Brock Haman Transfers To Arizona State

Arizona State is quickly filling their team in with all the best players from the local high school powerhouse Saguaro High. It's important for ASU to get the players they need, and landing local top recruits is huge to keep them competitive.

This time they got a player who already made a choice of school but decided to look around after redshirting his first year. Brock Haman will be making the move from the Arkansas Razorbacks back to Tempe to play for the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Here are some more details on Haman from the press release announcing his transfer to Arizona State.

Haman (6-3, 230), who will be listed at linebacker, redshirted at Arkansas last season after undergoing foot surgery in the preseason.

Haman was ranked as the No. 13 overall recruit in the state of Arizona by Rivals.com in 2010. He was ranked by AzProspects.com as the No. 2 linebacker recruit in the state. In a senior season cut short by injury, Haman made 19 tackles, including three sacks, for head coach John Sanders' Saguaro High School team that brought home the 2010 4A Division I state title. Scout.com ranked Haman as the No. 61 tight end in the country at the conclusion of his high school career.

Haman will be the seventh Saguaro player on the ASU football roster, joining talents like D.J. Foster and Corey Adams on the squad.

Talk about Arizona State football with Sun Devils fans at House of Sparky.

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Davonte Neal has apparently done it again.

After his bizarre Signing Day saga where he chose Notre Dame over the Arizona Wildcats and others on Feb. 21 but not before missing his original presser time, interrupting a litany of class schedules and being forced to apologize after, now Neal has reportedly withdrawn from Scottsdale Chaparral High, according to the Arizona Republic's Richard Obert.

Um, last time we checked you sort of have to graduate from a high school or obtain some sort of equivalent in order to attend college. Also, Notre Dame isn't exactly some low-level academic institution. So Neal's future is definitely up in the air unless there is some more news around the corner.

But it seems like with Neal, there always is. We will try to keep you updated with whatever comes of Neal's decision to leave Chaparral so early in the second half of his senior year.

So, Davonte Neal cited a family emergency for why he didn't show up for his announcement earlier this afternoon.

Spoke to Davonte Neal, who cited a family emergency this morning at 2:30 a.m. for altering announcement plans. Also apologetic delays.

— Irish Illustrated (@NDatRivals) February 21, 2012

There was probably a family emergency, but not of the "grandmother ruptures spleen" or "sister has emergency root canal" type. It was a crisis of confidence between son and father about where to attend school and play college football.

Reports are: Davonte Neal wants Arizona, his dad wants Notre Dame. As of right now, all indications are that Davonte Neal is not showing up.

— Daily Wildcat Sports (@WildcatSports) February 21, 2012

#Davonte Neal a no-show for his college choice. He wants UA, dad wants ND. This, in a nutshell, is why these announcements are ridiculous.

— Craig Morgan (@cmorgancbsfoxaz) February 21, 2012

Neal's dad has been relatively absent throughout his childhood, and he admits that he was a "deadbeat dad". But it seems like dad won out in the end here and got his son to play for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

These situations are usually not a good sign. You never want your parents picking which college you should end up at, because that usually leads to all sorts of insecurities down the road and might affect his future. You just have to hope Neal is accepting of the decision and will play as well as he can and make the most of his opportunities. It's not like Notre Dame is a bad school; he should be able to thrive if given the chance to succeed.

To talk about Neal going to the Irish, head on over to One Foot Down. To discuss Neal not going to the Wildcats, check out Arizona Desert Swarm.

Davonte Neal, who is widely regarded as one of the best high school athletes in the country, has taken his time in the recruiting process and weighed all of his options before making a final decision on Tuesday morning. Neal, a four-star recruit on Rivals and the No. 8 overall player on ESPN, had a final list of Arizona, Arkansas, North Carolina and Notre Dame. In the end, he chose Notre Dame.

It almost looked like we weren't going to find out where Neal was headed on Tuesday after he didn't show up for his press conference. But he returned to the school and made the announcement as planned, just without the cameras.

Neal will undoubtedly make an immediate impact in South Bend and could play wide receiver and cornerback. Most feel he will end up at receiver with his electric speed and strong play-making abilities. This is a huge pickup for Notre Dame and bodes well for the program going forward.

For more on Notre Dame football recruiting, visit One Foot Down.

The Davonte Neal announcement at Chaparral Elementary School that fans were waiting to see didn't come to be, as Neal did not make it to the school for his scheduled announcement. Neal was scheduled to announce what school he planned to attend at 9:30 AM MT/11:30 AM ET, but did not show up.

Neal has his choice between the Arizona Wildcats, Arkansas Razorbacks, Notre Dame Fighting Irish and North Carolina Tar Heels. He is one of the top prep athletes in the country and his decision has had coaches sitting on pins and needles waiting. He has been mentioned as favoring both the Wildcats and the Fighting Irish at different points in his recruitment, and Tuesday was supposed to be the day that the teams would know if they'd be getting one of the most highly-recruited players in the country.

It looks like they'll have to wait a bit longer.

For more on Arizona football recruiting, visit AZ Desert Swarm.

Davonte Neal is set to make his announcement tomorrow at Chaparral. There are several teams still in contention.

• Arizona Wildcats: The home state team, Neal has already seen a couple of his teammates get signed up to Arizona.
  
• Arkansas Razorbacks: Davonte could be the focal point of the offense here, and could be a serious sleeper candidate between Notre Dame and Arizona.
  
• Notre Dame Fighting Irish: The frontrunner for all the school has to offer, and its general all-around tradition. If you had to make a bet, Neal to Notre Dame wouldn't be that bad a selection.
  
• North Carolina Tar Heels: Neal does have family connections here, which would make it a comfortable fit.
  

Neal's decision will be made sometime around 9:30 AM MT / 11:30 AM ET. If you want an online stream for the announcement, you can watch it by clicking here.

To discuss the Neal decision with fans of all teams in the running, head to Arizona Desert Swarm (Arizona), Arkansas Expats (Arkansas), Carolina March (North Carolina) and One Foot Down (Notre Dame).

Davonte Neal is the lone big-time athlete remaining on the recruiting board who has yet to make his commitment be known. The Chaparral athlete will disclose his school tomorrow, and four teams are left in the running: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the North Carolina Tar Heels, the Arizona Wildcats, the Arkansas Razorbacks. It's anyone's guess who he chooses.

Richard Obert of AZCentral has been covering Neal's recruitment since the beginning, and he's starting to think that Notre Dame is the team to beat in this circus. He explains why.

This was the only school in which Luke Neal accompanied his son. The tradition is second to none. The electric current felt walking into the stadium is something Neal probably wouldn't experience anywhere else. The Irish signed five-star quarterback Gunner Kiel, who is already enrolled. Neal could start the season returning kicks and probably figure in at receiver if not at cornerback. Neal is open to playing any position. He would be surrounded by top talent. Brian Kelly's offense is tailor-made for Neal. It's important to Luke that his son graduates, and Notre Dame's 97-percent graduation success rate is the best there is.

Arizona fans can't be happy with what Obert has to say. After giving the Wildcats a puncher's chance through most of the last few weeks, he crosses them off the list among the four finalists. Will Neal surprise everyone and stay home? No one knows yet.

To discuss recruiting with fans of any of the four teams in contention, head to One Foot Down (Notre Dame), Arizona Desert Swarm (Arizona), Carolina March (UNC) and Arkansas Expats (Arkansas).

Davonte Neal probably remains the best athlete remaining from the 2012 recruiting class that remains uncommitted. Neal has a final four that includes some familiar suspects, including one local team.

For a long time, it was thought that national powerhouses Notre Dame and Arkansas were considered the favorites in Neal's recruitment. But as Neal's decision date nears, there could be a change in plans that might favor the local team. Richard Obert of the Arizona Republic reports that the Arizona Wildcats might be in better shape than previously realized.

But Luke Neal shed some light Wednesday afternoon to make me think either UA or North Carolina just might be the school. Keep in mind, Davonte's grandmother on his mom's side lives in North Carolina. But more so I think UA has the best shot.

UA now has Davonte's best friend, linebacker Cody Ippolito, locked in with a scholarship. And it's close to Dad, to whom Davonte' attributed his success at the Ed Doherty Awards luncheon last Friday. Davonte's girlfriend, who attended the Doherty Awards with him, is here.

Over the weekend, Luke said his son awoke one night and told him which school he was going to. Luke said he told his son to sit on it longer to be sure. He confirmed it Monday. And, on Tuesday, during his cousin's memorial service, Davonte' "had a clearer picture," Luke said.

Rich-Rod landing Neal would be a huge victory, because Arizona doesn't really have any marquee recruits in their class. Putting an athlete like Neal in Arizona's future spread option would be a boon to the team.

To discuss Neal with fans of any of the schools recruiting, head to Arizona Desert Swarm to talk with fans of the Wildcats, Carolina March to talk with fans of the Tar Heels, One Foot Down to talk with Notre Dame fans, and Arkansas Expats to talk with Razorbacks fans.

