When San Bernardino senior defensive back Aarein Booker went on his official visit to San Diego State this past weekend, he wasn’t necessarily thinking about committing. But after spending an entire day on the campus, he knew that he wanted to be an Aztec.
“I was thinking about everything right before I went to bed,” Booker said. “When I woke up, I knew what I wanted to do.”
Booker, a 6-foot, 180-pound jack of all trades for the Cardinals this season, gave his verbal commitment to San Diego State Sunday morning, becoming the first Division I-A football recruit out of San Bernardino since Paul Philipp committed to Arizona in 2001.
“This is a big deal for us,” San Bernardino coach Nick Monica said. “For Aarein to be the first D-I guy we’ve had in eight years is a pretty big deal for us, especially since we were 2-8 this year.”
The Cardinals may have struggled on the field, but none of the blame could be placed on Booker. Along with playing cornerback for San Bernardino, Booker ran for 1,058 yards and even served time at quarterback.
San Diego State is looking at Booker, who is also an accomplished sprinter on the Cardinals’ track team, to play at corner. After talking to the Aztec defensive coaches, including defensive coordinator and former New Mexico head coach Rocky Long, Booker was pretty excited about his new role.
“I loved the defense they ran and I loved all the players I talked to,” Booker said. “I really feel like I connected with the players and coaches and I really enjoyed the campus.”
The trip also included breakfast at the beach on Sunday morning, something his other main suitor, Division I-AA Idaho State, couldn’t offer. Booker was planning an official trip to Idaho State this upcoming weekend, but canceled it after committing.

Share this