I have personally interacted with Matt Colburn over the last three years, spent time out of state with his team this year and spent a week with him in December where he wore Louisville gear every night. Matt is a great student and super hard worker that causes no issues. Great kid! What many do not know is that he told several ACC schools that he was rock solid with Louisville and those schools backed off which left him with very few choices with Louisville pulling this so late. Louisville knew that they were losing seniors and players to the NFL but they slow played him. Kept him on the hook, even having him in for an official visit in the last two weeks. When they got the players they wanted to commit they pulled the offer on him. Currently they only have two solid DB commitments but have picked up two all purpose backs recently which may fit what they do better in their opinion than Colburn. Colburn was always low key which is his style. I am sure he is embarrassed and pissed off but he will make the best out of this. He also had offers from Navy and Army so the books are not an issue.
I had a player that I was / am close to get the same treatment from Urban Meyer and Florida (his main recruiter was Doc Holliday). When he verballed to UF and called them to give his verbal commitment they quit returning his phone calls. Finally got Holliday and he told them they wanted him but it would be "after the holidays before they could guarantee the offer."This was October and he had a written offer letter. No problem he started at an ACC school for four years. Not the first time I saw this. Another great kid that got treated like bad.
I have always felt that once a school gives a written offer that they should be required to honor that. Period. If they do not want to guarantee it then do not offer it. Note that under my comment, "I would like to see a rule in place that if a player makes a very early verbal commitment no other schools can recruit him but there would need to be a rule in place that would tie him to some degree to the school he gave the verbal," this goes for the school that provided the written offer as well as the player. If the player wanted to seek out other schools he could but they could not continue to recruit him. When Colburn told schools they backed off for the most part but he is not four or five star they sell their soul for.
Note Colburn never had a press conference, that is not his style. I am sure he is embarrassed and pissed off but he will make the best out of this. He also had offers from Navy and Army so the books are not an issue.
Knotts has always told his players if you verbal the recruiting process is over. I expect he likes that as it gets the kids more focused on playing.