ASU Football: Early Verbal Commits To The Sun Devil Program

On April 26, 2013, Arizona State Head Coach Todd Graham and Recruiting Coordinator / Tight Ends Coach Chip Long received its first verbal commit for the Sun Devil class of 2015. Avery Anderson, a 6’0” 164 pound, sophomore defensive back from Pine Creek High School in Colorado Springs, committed to the Sun Devils.

Immediately after receiving his offer from ASU, Anderson committed to the Sun Devils almost 21 months before he officially signs his National Letter of Intent. Anderson wanted to commit to a program early as he plans to graduate high school early and become an early enrollee into college.

Anderson runs a self-reported 4.58 seconds in the 40 yard dash, and while he played cornerback last season, he will be transitioning to safety for his upcoming junior high school season. Anderson has only one other official offer at this time from Wyoming. However, Anderson was being pursued by Colorado, Colorado State, Nebraska, Michigan State, and Vanderbilt. Anderson was invited to be part of the Rivals Camp – Phoenix, and he is currently one of the top three 2015 defensive backs prospects by Colorado Prep Report. Anderson’s sophomore highlights can be found here.

While Anderson was the first verbal commit of the 2015 class, Arizona State already has three early verbal commits for its 2014 class: Outside linebacker Michael Farmer from Edmond, Oklahoma, defensive end Korey Rush from Utah, and cornerback Jaleel Wadood from Bellflower, California. FanSided150’s Joe Soriano has a nice write-up on 2014 ASU verbal commit Jaleel Wadood, who is the younger brother of current Sun Devil Rashad Wadood.

In just over one full calendar year, Coach Graham and his staff have changed the entire ASU football program. On the field, the Sun Devils have a dynamic offensive and a big-play making defense while maintaining amazing discipline and character. Off the field, the players are attending class and achieving good grades. Additionally, Coach Graham made a strong statement by hiring new ASU Assistant Athletic Director for Recruiting Sherman Morris from LSU. Early verbal commits of high quality young men and talented, top football players like Anderson, Farmer, Rush, and Wadood are signs of a strong football program. Certainly, the ASU program will continue to get stronger with Graham, Long, and Morris leading the recruiting efforts.