Davonte Neal, the nation's top-football prospect yet to sign, has set an announcement date of February 21. The decision will be made public at 9:30 a.m. that morning from the elementary school he attended as a child. Neal projects to be either a wide receiver or defensive back in college and is a four-star athlete according to Rivals.com.

The four final schools, according to numerous reports: Arizona, Arkansas, North Carolina and Notre Dame. Here is a snippet from a recent update that Brian Snow of Scout provided.

Chaparral High (Scottsdale, Ariz.) four-star athlete Davonte' Neal has family close to Chapel Hill, N.C., is being recruited to play on both sides of the ball and loves the education North Carolina offers.

Arkansas will allow him to begin work on his major as a freshman, Arizona offers familiarity and the chance to play several roles and Notre Dame has remained high on his list because of its academic and athletic mix, and the way the staff has recruited him.

For as exciting as it would be for Rich Rodriguez to land the in-state prospect, the writing is on the wall that he will go elsewhere. Some in his family may be pushing for the Wildcats, but Neal has made it known he wants to play for a top-tier program and that is something both Notre Dame and Arkansas provide. And while he has some family in Arizona, he is very close with those in North Carolina and that could play a big factor in his recruitment, as well.

Nothing has been made official at this point, although it appears the race to land Davonte Neal is finally nearing an end.

Davonte Neal is one of the most prominent remaining college football recruits left that remains uncommitted with no letter-of-intent signed. The Chaparral athlete might be eliminated by most of the main big-time BCS schools like Oklahoma and Ohio State, but he's still very likely to be an impact player whereever he ends up.

Anthony Gimino of the Tucson Citizen reports that the final four does include the home-state Arizona Wildcats, along with the Arkansas Razorbacks, North Carolina Tar Heels and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Arizona has to feel like they're in a good position, although any of these other three schools are probably in great shape.

The announcement will also have to wait awhile. Strap in.

AZ ATH Davonte Neal will announce his college Feb. 21 at Kyrene Esperanza elementary school, the school he attended growing up

— Greg Biggins (@GregBiggins) February 6, 2012

To discuss Arizona football recruiting, go to Arizona Desert Swarm. To check out Arkansas football recruiting, head on over to Arkansas Expats. To learn more about North Carolina football recruiting, look at Carolina March. To read up on Notre Dame football recruiting, examine One Foot Down.

Davonte Neal has had an unconventional recruitment, even though he probably never intended for it to be that way. While immensely talented and capable of being an immediate factor at the next level, the product out of Scottsdale is taking his time deciding on a college to play at for the next four years.

Many believed he was a heavy lean towards Ohio St. and Urban Meyer, but recent reports have indicated they are looking elsewhere with their last remaining scholarship. According to this recent report from AZ Central, Neal's father, Luke Neal, was surprised and baffled by the rumors of Ohio St. looking elsewhere.

"I haven't talked to Ohio State at all," Luke Neal said. "Maybe they're trying to pull the trigger and make him commit. This week we're trying to figure out what we're doing. There was no need to talk to them. We'll talk to them next week."

"We're not writing them off. I've not heard from Urban Meyer. I guess it's the same stuff that was tweeted earlier that Davonte was going to Ohio State. He has not committed anywhere. I don't know what they're doing because we're not doing anything. (Meyer) said he'd give us that week off."

This whole recruitment is getting messy and it's probably best to let the Neal family figure out the situation without speculation from the media. That being said, everything keeps pointing to the wide receiver ending up somewhere other than Columbus.

As for his fifth and final official visit, it would be nice for him to choose the Wildcats, although he could always visit unofficially and make the 90 minute drive south on his own dime. It sounds like a decision will be made shortly after he wraps up his visits.

4-Star Davonte Neal says he will sign his LOI after taking a fifth visit to either Arizona or Oklahoma.

— Mike Coppage (@MikeCoppage) February 2, 2012

Stay tuned. Luring Davonte Neal to the UA would be absolutely huge for Rich Rodriguez and the coaching staff as they attempt to rebuild the football program. They'll have some stiff competition, though, and it's anyone's guess as for where he ends up.

For any coach, building a well-rounded recruiting class is an exhausting, yearly experience. Now try cram that process into an accelerated course of about 50 days. You would think that Arizona State head coach Todd Graham might describe that using his favorite phrase: "high octane." Instead, Graham used two different words: "not fun."

Still, it's hard not to like what you see from Graham's first recruiting class as the Sun Devils head coach. Twenty-three new players (14 freshman, eight juniors, one sophomore) will don the maroon and gold next season and here's what Graham had to say about each one in his signing day press conference late Tuesday afternoon:

Offensive Lineman

Evan Goodman - Lakeland Senior HS, Fla. - [Goodman] is a guy we think can be an impact player for us...one the most explosive, athletic tackles in the entire country."

Stephon McCray - Bullard HS, Calif. - "We're going to go pretty fast. We need guys that are athletic...Stephon brings a great deal of athleticism and power...can play tackle or kick into the guard position."

William McGehee - Navarro CC, Texas - "[McGehee] is a diamond in the rough that we found...has tremendous potential...a guy that not many people knew about and one that I think will be exciting for you to watch in the years to come."

Tight Ends

Kody Kohl - Mesquite HS, Gilbert - "This guy is tough...I loved sitting in his living room and visiting with him and watching the intensity in this guys eyes...we're excited to see what he's going to be able to do at our [move tight end] position."

Darwin Rogers - Arizona Western College - "He will play our inline tight end position...big, physical athlete...a guy who is a former quarterback."

Runningbacks

D.J. Foster - Saguaro HS, Scottsdale - "Some call him the jewel of our class...I don't know that I've ever met a more dynamic player on film that was so impressive to talk with. This guys character is unbelievable...I'm pretty excited about those 10 touchdown in one game too."

Terrell Davis - Mount Douglas Senior Secondary, Canada - "Will be a three-back type player for us...a very physical runner...we're really proud to have him as part of our class."

Marion Grice - Blinn CC, Texas - "Marion is the number one JC running in America...a guy who is a very physical and explosive runner inside...he provides big play capability."

Wide Receivers

Alonzo Agwuenu - Mt. San Antonio JC - "A big-time deep threat for us...a guy who scored 17 touchdowns."

Josiah Blandin - Long Beach Poly, Calif. - "A guy who has tremendous potential...we like those big, explosive guys on the outside."

Richard Smith - Long Beach Poly, Calif. - "One of the most dynamic guys in this class...he can play our move receiver position."

Defensive Lineman

Jaxon Hood - Hamilton HS, Chandler - "We're really fired up about Jaxon...very powerful...we want to impact the quarterback...this guys is an impact player on the inside...can play three-technique or five-technique."

Milo Jordan - Centennial HS, Calif. - "He's a three-technique....a guy that's really explosive off the football."

Mike Pennel - Scottsdale CC - "Absolutely epitomizes power...a guy that loves this place...you build your defense from the inside out so we're really excited about what his potential is."

Jake Sheffield - College of the Desert, Calif. - "Jake is very, very unique...a guy who he looks up to is Pat Tillman...has two tours in Iraq...really impressed with the discipline and character he brings with him."

Linebackers

Salamo Fiso - Long Beach Poly, Calif. - "A guy who I think is one of the most underrated players in this class...this is a guy who the Sun Devil fans are going to love...sky is the limit...you guys remember that name."

Steffon Martin -Arizona Western College - "4.5 forty guy...plays inside linebacker that can flat run...he's mature and ready to come in and be an impact player for us."

Carlos Mendoza - Oaks Christian HS, Calif. - "A playmaker...our offensive staff and our defensive were arguing over which side of the ball they want him to play on...unbelievable mindset."

Matthew Rowe - Long Beach Poly, Calif. - "A pass rusher...a young man who we think will be really impactful off the edge."

Safeties/Cornerbacks

Chris Young - Arizona Western College - "will play the strong safety/outside linebacker position...an incredible blitzer...you're going to see him come off the edge an awful lot here in the near future."

Viliami Moeakiola - Trinity HS, Texas - "A guy we think can come in and play early...a guy who knows how to win."

Oliver Johnson Pierce College, Calif. - "We're going to play a lot more press coverage...he's a lockdown corner...a guy who we think can come in and help us immediately."

Long Snapper

Easton Wahlstrom - Desert Mountain HS, Scottsdale - "People underestimate the importance of [deep-snapping]...a tremendous athlete...unbelievable at snapping the football."

The Arizona St. Sun Devils really went all-out to try and get Darreus Rogers. They wanted a game-breaking wide receiver that could really open up the offense and give Todd Graham's team an instant injection of excitement and explosion going into next season

Rogers decided to drag the process along and figure out whether ASU would be a suitable alternative to USC. It's hard to see where you can go wrong with the Trojans, who have one of the most explosive offenses in the country and boast game-breaking receivers like Robert Woods and Marqise Lee

Looks like that logic won out in the end in his final announcement. Rogers joins Nelson Agholor as the two committed USC wideouts. Arizona State still has a glaring need at running back they need to fix.

