ASU grabs two huge juco pledges

What a weekend it was for Arizona State on the recruiting front. The Sun Devils not only landed one but two of the nation’s top junior college prospects over the weekend, giving this class a might punch all of a sudden. But the big question – will both commitments stick?

Costa Mesa (Calif.) Orange Coast College defensive tackle Jesse Mahelona said he did indeed give the Arizona State coaching staff a soft commitment before he returned home from his weekend official visit. It was a visit that saw Arizona State upset Oregon and about everything else go perfect on the trip, he said.

“I loved the visit,” Mahelona, considered the nation’s top junior college defensive tackle, said. “The whole team was like a big family and everybody knew each other like they were best friends. I also was impressed by the weight room and all of their facilities. They have NFL facilities and that’s something that nobody can match.”

Mahelona said, however, at this point that he’s only about 80 percent sure of his commitment and needs some time to think things over and that it’s not totally over for teams like Oklahoma, Hawaii, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State and UCLA. But the main battle is between OU and ASU, which he has already visited.

“It’s a big decision,” Mahelona, who is 6-foot-2 and 290 pounds, said. “I need some time to think about what I really want to do. I did give a commitment to Arizona State, but I want to make sure that I make the right decision for myself. It’s still going to come down to Oklahoma and Arizona State in the end, but I just need some time to think things over and take it all in.”

Mahelona has been injured for most of his sophomore season with a broken leg. He is a December graduate and is expected to make an instant impact where ever he ends up at.

Speaking of impacts, the Sun Devils have also landed an impact commitment from Walnut (Calif.) Mount San Antonio College receiver Delanie Walker.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound receiver visited ASU this past weekend and came away with a soft commitment. It’s a pledge that he said he plans on keeping, despite still taking an official visit to Kansas State on December 12 and having other offers form Kansas, Oregon, Oregon State, Temple, Washington and Washington State.

“I’ll take at least two more trips,” Walker, who is originally from Pomona, Calif., and is considered one of the nation’s top junior college receivers, said. “I’m still going to visit K-State and I’m not sure about the other one. I know you guys are going to have to list me as a soft commitment, but my commitment to ASU is solid.”

Solid because of what he saw this weekend, Walker said.

“Arizona State really seems like they care about you in all aspects,” Walker said. “They worry first about the academics and then they have great facilities, great people and an exciting offensive scheme.”

Walker said he’s scheduled to graduate in the spring semester and he earned second-team all conference honors as a freshman when he had 38 receptions for 800 yards and seven touchdowns.