Rivals250 four-star LB Calhoun commits to ASU

Arizona State landed its third Rivals250 commitment Sunday when El Cerrito (Calif.) linebacker Derik Calhoun went public with his pledge to the program.

Calhoun, the No. 147 overall prospect nationally and No. 9 outside linebacker, joins teammate Jalen Harvey on the ASU commit list.

Both players visited Tempe officially last weekend while committed to other Pac-12 schools -- Calhoun to USC and Harvey to Cal -- but de-committed following those trips. Harvey made the switch to ASU within a day while Calhoun took a week.

"It just felt like the right thing to do for me," Calhoun said. "Everything pointed to ASU as the place where I should be. My relationship with the coaches is great and I really bonded with (ASU senior safety) Alden Darby and the things he said made sense to me as far as the opportunity at ASU being what it is.

"I liked it so much on my visit and their defense is a perfect fit. Plus, I loved the campus atmosphere and the academic side of it. There was nothing in my mind that I saw as something that I had questions about. It was everything I could ask for."

Calhoun actually committed to ASU safeties coach Chris Ball Friday but asked that it be kept under wraps as he didn't want to be a distraction to his team. El Cerrito beat Pinole Valley 41-7 later that night and on Sunday he was fine with the news going public.

"I'm beyond excited," Calhoun said. "This is a great feeling. I know ASU is where I want to be."

ASU is recruiting the 6-foot-0, 210 pound Calhoun to play WILL. He said he's not planning on taking additional recruiting trips.

"No, I'm done," he said. "I'm going to ASU."

The decision was made easier, Calhoun said, by not only Harvey's pledge but the fact that ASU has six recruits from Northern California committed, including five from the Bay Area. The ring leader, without question, is Novato (Calif.) San Marin quarterback Manny Wilkins.

"Manny is just a great dude," Calhoun said last week. "He's the type of guy you want to play with. He's really been recruiting us hard and telling us why it's a great fit (at ASU). Just to have another guy you know like that, and how he's a leader would be that much better."

ASU now has 18 commits in the 2014 class and is ranked No. 26 nationally by Rivals.com. Calhoun is the fourth four-star pledge for the Sun Devils and third highest ranked recruit in the class.