To talk about ASU football recruiting, head on over to House of Sparky. To discuss USC football recruiting, check out Conquest Chronicles.

Davonte Neal's recruitment has picked up in the past month, as the Ohio St. Buckeyes engaged in a full-court press to land one of the best athletes out of Arizona.

But it looks as if the interest between the two parties wasn't mutual enough for it to stick, and Urban Meyer has moved on. Surprising, since Neal looked like he was ready to make the move to Columbus.

Big news, #OhioState not taking Davonte Neal now

— Mike Farrell (@rivalsmike) February 1, 2012

I don't have the reason why #OhioState won't be taking Davonte Neal, I just know he tried to commit and couldn't. Well sourced. #RivalsNSD

— Mike Farrell (@rivalsmike) February 1, 2012

That's pretty surprising. It seemed like Meyer and Neal were hitting it off right. Why would the Buckeyes head coach not reserve a space for a top target?

Anyway, with Ohio State out of the picture, it can only mean good things for the in-state school. And Neal has shown increased interest in the Arizona Wildcats, enough so to take his final official visit this weekend to Tucson. While schools like Oklahoma, North Carolina and Notre Dame remain in the mix, it can only be a good sign for Rich Rodriguez that his top target is still on the board and uncommitted after National Signing Day.

To discuss Neal and Arizona football recruiting, go to Arizona Desert Swarm. To talk about Ohio State football recruiting, head to Along the Olentangy.

After many months of anticipation National Signing Day 2012 is finally here. While the Arizona Wildcats already received a Letter Of Intent from each of their previous commitments, Rich Rodriguez and the coaching staff left the door open for a few other undecided recruits to join the mix. One of the most heralded athletes on the west coast is Bryan Harper, who had his final list down to Arizona, Oregon and UCLA.

Harper is a three-star athlete according to Rivals and many believe he is capable of playing either quarterback, wide receiver or cornerback in college. The Wildcats are desperately looking for quarterbacks to solidify their depth chart once Matt Scott graduates after next season and Harper was reportedly very interested in playing a role similar to what QB Pat White had at WVU.

Oregon was the heavy favorite to land Harper but it appears the UA coaching staff did a stellar job convincing him that Tucson was the place to be. Along with Harper, look for Javelle Allen and Josh Kern to compete with him for the backup QB slots.

For more on the Wildcats, head on over to AZ Desert Swarm.

The first recruiting class for newly hired head coach Todd Graham has been a surprise. With the way the firing of Dennis Erickson and the hiring of Graham went, most figured that the Arizona State Sun Devil football recruiting class of 2012 with be almost a lost cause.

Almost to the end of National Signing Day, and ASU has landed some solid prospects for the program. They landed the most highly touted prep player in the state of Arizona in D.J. Foster and it looks like Graham is going to be working hard to keep Arizona prep players in-state.

Here is the list of recruits as of Wednesday afternoon:

Darwin Rogers, TE, Arizona Western College

Easton Wahlstrom, LS, Scottsdale, AZ

Jake Sheffield, DT, Palm Desert, CA

Evan Goodman, OT, Lakeland, FL

William McGehee, OL, Corsicana, TX

Oliver Johnson, DB, Woodland Hills, CA

Carlos Mendoza, LB, Westlake Village, CA

Kody Kohl, TE, Gilbert, AZ

Terrell Davis, RB, Canada

Stephon McCray, Fresno, CA

D.J. Foster, RB, Scottsdale, AZ

Steffon Martin, LB, Arizona Western College

Josiah Blandin, WR, Long Beach, CA

Richard Smith, WR, Long Beach, CA

Salamo Fiso, LB, Long Beach, CA

Alonzo Agwuenu, WR, Chino Hills, CA

Mike Pennel, DL, Aurora, CO

Milo Jordan, DL, Corona, CA

Chris Young, DB, Yuma, AZ

There are two notable names left to watch out for. 4-star receiving recruit Darreus Rodgers is expected to choose USC, but still has ASU on his list. Cornerback Randall Goforth is selecting either ASU or UCLA. That decsion is said to be likely to go either way.

Keep up with ASU's 2012 recruiting class at House of Sparky

National Signing Day 2012 is finally here and many of the top-football prospects in the nation will be signing their binding Letter Of Intent on Wednesday afternoon. One of the better secondary players yet to decide on his college is Bam Bradley out of Trotwood,Ohio, who has earned himself 14 official scholarship offers thus far. Bradley recently took an official visit to Tucson and has the Arizona Wildcats near the top of his list, but ultimately decided to go with Paul Chryst and his Pittsburgh Panthers as the place he will matriculate this fall.

CBS Sports' Kyle Bonagura on Twitter:

Bam Bradley signs with Pitt, which is coached by Paul Chryst, brother of #49ers QB coach Geep Chryst. Bradley had been on #Stanford radar

— Kyle Bonagura (@KyleBonagura) February 1, 2012

Bradley, a consensus three star recruit, was seen as the 41st best safety in the nation according to Rivals.

For more on Arizona football recruiting, head over to Arizona Desert Swarm. For more on NAtional Signing Day in general, check out SB Nation's college recruiting hub.

Javon WIlliams, a consensus 4-Star recruit, and Chandler, Arizona native, has committed to the UCLA Bruins, announcing the news on television on National Signing Day 2012. Williams who played for Chandler High School, though staying close to home was really never an option for him as he was deciding between the Bruins and the Arkansas Razorbacks the other finalist for his services. Obviously he decided the warm southern California sunshine would do him best, and with new head coach Jim Mora, a team that is on the up and up.

'12 AZ WR Javon Williams (via RedshirtScouting)

Williams was the 36-highest wide receiver in the nation according to the Rivals rankings, and the fourth best in the state of Arizona. He joins a UCLA squad that has a number of young talented receivers like Jeffrey Johnson and Ricky Marvay.

For more on National Signing Day in General, head over to SB Nation's College Recruiting Page.

The big day for college recruiting continues as prep athletes across the nation sign their letters of intent for college football. A local kid, 3-star defensive back Zach Hoffpauir, has made his decision. He will play for the Stanford Cardinal, according to a tweet by the Arizona Republic's Doug Haller.

Hoffpauir had committed earlier in the season to Cal, but then opened up his list of schools recently. He was deciding between Cal, Stanford and Arizona State.

Scouts.com has this bio about him:

One of AZ's top playmakers. Tough as nails, explosive tackler, and has great ball skills. Is a player that you want on your team. Is a great student (well above 3.0 GPA). Tweener in that, doesn't have prototypical measurables of a safety or OLB. But the bottomline is, he can play football. Also a national baseball prospect.

There was the small chance that Arizona State could have landed him, and that would have shown once again how well new head coach Todd Graham is doing with his in-state recruiting. ASU's landing of D.J. Foster opened things up.

We wish him well in the Pac-12 North.

The Arizona State Sun Devils, already having landed top local running back D.J. Foster have now reportedly added another quality player. Brian Perroni from Rivals.com reports that Blinn College running back Marion Grice, considered a 4-star recruit and the highest rated Juco running back in the nation, has chosen to play for ASU.

He will join Cameron Marshall, Deantre Lewis, Kyle Middlebrooks and Foster in the backfield.

From ASU blog House of Sparky:

At 6'0", 210 pounds, Grice has ideal size for the position, and he also reportedly runs a 4.5 time in the 40. That blend of power and speed makes him a valuable all-purpose back, something that ASU's depleted backfield could use. Returning starter Cameron Marshall is a dynamic every down threat, but Deantre Lewis, Kyle Middlebrooks and incoming top recruit D.J. Foster are all speedy backs that aren't suited for continuous between-the-tackles running. Grice's addition helps even out the team's skillset in the backfield.

With the loss of Brock Osweiler at quarterback to the NFL Draft, the Devils have no QB on their roster that has made a start in college, so the talented corp of runners will ease the pressure that whoever starts will have. The running game could be very, very good this season.

Here is Grice in action:

Despite a long and drawn out coaching change that threatened to hurt the ASU Sun Devil recruiting class of 2012, new head coach Todd Graham is making a name for himself with the local star football players. On today, Signing Day 2012, one recruit that ASU has landed is Chandler Hamilton defensive lineman Jaxon Hood, as the Arizona Republic is reporting.

He previously had made a soft verbal commitment with Boston College.

Over at ASU team blog House of Sparky, he is described like this:

At 6'0" and 280 pounds, Hood was an exceedingly disruptive force along the defensive line for Hamilton. He registered 13 sacks and 32.5 quarterback hurries, as well as making 102 total tackles.

ASU will be moving from a base 4-3 scheme to a 3-3-5/3-4 scheme, and will be in need of different types of defensive linemen, most notably a stalwart nose tackle. The Sun Devils already secured a commitment from Mike Pennel, and Hood's commitment helps to solidify a position that ASU's returning roster was lacking.

