Baylor releases 5 2016 signees from national letters of intent

Five signees from Baylor’s 2016 recruiting class have officially been released from their National Letters of Intent.

The university announced the decision Thursday night, clarifying that the prospects involved were those who “formally requested” their release prior to May 31. The school did not name the prospects in question in a news release, but several outlets reported they are defensive back Parrish Cobb, defensive back Donovan Duvernay, offensive lineman Patrick Hudson, running back Kameron Martin and offensive lineman J.P. Urquidez.

Those five players have been granted a full release, Baylor Rivals.com affiliate SicEmSports.com confirmed with the National Letter of Intent office. They are now free to completely re-open their recruiting process and sign with any other institution.

“I wanted the opportunity to talk with our signees and their families before providing any releases,” said Baylor acting head coach Jim Grobe. “This has never been about whether or not we would ultimately provide individuals with a release; we simply asked that we go through the process outlined by the NLI, take some time and have the chance to speak with the student-athletes and their parents. I’ve enjoyed those opportunities to meet with these families and wish each individual success in all that they do in life.

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Duvernay is the brother of Devin Duvernay, a four-star wide receiver who officially signed with Texas earlier on Thursday. Like his brother, Devin Duvernay signed with Baylor in the 2016 class. However, a compliance error with his paperwork allowed Devin to re-enter the recruiting process two weeks ago.

Donovan Duvernay is rated as a three-star athlete by Rivals.com while Cobb, Martin, Urquidez and Hudson are all rated as four-star recruits.

The players decided to leave Baylor after Art Briles was fired as head coach in late May amid the school’s sexual assault scandal which also resulted in the resignations of school president/chancellor Ken Starr and athletic director Ian McCaw.

Jared Atkinson, a three-star wide receiver, initially asked for his release from the school but opted to stay with Baylor in the end.

Some members of the program’s 2016 class – those who decided to stick with the Bears – are already on campus. Others are expected to arrive in Waco for the second summer session.

“I am very impressed with the young men who are here at Baylor and on our team,” Grobe said. “We have great student-athletes who are working hard, committed to success and being a part of something special. I am committed to each one in their pursuit of academic and athletic excellence.”

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Baylor opens up its 2016 at home on Sept. 2 against Northwestern State.

For more Baylor news, visit SicEmSports.com.

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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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