Chris Richards/ Arizona Daily Star

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One of the UA football team’s top recruits has gone back on his verbal commitment and will attend Arizona State.

Jarrell Barbour, a standout wide receiver and safety from Peoria Centennial High School, told the Star late Wednesday that Arizona State “has a better plan to get me in” academically. He cited the UA’s recent struggles to get players into school as a concern.

“The U of A’s admissions, I was a little scared about that,” Barbour said late Wednesday. “Coach (Tim) Kish said he was very disappointed. It was tough tell them because I didn’t want anybody to get their hearts broken.

“It’s just better if I go to ASU.”

The Rivals.com recruiting service lists Barbour, a 6-foot-3-inch, 180-pound senior, as a four-star recruit and the second-best player in the state. He caught 24 passes for 505 yards and 10 touchdowns and rushed for 418 yards and five touchdowns as a junior in 2006. In December, his Centennial team defeated Sunnyside 34-0 for the Class 5A-II state championship.

Barbour chose the Sun Devils 10 days after verbally committing to Arizona and four days after shadowing coach Mike Stoops at the UA’s annual “Meet the Team” scrimmage. At the time, Barbour said he chose Arizona over eight other schools because of familiarity. He said the UA “just felt right, like a place where I can belong.”

But Barbour began to waffle in recent days, especially when told he might have a hard time qualifying academically at the UA.

Barbour committed to ASU coach Dennis Erickson after visiting the team’s practice on Wednesday.

Barbour is expected to be a key part of ASU’s 2008 recruiting class. Barbour’s Centennial teammate, offensive lineman Zach Schlink, committed to the Sun Devils last week.