Ryan Dickens has picked his future college destination — again.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound linebacker from Raritan High School verbally committed to play football for Lafayette College Sunday, concluding a whirlwind two weeks that began when the University of Connecticut pulled his scholarship offer just 17 days before National Signing Day.

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Dickens had been verbally committed to UConn since June, but Huskies coach Randy Edsall called the recruit Jan. 15 and told him the school no longer had a spot for him. It left Dickens without any options at the time and scrambling to find another opportunity.

That second chance came in the form of a scholarship offer from Lafayette, which competes at the Football Championship Subdivision level.

“I’m just relieved I was able to find a school that’s a great fit for me,” Dickens said. “The school is fantastic and well-respected. On a football standpoint, the facilities blew me away and the coaching staff made me feel wanted. I was comfortable being there.”

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After UConn pulled his scholarship, Dickens and his coaches worked around the clock to contact colleges and gauge interest from recruiters. Meanwhile, UConn's decision elicited national outrage and sparked heated debate about the NCAA's policy that allows colleges and recruits to renege on verbal commitments and scholarship offers all the way up until National Letters of Intent are signed and faxed into schools.

Meanwhile, Dickens was quickly contacted by colleges, and Rhode Island offered him a scholarship the day after a story was published by NJ Advance Media detailing Dickens' situation. He also received interest from Cornell, Pennsylvania, Fordham, Georgetown, Columbia, and Sacred Heart.

But in the end, Lafayette was the perfect fit. Dickens and his parents, Matt and Patti, visited the school over the weekend and were sold by the school's blend of strong academics and athletics and Ryan's comfort level with the current players and coaching staff. By the time the visit was over, Ryan Dickens was ready to verbally commit.

"Sunday we said to Ryan, ‘Do not commit, go home, sleep on it, maybe you’ll feel different in the morning,’" Patti Dickens remembered. "And Ryan said, ‘I am so certain that this is where I belong that I want to just commit. I’m positive this is it.’"

For the Dickens family, the decision puts a happy ending on a tumultuous couple weeks.

"It’s total relief," Patti Dickens said. "But it’s also bigger than that. Everybody was saying, ‘Oh, things happen for a reason.’ Even though you believe it, you don’t want to hear it. And now I look back and think if I compare this school to UConn academically they don’t compare. It’s just a better fit for Ryan."

Matthew Stanmyre may be reached at mstanmyre@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattStanmyre. Find NJ.com on Facebook.