College Football

Naijiel Hale commits: Cornerback picks Arizona

The son of West Coast hip-hop icon Nate Dogg is talented in his own right, a four-star cornerback prospect, and he announced Tuesday that he'll look to make his own legacy at Arizona.

By Chris Fuhrmeister@ccfuhr Jul 2, 2013, 10:38pm EDT

The Arizona Wildcats added their 12th commit in the Class of 2014 when cornerback Naijiel Hale pledged his services at The Opening on Tuesday. Hale opted to commit simultaneously with his high school teammate, fellow elite cornerback Jaleel Wadood, who chose Cal.

Hale, out of Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco High, is a four-star prospect and the No. 28 cornerback in the country, according to 247Sports, while Scout says he is a four-star and the 20th-best corner. ESPN and Rivals rate Hale as a three-star, with the latter listing him as the 33rd-best player at his position. He said that Rich Rodriguez intends to play him at a defensive back spot, although he wouldn't specify whether that's safety or corner. He's the third cornerback in the Wildcats' class.

More: Arizona Desert Swarm Full coverage of The Opening Full SPARQ results

Hale stands 5'10.5 and weighs in at 175 pounds. He has drawn interest from several western schools and chose the Wildcats over offers from California, Nebraska, Arizona State, Boise State, Utah and Washington State.

The Opening is a gathering of the nation's top prospects at Nike's headquarters in Beaverton, Ore.