Upland CB chooses ASU over UCLA
Upland High School senior-to-be Osahan Irabor, a 5-foot-11, 183-pound cornerback, verbally committed to Arizona State on Friday despite an unexpected offer from longtime favorite UCLA three days earlier.
Had UCLA offered sooner - the Sun Devils offered him in December - Irabor admitted he may have been swayed by the Bruins. UCLA's offer appearing a direct result of losing commitments from two defensive backs didn't help the Bruins' case either.
"It could've been a different story if (UCLA) had been involved earlier," Irabor said Friday night. "They were looking at other DB's too, which was not the situation at ASU. They were interested in me from the beginning. With UCLA, it was just too little too late."
UCLA was Irabor's 15th scholarship offer. He narrowed the field to three on Saturday - ASU, Arizona and Nebreska - and was set to announce his decision Wednesday before UCLA abruptly entered the mix.
Irabor attended UCLA's junior day March 8, but didn't have any contact with the school leading up to the offer. Irabor also expressed interest in USC and apparently the feeling was mutual. But in a continuing USC recruiting trend, Irabor lost interest when he saw the embarrassment of riches at his position in his class alone.
"USC said if I went to their showcase camp, they'd offer me," he said. "But I figured out I wasn't really an SC guy at their junior day. There were about 12 or 13 guys at the DB meeting ready to compete for playing time."
By comparison, there were six or eight at the UCLA junior day DB meeting, which featured a much less competitive intra-squad atomsphere, Irabor noted.
USC was one of three Pac-10 schools not to offer Irabor. Arizona was the first to offer him in a process that quickly built momentum as the offseason progressed. Ultimately, Irabor, who wanted to put his decision behind him before his senior season began, said he felt most comfortable with the Arizona State coaching staff.
If Colony High School graduate Omar Bolden's freshman experience with the Sun Devils last season is any indication, Irabor may be on the field sooner than later. Bolden started nine games at corner for the 10-3 co Pac-10 champs.
With roughly eight months between now and national signing day, is there any chance Irabor will change his non-binding commitment to ASU? "No," he said firmly. "Not even a little bit."
About Clay
Clay Fowler has been covering high school sports for six years in California and Texas. He was born in Dallas, attended the University of Texas and worked in Central Texas before joining the Daily Bulletin staff in 2006.
Email Clay here
Leave a comment