Valley (West Des Moines, Iowa) offensive lineman David Barrent has spent his life in Iowa. He grew up an Iowa Hawkeyes fan.

"I was excited to play for Iowa," says Barrent, the No. 9 offensive tackle in the country according to Rivals.com. "The school is nice. ... I really liked the coaches."

When Barrent signs his national letter of intent Wednesday — the first day of the national signing period for football that runs through April 1 — he is expected to sign with Michigan State, which has a mechanical engineering program that appeals to Barrent.

Players who announce their intention to attend one school but end up at another are called de-commits, and Barrent is not alone in the 2009 class.

"A big reason you are seeing more de-commitments is because there are so many early commitments," Rivals.com recruiting analyst Barry Every said. "There is a direct correlation."

— In November, Florida was the school for Legacy (Broomfield, Colo.) defensive end Nick Kasa. Today, he is a Colorado commit.

— Phoebus (Hampton, Va.) quarterback Tajh Boyd de-committed twice before picking Clemson.

— Cass Tech (Detroit) defensive tackle William Campbell committed to Michigan in June 2007, de-committed in September 2008 and committed to Michigan last month.

Boyd's de-commitments were the result of a decision made too early when he chose West Virginia and a coaching change after he switched to Tennessee.

Sometimes it's a simple as a better offer coming along.

"Kids might have a non-BCS offer (at the beginning of the season) and then get a couple of BCS offers at the end," Every said. "For months, they were told they were not major Division I prospects. It's tough to turn down."