ASU Football: 4-star OLB Reggie Hughes commits to Sun Devils

A new toy for Todd Graham’s defense committed to the Arizona State Sun Devils on Monday, as 2018 outside linebacker Reggie Hughes announced his verbal commitment to the program through his Twitter account.

Hughes, rated as a three-star recruit by ESPN and 247 Sports while Scout and Rivals have him as a four-star prospect, will join the Sun Devils after completing his senior season at Calabasas High School (Calif.). At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Hughes will need time to bulk up before being able to contribute at the collegiate level, but the pedigree for performance is there.

Prior to his commitment to ASU, Hughes was weighing offers from UCLA, Washington State and Michigan State, among others. Hughes’ pledge makes the fourth hard commit the Sun Devils have landed in the early stages of putting together their 2018 recruiting class, joining running back Brock Sturges, and defensive backs Dominique Harrison and Ely Doyle.

Hughes was a force off the edge in his junior season at Calabasas, racking up 47 tackles (22 of them tackles for loss) as the Coyotes ran off a 14-1 season — complete with a Southern Section championship.

Hughes’ commitment could prove as important as any of the prospects Arizona State ends up landing in its 2018 haul. The Sun Devils are veteran-laden at the outside linebacker position - with three seniors and four juniors at the position heading into the 2017 season. Once he arrives on campus, the opportunity to earn playing time will be there for the young ‘backer.