Longino makes his choice

The timing was more surprising than the destination.

On Thursday night, Antonio Longino said he planned to make his commitment on Monday afternoon. A day later, the Hutchinson Community College linebacker decided to jump the gun. Apparently, there was no need to wait.

Longino, the No. 32 junior college player in the country, pledged his services to Arizona State on Friday night. Sun Devils assistant coach Paul Randolph accepted the commitment, and a sigh of relief was breathed. Case closed.

"I feel like it's a good place for me," Longino said on Saturday morning, "I told them that's where I wanted to go. I like the coaches up there and I feel like it's a good fit for me. I talked to Coach [Dan] Lanning and Coach Randolph. They were excited, but they knew I was coming."

Spring practice in Tempe is out of the question for Longino, who won't graduate from Hutchinson until May. The situation is a bit less than ideal, of course. But while he'll have to wait to strap on a helmet and a uniform, his role has already been defined. Specifics have been discussed, and the newest Sun Devil likes what he's heard on that front.

"They tell me they want me at will linebacker, coming in for Brandon Magee," he said. "I think that's a perfect fit. It's just a good situation."

From here, the will be no further exploration. Longino will take no other visits and intends to stop taking calls from Division-I coaches.

"I'm done," he said. " I'm done with everything. I ended everything last night."

Longino claims 11 scholarship offers in total and chose the Sun Devils over Auburn, Arkansas, Kansas State and West Virginia among others.

Because of injury, Longino was limited to just seven games this season. In that time, he racked up 56 tackles, including six for a loss. He also broke up two passes and forced a fumble.