Here are some highlights from Hood while at Chandler Hamilton:

There are many more decisions coming. We will keep you posted.

After long wait the 2012 National Signing Day is here. While most high school athletes around the country will sign their National Letter of Intent to the football program of their choosing, that will not be the case for Davonte Neal, who is a four-star prospect out of Scottsdale, Arizona. It is unclear at this point when Neal will sign his NLI.

Among the teams in the running for Neal are the Arizona Wildcats, North Carolina Tar Heels, Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Ohio St. Buckeyes. The Oklahoma Sooners are also reportedly in the running now that they have a new coaching staff in place.

According to multiple reports, Neal will indeed take an official visit to Oklahoma in the coming weeks and also take an unofficial visit to Tucson to visit with Rich Rodriguez and the new staff beginning February 10. The Wildcats are looking to rebuild the in-state pipeline that Mike Stoops destroyed while at the UA and a commitment from Neal would be absolutely huge for the program.

We will keep you updated on Neal as he continues to search for the college of his choosing.

For more on the Arizona Wildcats, head on over to AZ Desert Swarm.

The 2012 National Signing Day is here and there are quite a few local Arizona prospects looking to continue their careers at the next level. One of the better prospects in the entire state is offensive lineman Andrus Peat, who plays at Corona Del Sol up in Tempe. He is ranked as the No. 32 overall prospect in the country by Rivals and had more than 20 scholarship offers from around the country.

More: Let's listen in on a recruitment falling apart, shall we?

The three schools reportedly in the final mix for Peat are the Stanford Cardinal, Nebraska Cornhuskers and USC Trojans. The Florida State Seminoles were also involved, although they were likely too far away from home to get a serious look. Most experts and recruiting gurus would tell you they believe Peat will end up either with the Cardinal or Cornhuskers, although some believe the Trojans are a dark horse.

His final decision will be nationally televised on ESPNU at 11:35 a.m. MT. He will be joined by his friends, family and teammates on Wednesday as he signs his National Letter of Intent. We wish the best of luck to Andrus wherever he decides to continue his football career.

For more on these teams, head on over to Rule Of Tree (Stanford), Corn Nation (Nebraska) and Conquest Chronicles (USC).

The state of Arizona has seen their level of local talent increase over the last few years and some of the best in the southwest will be announcing their college choices this week. National Signing Day is just hours away and it's time for these young men to take the next step in their careers. Here is a little viewing information to see where a few select athletes go, many of which are looking at the Arizona Wildcats and Arizona St. Sun Devils.

The coverage begins on Feb. 1 at 10 a.m. from the National Football Foundation Valley of the Sun Chapter's "Signing Day Spectacular". FOX Sports Arizona and FOXSportsArizona.com will both have live coverage and will break down the classes for UA, ASU and NAU.

Among the players set to announce include:

Dylan Cozens/Chaparral HS - deciding between Arizona/Washington/Boise State

Jaxon Hood/Hamilton HS - deciding between Arizona/Arizona State/Boston College

Javon Williams/Chandler HS - deciding between Arkansas/UCLA/Oregon

Zach Hoffpauir/Centennial HS - deciding between Arizona State/California/Stanford

FoxSportsArizona.com will have a recap of Arizona State and their signing day at 4pm, while CBS Sports Network will be in Tucson with Rich Rodriguez and the Wildcats.

For a long time, it looked as if Darreus Rogers was looking like a sure lock for the USC Trojans. Rogers committed to USC early on in the process, was always a USC commit, never seemed like he was really thinking of wavering.

But as we've grown closer and closer to signing day, it's become clear Rogers hasn't quite figured out where exactly he wants to go. We'll know for sure this afternoon whether it was real interest in the Arizona State Sun Devils wasn't just to drum up news about his commitment.

Carson (Calif.) receiver Darreus Rogers will be announcing his decision on Signing Day during the @FoxSportsWest Signing Day Show (3 pm PST)

— Brandon Huffman (@BrandonHuffman) January 29, 2012

4-Star WR & USC Commit Darreus Rogers says he is torn between 2 finalists... #USC and #Arizona State recruiting.scout.com/2/1154033.html

— Tara Turnure(@TaraFOXSports) January 31, 2012

Rogers is the only wideout for USC in the 2012 recruiting class at this point, and his departure to Tempe would be a tough loss to take. Arizona State, on the other hand, would have to be overjoyed at getting a premier number one talent.

The show should also be seen on FoxSportsWest.com.

To talk about Rogers and USC football recruiting, head on over to Conquest Chronicles. To discuss Rogers and ASU football recruiting, check out House of Sparky.

Arizona Western College running back Damien Williams told Rivals.com that it is down to two schools for his services next season and Arizona State did not make the cut.

Williams will decide between Oklahoma and Texas Tech as his next team with the firing of Dennis Erickson being cited as the primary reason for Williams' decision to go elsewhere.

It's a big loss for ASU since Williams had already shown that he wanted to come to the school on more than one occasion. Williams had committed to Arizona State twice previously, including right out of high school, but didn't meet academic requirements. Once Erickson was fired, he allowed himself to be recruited again.

In two years at Arizona Western, Williams led the NJCAA with nearly 2,000 yards rushing, made 20 receptions and even threw two touchdown passes. Williams is currently ranked no. 15 among JUCO transfers in the country by Scout.com.

Devin Fuller of Old Tappan is one of the top athletes in the country, and today he was supposed to pick between five schools, including two from the Pac-12. One of them was the Arizona Wildcats, who were heavily recruiting Fuller as their quarterback of the future.

Fuller decided to choose the other Pac-12 school though. The UCLA Bruins ended up being the choice after Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano departed, and it's a huge commitment for the school.

Arizona meanwhile is in a bit of trouble, especially when you look at their post-2012 depth chart. Matt Scott is currently the only scholarship quarterback on their roster, and it's his final season in college. Arizona is going to have to hope for a transfer to come in and take the load, or really load up next season.

To discuss Arizona football recruiting, go to Arizona Desert Swarm. To talk about Fuller and UCLA football recruiting, check out Bruins Nation.

Andrus Peat is perhaps the top offensive tackle on the West Coast from Corona Del Sol. It's hard to get a read on where exactly he'll attend soon, although he's expected to reveal his intentions in a matter of days on National Signing Day. Here is the supposed itinerary for Peat's announcement.

Five star Andrus Peat will make his announcement live at 12:35 pm CST on ESPNU this upcoming Wednesday. #Huskers

— Sean Callahan(@Sean_Callahan) January 27, 2012

Peat has a current top two of Nebraska and Stanford. USC is supposedly the third team in the mix. Peat is probably favored to end up with Nebraska because his brother Todd is currently with the program. But also Stanford has to factor in because of their strong offensive line tradition the past few years and their ability to produce NFL-caliber players, particularly with the type of players they've been landing recently, including Josh Garnett. USC is USC, but they might have some ground to make up in this contest.

To discuss Peat and Nebraska football recruiting, head to Corn Nation. To talk about Peat and Stanford football recruiting, go to Rule of Tree. To talk about Peat and USC football recruiting, check out Conquest Chronicles.

New Jersey athlete and quarterback prospect Devin Fuller will reportedly end his recruitment on Sunday, announcing his college decision while at a party with his family. Just about every program in the nation has offered Fuller, although those who have recruited him as a quarterback are the schools still in the mix. Some believed five or six schools survived his final round of cuts, but it appears he has privately trimmed it down to three or four: Arizona, Nebraska, Rutgers and UCLA.

Rutgers was a heavy favorite before the departure of head coach Greg Schiano to the NFL. Now with no head coach and a new scheme that may not fit Fuller, everyone had a chance to pull ahead in the last few days.

Arizona received his fifth and final official visit earlier in the week, one that was described as "great" and "much better than he had expected" by those close to the top-50 recruit. Many feel Rich Rodriguez and the coaching staff are a perfect fit for Devin, especially with their history of developing players such as Pat White and Denard Robinson. Both of those two were elite athletes at the high school level, wanted to play quarterback at the next level, and turned into stars under Rodriguez.

Here's the scary part: Fuller is probably a better passer at this stage of his career than White or Robinson were.

You will be able to watch his final decision live on this stream right around 5:00 p.m. ET. That's 3:00 p.m. in Tucson and the surrounding areas. We will have complete coverage whether or not Fuller becomes a Wildcat this afternoon.

Devin Fuller is the top-target for the Arizona Wildcats in 2012 and his recruitment has been something to behold in recent weeks. Once believed to be a heavy lean towards Rutgers, Rich Rodriguez and the coaching staff were able to get an official visit and keep the UA in the race. With RU head coach Greg Schiano heading to Tampa Bay to coach the Buccaneers, some believed Arizona was the new team to beat.

While it's always fun to speculate, Fuller has not made any decisions, according to this latest update from NJSports.com.

