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Just weeks after learning that fellow four-star recruit Manny Wilkins committed to Arizona State, defensive back Jaleel Wadood decided to drop his verbal commitment to join the Sun Devils' 2014 recruiting class.
Wadood gave the Sun Devils an early verbal commitment by announcing his college plans in January. But after a strong showing at skills camps and visits to other Pac-12 schools, Wadood has elected to re-open his recruitment.
Initial reports from recruiting analyst Greg Biggins indicate that Wadood has strong interest in programs like California, UCLA and USC and that Wadood wanted to explore his options.
The St. John Bosco cornerback is the younger brother of Sun Devil defensive back Rashad Wadood, and Rashad figures to battle for a starting spot this fall. However, Rashad's presence doesn't appear to be enough to sway his brother just yet.
At 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds, Jaleel Wadood is considered an elite cornerback prospect and Rivals.com ranks him as the 25th overall cornerback in the class of 2014. Rivals also ranks Wadood as the 27th overall recruit in the state of California, a market that the Sun Devil coaching staff has emphasized on cornering.
At the moment, Wadood's decommit is a major blow to the Sun Devils' 2014 recruiting class, as the presence of a four-star defensive back could help lure other top-notch prospects. However, Wadood has not ruled out the possibility of eventually signing with the Sun Devils.
Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco DB Jaleel Wadood has de-committed from #ASU, now looking at #Cal #UCLA #USC http://t.co/zQXnOHgAOL
— Greg Biggins (@GregBiggins) June 25, 2013
Four-Star Quarterback Manny Wilkins has publicly stated that he has no intention of dropping his commitment from Arizona State.
Words from @CoachGrahamASU "we're going to win with or without you..." #ForksUp
— Manny Wilkins (@Manny_Wilkins11) June 25, 2013