Save the date: Friday, May 17.
Former ASU wide receiver Elijhah Badger will announce his commitment on Friday after releasing his Top 3 schools, per On3's Hayes Fawcett.
NEWS: Former Arizona State WR Elijhah Badger will announce his Commitment on Friday, he tells @on3sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 15, 2024
The 6’2 190 WR totaled 142 receptions for 1,640 Yards, & 10 TDs in his time at ASU
Is the Top Available WR in the Portal (per On3 Industry)https://t.co/sGvFUAOAkW pic.twitter.com/ERyEENgVJu
At first, it seems like Arizona is fighting an uphill battle against Jedd Fisch-led Washington and the allure of playing in the SEC for Florida. However, Arizona has an ace up its sleeve.
Why Arizona is in this race:
Bobby Wade — Badger's positional coach at ASU for the last two seasons — is an all-time great Arizona wide receiver and has taken up the mantle as the Wildcats' wide receivers coach under Brent Brennan. If Arizona pulls this off, it would shake the college football world and certainly result from leveraging this connection.
There's also objectively a lot of upside on Arizona's roster. Noah Fifita is a dark horse Heisman Trophy contender, and Tetairoa McMillan is a consensus first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The offensive line maintained enough continuity that Fifita will remain upright long enough to find his targets.
The defense is also loaded with talent, including linebackers Jacob Manu and Justin Flowe, cornerbacks Tacario Davis and Treydan Stukes, and safeties Gunner Maldonado and Dalton Johnson.
There are plenty of reasons he would choose one of the other two programs, though.
What makes Washington look good?
It's no secret that Fisch inherited an extremely messy situation in Montlake. Between the NFL draft, transfer portal, and lack of success poaching from Arizona, the Huskies' roster is a far cry from January's National Championship squad.
That said, he did bring most of his staff from Arizona; they know how to build something from nothing. With all three top options from last year in the NFL, Badger would be catapulted straight to the top of the Huskies' depth chart and could be catching passes from former Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers.
What makes Florida look good?
As for Florida, the Gators are looking rough at the wide receiver position with Ricky Pearsall's departure for the NFL. No player on Florida's roster went for over 550 receiving yards last year, and head coach Billy Napier will need to surround quarterback Graham Mertz with as much talent as possible.
Napier's seat is getting hotter by the day, and landing Badger would be a splash play that helps to ease tensions for the time being. It wouldn't be the first time he'd dipped into the bag of talent leaving Tempe: Pearsall spent three seasons at ASU before leaving for Florida ahead of the 2022 season.
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