Touted transfer Caldwell won't enroll at ASU for academic reasons
With fall camp less than three weeks away, Arizona State's defense has already taken a hit, as touted junior college transfer Darrius Caldwell will not enroll due to academic reasons.
Caldwell, who played last season at Pearl River Community College in Hattiesburg, Miss., was expected to compete for a starting job at Devil-backer. Caldwell could have even been the favorite at the hybrid linebacker/defensive end position as ASU looks to replace Carl Bradford, who left for the NFL following a strong junior season.
Caldwell, 6-feet-6 and 235 pounds, chose ASU in February over South Carolina. ESPN ranked him as the nation's No. 4 junior college defensive end and No. 40 overall among junior college recruits. Rivals.com ranked him the No. 26 weak side defensive end prospect in the country.
An Atlanta native, Caldwell originally signed with Illinois out of high school. He played as a redshirt freshman in 2012, registering 17 tackles, five tackles for loss and two sacks in 12 games. He recovered a fumble in the Illini's loss to ASU on Sept. 8, 2012.
The competition at Devil-backer now will likely come down to redshirt freshman Chans Cox, sophomore Viliami Latu and junior Eriquel Florence, who competed at the spot during spring practices.
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