After dramatic hour-long delay, 4-star DB Jaiden Francois picks Nebraska over Miami
Nebraska received a national letter of intent from Jaiden Francois, a four-star defensive back from Florida, but it wasn’t without some drama.
Francois — down to Nebraska and Miami — was set to announce his decision at South Dade High School on Wednesday morning but the ceremony was delayed by more than an hour after Francois received a phone call. Based on a live stream of the ceremony from CaneSport.com, Francois appeared distraught and emotional and went to the hallway with family and coaches to gather himself.
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Francois eventually returned to the table where several of his classmates were also announcing their college decisions, but then left again. At one point, Francois’ name plate was taken off the table as he agonized over his decision.
Francois had previously committed and decommitted from Miami on two occasions, and only a Miami hat was on the table next to his name plate when he eventually returned.
Jaiden Francois is back. So is his nameplate. Comedy at its best. 😂 pic.twitter.com/MhcLwERGY2
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) December 18, 2019
Following the announcements from his teammates, it was finally Francois’ turn. After he took the mic, he unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a Nebraska T-shirt underneath.
Here is South Dade 4-star safety Jaiden Francois announcing for Nebraska to lots and lots of cheers. pic.twitter.com/ccaNWbCBlx
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) December 18, 2019
So clearly this wasn’t a Signing Day decision for Jaiden Francois pic.twitter.com/WJc4Xojjrb
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) December 18, 2019
Moments later, Nebraska made it official.
CB: Jaiden Francois
[ @jHumble22 ]
𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦#GBRXX ☠️ #TheGoodLife pic.twitter.com/35SFa38XM8— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFBNation) December 18, 2019
So what was with all of the drama? There were some rumors that Francois may have caught wind that a Nebraska assistant, possibly DBs coach (and Florida native) Travis Fisher, was leaving Lincoln. But Fisher put those concerns to rest, opening the door for Francois to feel comfortable with the move to Nebraska.
There’s no place like Nebraska! Getting better today and I can’t wait to coach these great young men for the next four to five years! Sky’s the limit!#GBR ☠️☠️☠️
— Travis Fisher (@CoachTFisher) December 18, 2019
With the decision, Francois became the 22nd commitment in Nebraska’s 2020 class. He is also one of the highest rated. Francois is one of nine four-star recruits in the Huskers’ class, according to Rivals.com. On top of that, Francois is one of seven recruits from the state of Florida headed to Lincoln. After not signing a single player from the talent-rich state in 2019, that’s a massive development for the Nebraska program.
As of Wednesday morning, Nebraska’s class is ranked No. 18 in the Rivals.com team rankings.
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