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"Well if Jaelen Strong worked out so well, why not try it again?"
Though we can only guess what the Arizona State coaching staff says in the meeting room, it's hard to imagine the Sun Devils not citing junior college transfer Jaelen Strong as a reason to pursue wide receiver Eric Lauderdale.
On Wednesday, Lauderdale, a Saddleback Community College wide receiver, signed his letter of intent to play Division I football at Arizona State and join an elite tradition of junior college transfers who have achieved success in Tempe.
Lauderdale is considered a 4-star recruit by both Rivals and Scout and is regarded as one of the top 25 junior college transfers available. The Fayetteville, Ga. native used his first two seasons of eligibility at the junior college level and has two seasons of eligibility remaining at Arizona State.
Initially, Lauderdale's verbal commitment to Arizona State came as a surprise to many recruiting analysts. Lauderdale's final four college choices included Arizona State, Florida, Nebraska and Oregon and many believed that the Gators were the leader for Lauderdale's services.
However, Lauderdale made an official visit to Tempe over the weekend of Jan. 17 and less than a week later, news broke that the Saddleback wideout was verbally committed to Arizona State.
Lauderdale stands 6-foot-2 and weighs just north of 200 pounds and possesses the breakaway speed the Sun Devils are looking for at the wide receiver position.
As a sophomore, Lauderdale racked up 60 receptions, 916 yards and seven touchdowns and had five games with at least seven catches. If all goes well over the summer, the Sun Devils will likely look for Lauderdale to play immediately next season.
The highlights below come from Lauderdale's high school film.