As speculation runs rampant about where Devin Fuller will play college football, the Fuller camp said Friday afternoon that a decision had not been made and that no school had been informed of the star quarterback's destination or which schools he might be favoring.

Arizona, Nebraska, Rutgers, TCU and UCLA are Fuller's finalists after the Old Tappan star completed his fifth and final visit, to Arizona, on Wednesday.

Twitter nation is full of suggestions that Greg Schiano's decision to leave Rutgers to coach the Tampa Bay Bucs has made one school or another the front runner, but the Fuller family says none of those schools has been told a word about the choice, which is scheduled to be announced Sunday.

There is no denying that Fuller would be a perfect fit for RichRod's read-option offensive attack and his highlight videos are something to behold. The Wildcats had a ton of ground to make up, but the departure of a head coach may just be big enough to send Fuller to Tucson. Stay tuned, folks.

For more on the UA, head on over to Arizona Desert Swarm.

After narrowing his choices down to the California Golden Bears, USC Trojans and Arizona State Sun Devils, top running back recurit and Arizona native D.J. Foster has decided to keep his talents in the Grand Canyon State and attend Arizona State University and play for the Sun Devils and new head coach Todd Graham.

Here's a look at Foster after his decision:

via Fox Sports Arizona

He certainly looks happy with his decision!

Ultimately Foster's decision came down to staying home. He apparently made his final decision this morning after his Father sent him a picture of him and his late sister in Arizona State clothing. His sister Jennifer passed away at age 19 in August of 2009 due to an accidental drug overdose. The decision was obviously more than just football for Foster.

Now Foster joins a rebuilding ASU squad looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2011 campaign. Yahoo! Sports ranks Foster as the No. 5 RB in the country, and No. 71 player overall in the country. He's considered the No. 2 prospect in all of Arizona.

For more in depth discussion and analysis of the Arizona State Sun Devils, make sure you check out House Of Sparky, the most comprehensive site for Sun Devil Fans on the interweb. For all the latest AZ sports news, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.

The top athlete in the state of Arizona has yet to make a decision about where he'll be playing college football at the next level. There appear to be only three contenders left to land D.J. Foster from Saguaro in Scottsdale.

Arizona St. Sun Devils: ASU has long been considered the favorite to get Foster as he's a hometown product. ASU has been the one constant throughout Foster's recruitment.

California Golden Bears: Cal has been a dark horse in this recruitment, as they've tried to finish off what could be a great recruiting class. But the Bears seem confident that they have a chance with him.

USC Trojans: Foster could contend for immediate playing time with only a few running backs remaining in the rotation in 2012.

Foster will be making his announcement, which will be webcast live on FOX Sports Arizona at 11:45 am local time.

To discuss Foster potentially becoming a Sun Devil, head to House of Sparky. To talk about Foster fitting in with the Bears, check out California Golden Blogs. To look at Foster and his role with the Trojans, go to Conquest Chronicles.

Andrus Peat is coming toward a decision on National Signing Day, and the Corona del Sol offensive tackle will have some tough choices to make. Does he have potential favorites that stand out over everyone else?

One potential favorite (perhaps the biggest favorite among them all) is the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who will give Peat the chance to play with his brother Todd (a year older and a Nebraska enrollee from last season) in college. Bruce Feldman of CBS Sports projects Peat to Nebraska.

The 6-foot-7, 300-pound Arizona native, who also is a pretty good basketball player, sparked quite a turnout in the crowd for one of his hoops games last week. In the stands: Lane Kiffin and a few USC coaches, the entire Nebraska offensive staff and a few Stanford staffers. His older brother Todd Peat signed with the Huskers last year, and given NU's tradition with O-linemen, it's no stretch to think that the No. 8 overall prospect in MaxPreps Top 100 could be headed to Lincoln.

Peat could also end up at Stanford. Peat recently tweeted the following.

Just got admitted to Stanford.. still haven't decided on a school yet tho

— Andrus Peat (@AndrusPeat1) January 22, 2012

Stanford is putting together a monstrous offensive line, which would suggest the Cardinal have the edge in that regard. But there could be a lot of challeneges for Peat to try and start immediately, which could make him lean another way.

Peat is also considering Florida State and USC among his top 4, but he cancelled his most recent FSU visit, which would seemingly make them a dark horse in this race.

To discuss Peat potentially being a part of Nebraska football, head to Corn Nation. To talk about Peat and Stanford football, check out Rule of Tree.

The son of Ken Griffey Jr. will be playing college football in the Pac-12 for the Arizona Wildcats. Trey Griffey is the man of the hour. Josh Newberg of 247 Sports reports.

WR Trey Griffey has committed to #Arizona according to his father.

— Josh Newberg (@joshnewberg247) January 24, 2012

Griffey has been playing his high school football at Florida powerhouse Dr. Phillips in Orlando, and he's been one of those under-the-radar guys that doesn't wow you at first glance. Griffey committed to Arizona over a host of other schools, including Iowa State, Michigan State, and Washington State. He was selected to the Under Armour All-American Game, so he's not just being noticed for being his father's son. More from this profile from Paul White of the USA Today.

Griffey could fit in well in the spread option offense that Rich Rodriguez likes to run, as he has great athletic skills that makes him the perfect receiver for an athletic offense.

To discuss Trey Griffey on Arizona football, go to Arizona Desert Swarm.

Rich Rodriguez and his coaching staff got off to a very late start with 2012 athlete Davonte Neal, but the program has now secured a visit from the stud prospect out of Chaparral High School in Scottsdale. Neal, who is listed as an athlete and could play on either side of the ball in college, is a five-star prospect and is ranked eighth in the nation, according to ESPN.

While most believed he would go out of state to continue his football career, Neal will pay Tucson a visit on February 10. Just about every program in the nation has contacted him, although some believe Ohio State is the program to beat. With National Signing Day coming on February 1, it is interesting that Neal will not make a final decision until a few weeks after most in the nation sign.

Here was a snippet from a recent ESPN update:

"We had a home visit with Arizona Wednesday afternoon and it went very well," Neal's father Luke said. "Rich Rod [Rodriguez], Robert Anae and Tony Dews all came together and were really blown away. Robert and I coached together at Rexburg (Idaho) Ricks junior college back in the early 90s and we've been close ever since.

"I always said if Robert was at Arizona, we would give them a look, because I know he would look after Davonte, but I honestly didn't expect much to come from the home visit. Coach Rod was very impressive, and Davonte liked him a lot. He's a good guy, a family guy and a good football coach. He's intense and personable but also has a way of making you feel comfortable around him.

And here is a highlight reel of Davonte in action:

Even if Mr. Neal does not commit to the Wildcats, it still speaks volumes for what Rich Rodriguez and the coaching staff have in mind for recruiting in the future.

For more on the 'Cats, head on over to AZ Desert Swarm.

Rich Rodriguez and the Arizona Wildcats got a bit of a late start on the recruiting class of 2012, but the coaching staff has done an incredible job staying in the picture for one of the nation's best and brightest athletes.

Devin Fuller, who played his senior year of football at Northern Valley Regional High this past season, is a four-star athlete who is being recruited as a quarterback by the UA. With the Wildcats needing a starting quarterback as early as the 2013 season, it makes sense that both parties share a mutual interest.

Word from Fuller family is that Devin will be in Tucson next Tuesday and Wednesday. Get that red carpet ready.

— Tim McClain (@NJ_RecruitWatch) January 20, 2012

It is interesting that Rich Rod and Co. will have Fuller on campus mid-week as opposed to over the weekend, when 20+ recruits are expected to take in the facilities and the raucous atmosphere at McKale Center for the primetime ESPN game. All hands on deck for the No. 1 priority in the 2012 class, I suppose.

One would have to imagine the coaching staff will show how they developed Pat White at WVU and Denard Robinson into All-Conference players, who both feature a similar skill set to Mr. Fuller.

Here is some video of the electric playmaker:

Wouldn't it be fun to have this kid calling the plays for three years in Tucson? He could provide a Derrick Williams-like boost to the program should he become a Wildcat.

For more on the Wildcats, head on over to AZ Desert Swarm.

Highly-rated RB DJ Foster has narrowed his list of college choices down to two schools, with Arizona State and USC still in play.

Foster, a Scottsdale, AZ native, took an official visit to Arizona State back in November, but the program has undergone substantial change with the firing of head coach Dennis Erickson and subsequent hiring of Todd Graham from the University of Pittsburgh.

According to East Valley Tribune writer Kyle Odegard, the Sun Devils have the inside track on the star back.

"The Trojans are making a late run, and the opportunity to compete for a national championship as a true freshman must be enticing. But Foster has always been a fan of hometown Arizona State and that's probably where he ends up." -- Kyle Odegard, East Valley Tribune

Besides his hometown ties, the case for Foster ending up at Arizona State is further strengthened due to speculation that his high school coach, John Sanders, is likely to be hired to Graham's staff.

