Let’s say the program honors their commitment. The kid shows up on campus next year and has no shot at playing time ever. Or he shows up on cmapus and doesn’t make the spring roster. What’s the difference?
The way it was handled wis harsh. But they saved the kid from having to sit a year to transfer (means he doesn’t play for two years), going 4-2-4 or transferring down. In a rude way the program did the kid a favor.
The typical way this is handled is telling the kid the commitment will be honored. But they don’t see him ever getting on the field. It’s just a nicer way of getting at the same result. Either way the player is left out.
For all we know the player didn’t progress as a player after commitment. There are two sides to every story. The truth usually resides somewhere in the middle.