Fourteen student-athletes became Sun Devils Feb. 2 with the announcement of coach Dennis Erickson’s fifth recruiting class at the helm of the ASU football program.
Rivals.com ranked the group as the 10th best in the Pac-12 while Scout.com rated it 11th.
However, those rankings might be a little misleading.
Every Pac-12 school signed more players than ASU. The University of Southern California, for instance, signed a whopping 29.
When the lists are adjusted to rank the schools by average number of stars per recruit, the Sun Devils move up to eighth on Rivals.com and seventh on Scout.com.
Although Erickson struck out with many of the top in-state recruits, like Scottsdale Saguaro’s Cyrus Hobbi and Tempe Corona Del Sol’s Todd Peat Jr., there is still quality in the small group of guys he did lure to Tempe.
QB Michael Eubank — Corona, Calif.
Eubank is going to have many friends at ASU.
There are currently five Sun Devils, including junior linebacker Vontaze Burfict, that hail from his alma mater, Centennial High School in the Los Angeles area.
Rated by Rivals.com as the No. 8 dual-threat quarterback in the country, Eubank resembles former Heisman Trophy-winner and current Denver Bronco signal-caller Tim Tebow, who just so happens to work out with ASU offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone during the off-season.
“You get a guy like that and it’s like getting a guy worth three positions,” Mazzone told ASU Athletics Media Relations.
During his prep career, Eubank completed over 64 percent of his passes for nearly 4,000 yards while also rushing for over 1,600 yards.
He nearly led his school to a Division I state championship, but fell just shy in the final, 15-13 to Palo Alto.
QB Mike Bercovici — Woodland Hills, Calif.
Unlike his freshman teammate Eubank, Bercovici is more of a traditional pocket-passer.
In addition to being rated as the No. 14 pro-style quarterback by Rivals.com, the site also recognized him for having the second-strongest arm in the nation.
After graduating high school early, Bercovici enrolled at ASU in January and will participate in spring drills in March.
WR Gary Chambers — Glendale, Ariz.
Rated as the No. 68 wide receiver in the nation by ESPN, the Ironwood High School product has both size and speed.
Erickson said he targeted Chambers because the Sun Devils needed a playmaker to line up wide.
“I’ve liked him ever since we had him in camp last year,” Erickson said. “He’s big and tall and can run. The kind of guy you want outside.”
OL Vi Teofilo — Phoenix, Ariz.
The Moon Valley High School product chose ASU over Oregon State.
Erickson called him big and physical with a lot of athleticism.
Teofilo won a state championship as a heavyweight wrestler.
During his senior season, he collected 46 tackles and six sacks.
DL Mo Latu — Gilbert, Ariz.
By far the most highly regarded in-state prospect the Sun Devils nailed, the Perry High School product is listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 306 pounds.
In January, Latu competed in the Under Armour All-America Game after being selected by The Arizona Republic as a First Team All-5A player for his efforts during his senior campaign.
Rivals.com listed Latu as the No. 248 overall prospect in the nation.
More impressively, the site also tabbed Latu, who projects to play defense as a Sun Devil, as the No. 2 center in the country.
“Mo might be the most underrated player we signed,” Erickson said. “He’s strong and a force at defensive tackle and could come in and play some as a freshman.”
S Ezekial Bishop — Denver, Colo.
There’s no bigger bonus for ASU than when the team can help itself while hurting its bitter rival.
The No. 55-rated athlete by Rivals.com had previously committed to UA before changing his decision on Jan. 31 to the Sun Devils.
“Bishop is a safety we really liked,” Erickson said. “If I had to compare him to someone, I’d say he’s very similar to [ASU senior safety] Eddie Elder.”
During his senior season, Bishop recorded 84 tackles with four sacks.
CB Rashad Wadood — Lakewood, Calif.
Wadood also had offers from Colorado, Washington State and Miami but committed to ASU early on June 3, 2010.
He was rated as the No. 60 player at his position by Scout.com, but the Sun Devil coaches are high on the speedy corner.
“Rashad is an outstanding football player,” Erickson said. “We thought he was the best corner out there [for us].”
Others
OL Devin Goodman — Lakeland, Fla.
OL Brent Walker — Norco, Calif.
LB Isreal Marshall — Phoenix, Ariz.
LB Kipeli Koniseti — Sacramento, Calif.
DL David Moala — Gardena, Calif.
DL Sean O’Grady — Las Flores, Calif.
P Josh Hubner — Scottsdale, Ariz.
Reach the reporter at tyler.emerick@asu.edu
