(Photo: Scotty Bara/WCSN)
What started out as a rough offseason has quickly turned into one that could go down as one of the best that Arizona State has ever had.
It was a big day for the Sun Devils on Saturday at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, as Todd Graham and his staff landed a commitment from four-star running back Eno Benjamin.
While it looked like it was going to be a big day for ASU based off hints dropped by multiple players on Twitter, the commitment from Benjamin officially confirmed it.
Benjamin, who is ranked as the No. 8 running back in the country by 24/7 Sports, chose the Sun Devils over Texas and Michigan, among others. The Wylie, Texas native had re-opened up his recruiting after decommiting from Iowa in October.
He rushed for 2,604 yards and 33 total touchdowns during his senior year, and finished with 111 touchdowns during his four years in high school. Standing at 5-foot-10 203 pounds, Benjamin is a bruising, power back in the mold of Demario Richard.
The addition of Benjamin to the backfield will be huge for the Sun Devils, who lose Richard, Kalen Ballage, and Jacom Brimhall after the 2017 season.
It was not as great of a day for ASU as what was initially believed, as four-star safety Bubba Bolden chose to commit to USC over the Sun Devils. As of last night, ASU was viewed as the favorite for him. He played high school football at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas with the Sun Devils current 2017 commit, cornerback Alex Perry.
After going four and a half months without a commitment, the Sun Devils now find themselves with a recruiting class that should play a big role for years to come. The turning point came on December 13, when ASU landed the commitment of former Alabama five-star quarterback Blake Barnett.
Since Barnett’s signing, Perry and four-star linebacker Tyler Johnson have also committed to play their college careers in Tempe.
Graham and his staff have now landed 12 commitments for next season, five of which are four-star recruits.