Quite a few members of the Arizona Wildcats' recruiting class for 2012 have decommitted in recent weeks and four-star quarterback Nate Sudfeld was the latest player to do so. The 6'5, 230 pound quarterback officially opened his recruitment on Thursday and will begin looking at other schools on the west coast. Arizona is not out of the running, although some have questioned how the gunslinger would fit into Rich Rodriguez's read-option offense.

Here is the latest on Sudfeld, courtesy of ESPN and Recruiting Nation.

"I actually made the decision (to decommit) this morning," Sudfeld said. "I'm still going to talk with (Arizona) and they're still going to recruit me but I just felt like it was best to open myself up and not have that ‘commitment' label on me as I go through the process.

"I'm going to visit UCLA (Jan. 20) and they have been recruiting me hard for a while now. They haven't offered me yet but hopefully it happens. I plan to graduate early and that was really the sticking point in me opening things up. I just didn't feel comfortable enrolling early at Arizona right now before I really knew more about the new staff.

While those in Tucson may be frustrated with the lack of recruiting success thus far under coach Rodriguez, they must remember that these last few weeks have been a 'dead period' with high school players. And while the potential loss of Sudfeld will hurt, the gunslinger is not exactly the prototypical quarterback to run the new UA offense.

Sudfeld has said multiple times he hopes to enroll early at whichever school he selects and a decision could come within the next few weeks. Arizona appears to still be in the running; it's just a matter of how comfortable he feels with the new coaching staff in Tucson.

For more on the Wildcats, head on over to AZ Desert Swarm.

According to ASUdevils.com, running back Davante Bourque's Father has told them that his son has de-committed from LSU to reopen the recruiting process, dropping the Tigers total number of recruits to 21.

Bourque, a four-star prospect, is now setting his sights on a few other schools, such as Tennessee, Nebraska, Miami (FL), and Arizona State. His Father, Kirk Landry, says it's nothing against LSU, it's about making the best decision for Davante:

"Davante just felt it would be best to go somewhere else," Landry said. "He's not scared of any competition. It's about being smart. He said he's going to college to get his education and have a good time playing sports. He didn't think he would have any fun sharing time with all of those backs."

LSU already has a slew of sophomore running backs in Michael Ford (123 carries for 755, 7 TDs), Spencer Ware (174-700, 8 TDs) and Alfred Blue (78-539, 7 TDs), as well as true freshman Kenny Hilliard and Terrence Magee. I see his point.

"He's not upset or anything with LSU," Landry said. "That's how they run their program.

Bourque has already schedule an official visit to Tennessee for Jan. 13, with his visit to Miami the following weekend. Nebraska and Arizona State are trying to schedule him for the last recruiting weekend.

For all the latest AZ sports news, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook.

Corona del Sol offensive tackle Andrus Peat seems to have some premier options to pick from with regards to his future college destination. The Florida State Seminoles are building back to the glory days. The Nebraska Cornhuskers already have landed his brother Todd from last year's class. The Stanford Cardinal and the USC Trojans have long traditions of excellent offensive line play.

But a local team might be entering the race.

All-Arizona offensive tackle Andrus Peat, a 6-foot-7, 305-pound senior at Tempe Corona del Sol, said in a text message Monday night that he had not yet heard from anybody on Arizona State's new football staff.

"I would be willing to talk to them and hear them out if they contact me," said Peat, who added that he is planning on visiting Southern California and Florida State in January.

Dennis Erickson had some decent recruiting class, but he never got his roots down in the local Arizona area. His recruitment of Peat was slow-moving and really didn't get along, which is why Peat ended up dropping him from the top of his list. However, with new head coach Todd Graham in Tempe, the rebuilding ASU coaching staff is making a concerted effort to reach out to regional prospects that are of high-quality. Peat is one of those, and he at least seems interested. It remains to be seen whether it's a matter of too little, too late.

To discuss Peat's recruitment with schools interested in landing him, head to Tomahawk Nation (Florida State), Corn Nation (Nebraska), Rule of Tree (Stanford), Conquest Chronicles (USC) and House of Sparky (ASU).

Taylor McNamara is taking a look around at all of the programs that he was interested in before the head coach eh was committed to was axed. The Arizona Wildcats tight end commit is taking his visits, and he seems to be open to other locations.

His latest was to Notre Dame. Greg Biggins of ESPN Recruiting reports that McNamara believes he can find his way into the rotation in South Bend.

"I’m very glad I took this visit," McNamara said. "To be honest, at first I wasn’t sure I would go on the trip just because of their depth chart. They have a lot of tight ends on the roster and that was something I was looking at but it may not be bad as I thought. They have Tyler Eifert, who’s a great player but he could be a first-round draft pick if he decides to leave early this year. 

It's a good sign that McNamara is interested despite the depth the Irish are currently flashing at the position. Notre Dame needs to keep on stacking up on talent to make sure their offense is always functioning at a high level to make sure their quarterbacks have as many options on the field as possible.

It's unknown how much the hiring of Rich Rodriguez will entice McNamara to stick around. The tight end can be a pretty integral part of the spread option offense that Rodriguez is famous for running, but he also isn't featured as prominently in terms of catching passes. This might make McNamara think long and hard about whether Arizona is the place for him.

For more on Notre Dame football recruiting, head to One Foot Down. For more on Arizona football recruiting, best to check out Arizona Desert Swarm.

Taylor McNamara is a current soft verbal for the Arizona Wildcats and could be the top tight end in the 2012 recruiting class on the West Coast. But whether he sticks with his commitment to Tucson is anyone's guess.

The Westview prospect committed to Arizona early in the process, but then after a slow start by his team, head coach Mike Stoops was fired. With Stoops no longer in Tucson, McNamara has begun to openly consider whether he should reopen his recruitment and commit to another program.

McNamara is taking his visits all over the country, and it appears he might have some other favorites that are emerging. Justin Hopkins of 247Sports speculates. 

Arizona has some work to do to keep McNamara committed. Even more important is the fact he will be enrolling early in January so the Cats need to make a hire sooner than later. Cal and Oklahoma will likely be in a battle, with Colorado being the dark horse in his recruitment.

Oklahoma makes sense because of their constant success as a college football program, and Cal does have a history of strong tight end play, particularly with Craig Stevens being an NFL starter for the Tennessee Titans. Arizona is still very much in the thick of things, but McNamara is highly likely to consider alternative options.

For more on Cal football recruiting, head to the California Golden Blogs. For more on Oklahoma football recruiting, check out Crimson and Cream Machine.  For more on Arizona football recruiting, go to Arizona Desert Swarm.

D.J. Foster has a big decision to make. I'm guessing that whoever he ends up choosing will be really happy based on this weekend's performance.

Tom Bergeron of Rivals reports on a record-setting game from Foster.

Foster needed just 20 carries to reach 508 yards - an average of just over 25 yards per carry. His longest run was 80 and it went for one of his seven rushing touchdowns. He also caught three touchdown passes.

...

Jon Perryman, the editor and publisher of ArizonaVarsity.com - the leading source for high school sports in the state - says Foster is the real deal.

"He is on pace to be player of the year," he said. "He has excellent size and runs very fluidly. He reminds me of Eric Dickerson."

What a game. Hard not to like Foster's chances to pan out at the next level. If you can roll like that in high school, it's highly likely he'll be doing the same at the next level.

It's starting to look like Foster is going to be a welcome addition to either the Arizona St. Sun Devils or the Oregon Ducks. Foster does seem to believe Oregon is the best fit (and who can argue with such rushing proficiency), and he definitely could be the next breakout star in Chip Kelly's offensive schemes. But Arizona State could also factor in because it's right there, and Foster might have even less competition to shine and produce to start more quickly.

For more on ASU football recruiting, go to House of Sparky. For more on Oregon football recruiting, check out Addicted to Quack.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are trying to hold onto their top recruits. But they might have to fight to keep them.

Cornerback Tee Shepard and wide receiver Deontay Greenberry are two of the best players in this year's Notre Dame recruiting class. Both attend schools in Fresno and are very much familiar with each other, and you get the sense they want to play with each other on the next level.

And now Greg Biggins of ESPN reports that their commitments could be wavering after their visit to Tempe last week. You can view the thoughts of Shepard and Greenberry in the free section of his article. 

In last weeks West notebook, we speculated that a good visit to ASU could definitely give both players something to think about and that’s exactly what happened. Shepard, a standout corner and Greenberry, an elite receiver, both reportedly loved the visit and the feeling is the Irish will have to come very strong when they visit the players during the next contact period if they want to keep them in the fold.

If these two talents decide to start looking elsewhere, Arizona State becomes an immediate player, as do many other Pac-12 schools that offered both players.

For more on Notre Dame football recruiting, go to One Foot Down. For more on Arizona State football recruiting, go to House of Sparky.

