WSU football recruiting: Top recruit Isaiah Hodgins de-commits from Wazzu

Washington State lost a key member of their 2017 recruiting class late Monday evening as wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins, the Cougars’ highest rated verbal commit, backed off his pledge.

“After talking with my family I have decided to de-commit from Washington State University,” the Walnut Creek, Calif., product announced in a tweet. “I still have much love for the coaches and the university and still plan on taking an official (visit). I just feel like I owe it to myself to be 100% in my decision and take some other trips and weigh out all my options.”

Hodgins, a three-star receiver according to the 247 Sports Composite, is one of the highest rated wide receivers in the 2017 class, earning a four-star ranking from Rivals and Scout. He committed to the Washington State in May over offers from Boise State, Oregon State, Washington, Michigan and many others. Oregon has since offered, and the Ducks appear to be the main competition for WSU in his wide open recruitment.

As noted in his tweet, Hodgins still plans on taking an official visit to Washington State, and there’s no indication that the two sides plan on completely parting ways. If you’ve followed recruiting, re-commitments are pretty rare, but area recruiter Jim Mastro and Hodgins’ family have a rock solid relationship, so anything is possible here.

With Hodgins no longer in the fold, the Cougars now have 15 verbal commitments in the 2017 recruiting class, including fringe four-star receivers Anthony White, Jr. and Tyquez Hampton, though they’re likely to take two to three more receivers this cycle.

So, who could be next on the board for Washington State at receiver? They’re still in the mix for one of the top receivers on the West Coast, Jamire Calvin, a four-star prospect who included the Cougars in his top eight along with Alabama, Notre Dame, Arizona State, Cal, Nebraska, UCLA and Oregon State. Ole Miss has since joined that group.

“Air Raid offense,” Calvin told 247 Sports in a recent interview breaking down his top eight. “They know how to put the ball in the playmakers hands. They’re on the rise coming off a 9-4 season and beating Miami. They have a great staff and just a great offense that I can fit into perfectly. I could just excel and be the difference-maker to take them to a Rose Bowl.”

Washington State also has an offer out to three-star receiver Bryan Thompson, a 6-foot-3, 190-pounder out of Moreno Valley, Calif., though Arizona and Boise State appear to have the inside track there.

Other receiver prospects that could be close to picking up an offer from Washington State in the wake of Hodgins’ de-commitment: Brandenton, Fla., four-star Kahlee Hammer, West Palm Beach, Fla., three-star D.J. Edwards, Jacksonville, Fla., three-star Louis Dorsey and Jacksonville, Fla., three-star Ronald Patterson, who re-classified from the 2016 class to the 2017 class last cycle. That’s a whole lot of Sunshine State.