There's something to be said about honoring your word when it comes to recruiting these days.

Flip-flopped commitments to colleges have become as commonplace as touchdowns during the high school football season.

But Earl Garcia has a saying when it comes to making verbal commitments:  "If you want to date, don't get engaged."

His two star players who will be signing with to Division I schools on February 1 took those words to heart and chose not to flirt with other schools once they committed this past summer.

University of Florida commit Zachary Carter and University of South Florida Duran Bell still got their share of letters and calls from other coaches after they chose where they wanted to spend the next four years.

However, they’ve stayed true to their word throughout the entire process. 

Carter just got a visit from Gators head coach Jim McElwain on Monday.

Carter's mother cooked up some fish and shrimp po’ boys for her son and his future coach for them to enjoy over a nice conversation.

“We established a pretty good relationship over the past year,” Carter said.  “So pretty much the home visit was to put the final touches on the recruiting process just to make sure I was solid with the Gators.”

Carter, who grew up as a Gators fan, had 41 offers to pick from, including several from big-time schools like Alabama and Michigan that came in after his commitment to Florida.

The 6'5 defensive end, who's ranked fourth in the nation at his position, leaned on his family for advice.

His brother, Frank, had already been through the process a few years ago before signing with Jackson State.

“One of the big things he told me:  always be humble," Zachary Carter said.  "Because just like all of this is happening, it could all be taken away.”

Carter says his parents enjoyed the opportunity to travel and meet new people during his recruitment prior to his commitment to Florida.

He says Clemson, which was his second choice behind Florida, sent him some of the most interesting recruiting material out of all the schools he heard from.

The Tigers even created a fake version of Drake and Future's album, "What a Time to be Alive", as part of their recruitment of Carter.

But in the end, he decided Gainesville was his home of the future.

Carter attended the Gators' Outback Bowl win over Iowa and said he felt like he was already part of the team in spite of the fact that he was watching from the stands.

Bell, who committed to South Florida in July, is a versatile running back with top end track speed.

He initially thought about re-opening his recruitment when Willie Taggart left the Bulls to take the head coaching job at the University of Oregon.

But one phone call from new USF head coach Charlie Strong re-enforced Bell's decision to stay close to home to play for his hometown team.

“He was just like, ‘You know, Duran, I’m really cool with Coach (Garcia),’” Bell said of his conversation with Coach Strong.  “’And I talked to him already, and your offer is safe with us.  And I want you to come here.  Don’t give up, just stay with us.  And we’re going to turn this program around.’”

Bell was initally nervous when it took Strong about a week to make that call.

It turns out that Strong had been trying to contact him but had the incorrect cell phone number for Bell.

Bell, who considers himself "an underdog" who has earned his stripes, can't wait for his big day ahead on February 1.

“I’ve always had to work for it,” Bell said.  “And finally, I put in all the work and made my family proud and my grandparents proud, and everybody’s happy.  And I’m glad.  I’ll be very glad to sign that paper.”

Garcia is proud of his two seniors who have handled themselves like men throughout their senior seasons.

“The common denominator with those two kids is they have very strong homes,” Garcia said.  “They both have great parents- a set of parents.  And they’ve both been taught very well.  They didn’t need my guidance whatsoever.  They were taught the right way, and it shows in the recruiting process.”

Both players will make their official visits to their chosen schools this weekend.

Carter says he's adding a new title to his resume while he's in Gainesville.

The recruit plans to be a recruiter, hoping to convince other top prospects who are uncommitted to come join him as Gators.