Corona del Sol offensive tackle Andrus Peat from Tempe has two teams high on his list. The Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Stanford Cardinal have been reported as teams guaranteed to get a visit. Another team might be on its way to joining those two.

The Florida State Seminoles appear to be getting a visit of their own, according to Justin Hopkins of 247Sports. Peat has always been high on the Florida State recruiting staff, and FSU could use some offensive line help in a hurry. While Stanford has a recent history of strong offensive line play, Nebraska and both FSU can probably provide Peat with instant playing time. it looks like they'll be right up there with Stanford and Nebraska when he begins to make his decision.

For more on Florida State football recruiting, go to Tomahawk Nation. For more on Nebraska football recruiting, go to Corn Nation. For more on Stanford football recruiting, hit up Rule of Tree.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are struggling through their 2011 football campaign. They hope that those struggles don't get reflected on the recruiting trail.

Notre Dame has already lost a visit from premier running back Byron Marshall, who was perhaps their top target in terms of tailbacks. Now it looks as if two of their top verbals from the West Coast could be exploring. Greg Biggins of ESPN tweeted this interesting tidbit.

Tee Shepard is considered one of the lockdown cornerbacks on the West Coast, and Deontay Greenberry is a top-flight wide receiver. Both play at the same school (Washington Union) in Fresno, California and are both in the discussion of the top 20 recruits in the state of California. Their commitments to Notre Dame football were huge in kickstarting the program in the right direction. Their decommitments would be just as deflating, since they're likely to play football with each other next season. Brace yourself for some long weeks of Notre Dame recruit searching.

For more on Notre Dame football recruiting, go to One Foot Down. For more on ASU football recruiting, head to House of Sparky.

Perhaps the top offensive tackle on the West Coast was rumored to have a top two last week--the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Stanford Cardinal. Greg Biggins of ESPN (who posted the original rumor) talked further with Peat in an interview, and provided initial confirmation of that story.

Peat said there are several other schools on his list and he plans to make his next cut after his season.

"I'm looking at Stanford, Texas, Florida, Florida State, USC and Notre Dame still," he said. "I'm close to setting a visit with Stanford, but that's the only school I know I'll be visiting other than Nebraska.

"I really don't have a timeline of when I'll make my commitment. It could be at the UA game, it could be on signing day. Honestly, whenever I know, that's when I'll announce. I would like to take all five visits, but like I said, if I find the right place before taking all of them, I'll go ahead and make my choice."

Nebraska being one of the official visits is not a big deal. We all knew the Huskers would be the likeliest team to be in the mix to get Peat since his brother Todd is already on the team in Lincoln. That Stanford has suddenly entered the mix for Peat is a bit of a surprise. But it makes sense. Peat could compete for immediate playing time with top Stanford tackle Jonathan Martin graduating, and that officially fulfills one of Peat's criteria for a college team he'd be interested in joining.

Peat also talks in this article about being interested in the big names like Texas, Florida, Florida State, USC and Notre Dame. But for now, the Corona del Sol football star has two big targets.

For more on Nebraska football recruiting, hit up Corn Nation. For more on Stanford football recruiting, go to Rule of Tree.

Well, Greg Biggins covers ESPN West Coast recruiting pretty closely. So I generally trust his opinion on recruiting. So when he says things like.

AZ OL Andrus Peat just had his his UA jersey ceremony, gut feel is this one comes down to a Nebraska- Stanford battle

I tend to listen.

Peat has always been considered a Nebraska lean because of the fact his brother is already on the team. That generally is a big factor. But Stanford coming in to steal Nebraska's thunder is a bit surprising. Peat had originally been looking at Texas and Florida State strongly, but it looks as if the fading of both the Longhorns and Seminoles in real life might have cooled his interest.

The Stanford Cardinal have to look pretty good right now. Their offensive line hasn't lost too much of its run blocking and pass protection ability, and they help make Andrew Luck look his very best. With none of Peat's top favorites doing so well on the football field, the appeal of Stanford becomes all the clearer.

To discuss Nebraska football recruiting, hit up Corn Nation. To discuss Stanford football recruiting, head to Rule of Tree.

Scottsdale High School's D.J. Foster has made plenty of noise during his high school career. Whether it be as a running back or safety, Foster has drawn eyes from Division I programs around the country and figures to make his college decision soon. According to ESPN's Greg Biggins, Foster is facing a head vs. heart decision between the Oregon Ducks and the ASU Sun Devils.

Foster is a four-star prospect, with Rivals.com ranking him as the second-overall prospect in Arizona. Up until recently, his list of schools consisted of Arizona State, Oregon, and Nebraska.

After visits to the three schools, Foster has narrowed his search down to the Sun Devils and Ducks. According to an ESPN Insider article by Biggins, Foster is leaning towards becoming a Duck right now:

"Both trips were great and you could say that I'm trying to figure out if I should follow my head or my heart. Right now, I'm leaning to Oregon but I just got back from there so I know I'm still on that post-trip high. I really loved the visit though and I feel that it's the best place for me. My parents went with me too and they even want me to Oregon."

As Foster acknowledges, he will take the time to consider both options before making his ultimate decision. He hopes to make his choice within two weeks.

Head vs. heart? ASU fans hope that Foster will choose emotion over logic in this battle and don the maroon and gold.

Looks like Andrus Peat is going to find his way to Nebraska after all - at least for a visit.

After postponing his originally scheduled trip to Nebraska earlier in the month, Peat tweeted earlier today (here via Kevin Stewart's retweet) that he will now be attending the Iowa-Nebraska game on November 26^th.

Peat - an offensive tackle from Corona Del Sol in Tempe - is one of the top offensive line recruits in the 2012 class and already has ties to Nebraska. Peat's older brother, Todd, committed to Nebraska coach Bo Pelini last year.

It isn't a done deal though. With schools like Florida State, Texas and Stanford in the running for Peat's services as well, Nebraska still has its work cut out. But with Todd already in place, it at least has a leg none of the other schools can stand on.

Peat has proven that he will take his time with his decision. In the meantime, he gets to enjoy some college football games.

One of the top offensive lineman in the West Coast is starting to make his trips. One of them could involve reuniting with his older brother. But it might take a little longer for him to make that crucial commitment.

Offensive tackle Andrus Peat from Corona Del Sol in Tempe is considered one of the top recruits in the stacked 2012 offensive line class. There have long been rumors that Nebraska might be one of the big favorites because brother Todd committed to Bo Pelini last year. 

However, Peat delayed his visit and didn't go to the Ohio State game as expected. Which means that Nebraska won't be getting a verbal commitment anytime soon. If the latest tweet of Inna Lazarev from Scout is any indications, Florida State, Texas and Stanford are the main competition right now.

For more on Nebraska football recruiting, go to Corn Nation. For more on Ohio State football recruiting, go to Along the Oletangy.

One of the biggest targets in this year's class is Andrus Peat, offensive tackle from Corona del Sol in Tempe. Inna Lazarev of Scout caught up with Peat and found out more about the offensive tackle's recruit. Although I can't read Lazarev's article as it's behind a paywall, there's six schools she lists on her Tweet about Peat. 

• Florida St. Seminoles & Texas Longhorns: Peat could play early in either situation.
  
• Michigan Wolverines: Brady Hoke has had an affinity to recruiting offensive linemen from his San Diego State and Ball State days, so it'd make sense that Peat would be attracted to his program.
  
• Nebraska Cornhuskers: Peat could join his brother Todd, who signed up with Bo Pelini last season.
  
• Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Brian Kelly is really trying to get the national recruiting going up.
  
• Only one Pac-12 school is approaching Peat's radar--the Stanford Cardinal, who have a good recent tradition at producing quality offensive lineman.

For more on football recruiting, head to Tomahawk Nation (FSU), Maize N Brew (Michigan), Corn Nation (Nebraska), One Foot Down (Notre Dame), Rule of Tree (Stanford) and Burnt Orange Nation (Texas).

The Arizona Wildcats have focused on their offensive and defensive lines for their 2012 recruiting class. That doesn't mean they won't add a little bit of speed to the mix, though, and the commitment of wide receiver Jarrell Bennett will certainly provide the team with a spark once he arrives on campus.

Anthony Gimino has the report on the latest commit:

"When I did my research in all the schools, I just liked the style of offense and I think I would fit," he said of Arizona's spread attack.

"What I do best is the thing I do after the catch," he added. "I make the plays after the catch."

He said he had 68 catches for about 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, and he had a few returns for touchdowns. "My favorite part is the punt return," he said. (In the video embedded above, you can see two two punt returns for scores starting at about the 7:50 mark.)

Bennett, who said he picked Arizona over TCU and Baylor, says he has been timed in 4.46 seconds for 40 yards. He projects as a slot receiver who can go turbo in the open field and has quick feet to avoid tackles in traffic.

Here is video of the Louisiana native:

For a team that runs so many screens, Bennett should fit in well with the offensive scheme. He also appears to block well, which hasn't exactly been a strong point of the receiving core at UA the past few seasons.

