meant everything. While my journey takes a different route, the memories and gratitude remain. Thank you, UVA!”

Currently, Virginia’s recruiting class for 2024 is ranked next-to-last in the ACC, according to the three major national recruiting services. UVA is ranked only ahead of Boston College in all three ratings.

On3 has the Cavaliers rated the highest at No. 69 nationally, while 247Sports ranks UVA’s class No. 74 and Rivals has Virginia no. 76.