ASU football signs 21 players to letters of intent
Arizona State University signed 21 student-athletes to national letters of intent Wednesday to study and participate in football, head coach Dennis Erickson announced.
After assembling a phenomenal recruiting class in 2008, which ranked as highly as 16th in the nation, Erickson secured another excellent group of newcomers consisting of elite athletes from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana and Utah.
The class includes 21 student athletes, consisting of 19 high school players and two junior college transfers, while excellent talent, speed and athleticism is added to every position on the roster.
ASU’s Class of 2009 includes:
• Vontaze Burfict, the highest ranked prospect ever to sign with Arizona State University; unanimously rated as the top middle linebacker in the nation and ranked as highly as the ninth-best overall recruit in the country.
• Nine players rated among the nation’s top-30 at their position: No. 1 MLB Vontaze Burfict (Scout.com); No. 5 DT Corey Adams (ESPN Scouts, Inc.); No. 11 OG Kody Koebensky (ESPN Scouts, Inc.); No. 19 TE Christopher Coyle (Scout.com); No. 23 CB Osahon Irabor (ESPN Scouts, Inc.); No. 23 ATH Matthew Tucker (Rivals.com); No. 26 QB Brock Osweiler (Rivals.com); No. 27 RB Jamal Miles (Rivals.com); No. 30 OLB Anthony Jones (Rivals.com).
• Two players ranked among the nation’s top-50 overall recruits (Burfict, No. 9, Rivals.com and Adams, No. 46, Scout.com).
• The top-ranked defensive tackles from the states of Arizona (Adams) and California (William Sutton).
• Nine elite prospects from the state of Arizona, including the state’s top prospects at running back (Miles), tight end (Max Smith), offensive guard (Koebensky), defensive tackle (Adams) and linebacker (Jones).
• Six prominent athletes from the state of California, including the state’s top defensive tackle (Sutton), No. 2 cornerback (Irabor), No. 4 tight end (Coyle) and No. 5 running back (Cameron Marshall).
• Four midyear transfers, including two true freshmen and two junior college transfers, all of which enrolled at ASU in January and will participate in spring drills.
2009 Arizona State University Football Commitment List
Name Pos Ht Wt Yr Hometown (Last School)
Corey Adams DT 6-3 292 Fr. Scottsdale, Ariz. (Saguaro HS)
Vontaze Burfict LB 6-3 245 Fr. Corona, Calif. (Centennial HS)
Christopher Coyle TE 6-3 235 Fr. Westlake Village, Calif. (Oaks Christian HS)
Dean Deleone* DE 6-3 255 Jr. Park City, Utah (Orange Coast CC)
Evan Finkenberg OL 6-6 265 Fr. Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. (Tesoro HS)
J.J. Holliday WR 6-0 165 Fr. Tucson, Ariz. (Santa Rita HS)
Osahon Irabor CB 5-11 183 Fr. Upland, Calif. (Upland HS)
Anthony Jones LB 6-2 218 Fr. Chandler, Ariz. (Hamilton HS)
Kipeli Koniseti ATH 6-3 235 Fr. Sacramento, Calif. (Grant HS)
Kody Koebensky OL 6-4 303 Fr. Scottsdale, Ariz. (Saguaro HS)
LeQuan Lewis* CB 6-0 195 Jr. Norwalk, Calif. (Cerritos College)
Cameron Marshall RB 5-11 210 Fr. San Jose, Calif. (Valley Christian HS)
Shane McCullen S 6-2 208 Fr. Apache Junction, Ariz. (Apache Junction HS)
Jamal Miles RB 5-10 180 Fr. Peoria, Ariz. (Peoria HS)
Brock Osweiler* QB 6-8 235 Fr. Kalispell, Mont. (Flathead HS)
Gregory Smith DE 6-3 240 Fr. Perris, Calif. (Citrus Hill HS)
Max Smith TE 6-2 258 Fr. Scottsdale, Ariz. (Saguaro HS)
William Sutton DT 6-2 275 Fr. Corona, Calif. (Centennial HS)
Fred Thornton OL 6-4 310 Fr. Phoenix, Ariz. (South Mountain HS)
Matthew Tucker* S 6-3 190 Fr. Aurora, Colo. (Grandview HS)
Marcus Washington RB 6-1 195 Fr. Phoenix, Ariz. (Desert Vista HS)
*enrolled at ASU in January and will participate in spring drills