Welcome to Arizona, Jarrell. We look forward to seeing you and your speed on the field in a few seasons.

The Wildcats recruiting class of 2012 is off to a good start and they added one more pledge on Tuesday afternoon with the commitment of Leo Thomas from Sam Houston High School in San Antonio. Thomas is a 6'2, 175 pound safety.

Rivals Report

ESPN Report

Video:

Thomas will likely either play corner back or safety in college, though he could play linebacker if he bulked up in a  hurry. The lengthy DB has the ability to read the opposition well and posses a lot of speed and agility, though he needs to add weight to his frame to be successful at the next level.

Thomas is the 14th commitment to Mike Stoops' class and all eyes will be on him as his senior season kicks off. Arizona beat out teams such as Missouri, Colorado, New Mexico State and UTEP for his services. 

Best of luck at Arizona, Leo. The Zona Zoo is looking forward to seeing you in the cardinal and navy.

The two top recruits in Hawaii are from the same school and play the same position. Both of them could be Pac-12 bound sound enough.

(via fmataele)

Luke Kaumatule (DE, Punahou)--offer from the Arizona St. Sun Devils today (as tweeted by Chris Courtney of eDuck). Additional offers from Arizona, BYU, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, Utah, Washington, Washington State

• Rivals: 18th best strongside defensive end, 236th top recruit, best recruit in Hawaii
• ESPN: Grade of 79, 38th best defensive end
  
• Scout: 4 stars, 35th best defensive end
• 247 Sports: 90 rating

(via NCSAfootball)

DeForest Buckner (DE, Punahou)--offer from ASU today (as tweeted also by Courtney), Arizona, Cal, Colorado, Oregon, UCLA, Utah, Washington and Washington State.

• Rivals: 19th best strongside defensive end, 248th top recruit, 2nd best recruit in Hawaii
• ESPN: Grade of 78, 55th best defensive end
  
• Scout: 4 stars, 29th best defensive end
• 247 Sports: 89 rating

Courtney believes Oregon leads for Buckner. In another story, Courtney works for an Oregon recruiting site. Take it for what you will.

For more on ASU, go to House of Sparky. For more on Oregon, go to Addicted to Quack.

The Arizona Wildcats need to rebuild their front seven very soon, and A.J. Hilliard could be a cornerstone of the new defensive structure. The linebacker from Klein Oak in Texas will be suiting up for the Wildcats in 2012; Brian Perroni of Rivals provided the original story. Hilliard had offers from numerous other schools, including Boise State, Houston, Kansas, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nevada, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Here are reports on Hilliard's recruiting tape.

• Rivals: 15th best inside linebacker, 64th best recruit in Texas
• ESPN: Grade of 78, 53rd best outside linebacker
• Scout: 68th best outside linebacker

Hilliard is considered a rising star in Texas, and could very well see an upgrade in his rankings at a future point. But this does seem like a solid get for Mike Stoops to help fill up a desperate well of need for Arizona football.

For more on Wildcats recruiting, go to Arizona Desert Swarm.

Davonte Neal plays for Chaparral in Scottsdale, Arizona and is perhaps one of the mostly highly sought after prospects in the 2012 recruiting class.

• Rivals: 136th best recruit in Rivals250, 20th best receiver, 4th best recruit in state of Arizona
• ESPN: 28th best recruit in ESPNU150, 2nd best athlete
• Scout: 6th best cornerback
  
• 247 Sports: 86th best recruit in Top 247, 10th best athlete, 3rd best recruit in state of Arizona

Watching his recruiting tape seems to justify all those lofty rankings.

(via bchesin)

Neal possesses great athleticism, great movement, and good shiftiness.  He can play in all areas of the field, although he's probably best served as a deep threat wide receiver or a defensive shutdown cornerback. Playing two-ways also isn't out of the question.

Neal cut down his massive offer list from 50 schools to 13, according to Richard Obert of the Arizona Republic.

• Arizona Wildcats
• Washington Huskies
• BYU Cougars
• Utah Utes
• Boston College Eagles
• USC Trojans
• Ohio St. Buckeyes
• Auburn Tigers
• Miami Hurricanes
• Georgia Bulldogs
• North Carolina Tar Heels
• LSU Tigers
• Oregon St. Beavers

What is surprising is that ASU is no longer on Neal's list, as they were one of the first schools that offered him. But times do change. This has to be exciting news for Wildcats fans though; Arizona is a school that needs great talent

For more on Arizona football recruiting, go to Arizona Desert Swarm. For more on ASU football recruiting, head to House of Sparky.

Make that five offensive linemen for the Sun Devils in this 2012 recruiting class. DevilsDigest reports that Chad Wheeler has become the latest verbal for ASU football. The offensive tackle from Santa Monica joins Evan Goodman and Stephon McCray from this week alone in terms of Arizona State O-line commits, and at 6'6", 265 pounds should probably gain the mobility and strength to become an effective Pac-12 tackle.

Let's take a look at his highlight tape.

(via SamohiFootballVids)

According to Wheeler in his interview with Hod Rabino of Scout, he chose Arizona State over Cal. Apparently the Bears had yet to offer him (in fact his only other offer came from Harvard, so he's no academic slouch), so it looks like Wheeler didn't want to wait for an offer that might not ever come. He also counts the upward trajectory of the Sun Devils (coming off a mighty 6-6 season) as another point in their favor.

For more on ASU football recruiting, go to House of Sparky.

Today is turning out to be a big day for the ASU football program. According to Doug Haller, ASU has received a committment from four-star prospect Evan Goodman after receiving one fom offensive guard Stephon McCray earlier today. Goodman, currently a student at Lakeland High School in Florida, has long been one of ASU's biggest targets for its 2012 class. His commitment should bring much applause to the ASU football staff.

Scouts.com ranks Goodman 17^th at offensive linesman. Goodman had visited and talked to schools such as Notre Dame, Auburn, Nebraska, LSU and Florida. In the end, however, it looks like family ties won out.

Evan won't be the only Goodman to attend ASU in 2012. His twin brother Devin, a three-star recruit who plays offensive guard, committed to ASU in late September of 2010. It appears that the brothers will stay united after they finish high school this year.

Evan Goodman stands at 6-4 and weighs 290 pounds. He is a solid addition to ASU's 2012 recruiting class and should provide much confidence for a staff that has been eyeing him for a while. 

The Arizona St. Sun Devils are filling up their 2012 recruiting class well before the start of the 2011 football season. Looks like they might take out all the drama out of the fall and winter process, because they're pretty close to reaching their limits.

Their latest verbal comes from offensive guard Stephon McCray via Brandon Huffman of Scout (you can read his full article on McCray's commitment here if you have a Scout subscription), who has been high on ASU ever since they first offered him. McCray plays for Bullard High in Fresno, California, and had offers extended from Arizona State, Colorado, Fresno State, Iowa State, and Washington State. But he eventually chose the Sun Devils, and became their third offensive line commitment from this class, joining Dejon Allen and Niu Sale.

McCray has average ratings from the recruiting sites (5.6 from Rivals, 79 from ESPN, 3 stars from Scout, 82 from 247 Sports), so he doesn't stand out from the fray, but there's a lot of promise with him. He's clearly an imposing force at 6'3", 300 pounds and if he can get his technique and conditioning in the right place, he can be a big pickup for Dennis Erickson and the Sun Devils.

Check out his highlight reel too, which usually ends up with him knocking some poor defender backwards into the turf.

Stephon McCray (Recruiting Video) (via NCSAfootball)

For more on ASU football recruiting, House of Sparky is your destination.

Perhaps the best recruit from the state of Arizona this season is offensive tackle Andrus Peat from Corona Del Sol in Tempe, Arizona. Weighing in at 6'7", 305 pounds, there's natural size and girth to be a dominant tackle in run blocking, plus the dexterity and size to swallow up edge rushers.

(via RedshirtScouting)

Here are Peat's current rankings on the major recruiting services.

• Rivals: 15th on Rivals250, 3rd best offensive tackle
• ESPN: 16th on ESPNU150, 3rd best offensive tackle
• Scout: 2nd best offensive tackle
• 247 Sports: 4th on Top 247 overall recruits, 2nd best offensive tackle

It appears Peat has finally narrowed down his list to three schools. Although the Arizona St. Sun Devils had been considered one of the top contenders, it appears as if Peat is looking toward the East and three big schools. Scott Campbell of 247 Sports tweeted that Peat's top three are the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Texas Longhorns, and Florida St. Seminoles.

All have a lot to offer Peat. In Nebraska, he can reunite with his older brother Todd; in Texas and Florida State he has the chance to compete for early starting time. This list is probably subject to change at any time, but these appear to be Peat's strongest candidates.

For more on Texas football recruiting, check Burnt Orange Nation; Nebraska football recruiting can be monitored at Corn Nation; and FSU football recruiting is covered extensively at Tomahawk Nation.