Arizona State and first-year head coach Kenny Dillingham on Wednesday earned a commitment from four-star quarterback Jaden Rashada, a former Florida Gators commitment.

He is the first big-fish get for Dillingham, who attempted to recruit Rashada to Florida State and then last year when the former offensive coordinator spent a season at Oregon. Rashada was also considering joining the TCU Horned Frogs.

Forks Up 4L! 🔱🆙! #Home @KennyDillingham pic.twitter.com/lld1QZc3tJ

— Jaden Rashada 5️⃣ (@jadenrashada) February 1, 2023

 

Before the commitment, ASU’s 2023 recruiting class was ranked 54th in the country, according to 247Sports’ composite, with 20 commits heading into the late national signing period that began Wednesday.

Including transfers — the Sun Devils could set a record in terms of volume alone this period — the class ranked 46th. It included 46 total players, 20 high school and junior college commits, plus 26 transfers.

Rashada’s commitment alone leaps ASU to 27th nationally in the pre-signing day rankings.

Rashada visited Arizona State’s campus the weekend of Jan. 20. He joins a quarterback room that notably includes returnee Trenton Bourguet, who appeared in seven games for the Sun Devils last season, and transfers Drew Pyne (Notre Dame) and Jacob Conover (BYU).

Dillingham has said Bourguet will get the first crack at first-team reps when spring ball begins, but Rashada’s talent could put him in a position to challenge for a starting role as a freshman.

Rashada is from Pittsburg, Calif., and ranked 44th overall by 247Sports in the 2023 recruiting class. His father, Harlen Rashada, played defensive back at Arizona State (1992-94).

The 6-foot-4, 185-pound Jaden Rashada threw for 5,275 yards at Pittsburg last season, with 59 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

His initial decision to come to Florida was considered a boon for first-year Gators coach Billy Napier, and Rashada was expected to compete with Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz for the starting job at Florida, which has now lost five scholarship quarterbacks in the past 10 months. Starter Anthony Richardson left early to enter the NFL draft, backup Jalen Kitna was dismissed following his arrest on child pornography charges, and Emory Jones and Carlos Del Rio-Wilson transferred last spring.

A breakup between Rashada and Florida was weeks in the making and cost the Gators one of their most prized recruits.

Rashada’s decision came after the Gator Collective — an independent fundraising group that’s loosely tied to the university and pays student-athletes for use of their name, image and likeness — failed to honor a four-year deal worth more than $13 million, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because neither side acknowledged the split publicly.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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