Freshman defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes has been ruled eligible for the coming season, ending a saga that began with signing a National Letter of Intent to attend Notre Dame just months ago...
Freshman defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes has been ruled eligible for the coming season by the NCAA, according to sources.
Vanderdoes, who signed with Notre Dame in February, made the decision to instead attend UCLA in order to be closer to his family. Initially, Notre Dame denied his request to be let out of the National Letter of Intent, and Vanderdoes went into the NCAA appeal process.
On Tuesday, Vanderdoes was declared eligible during the second appeal process. The decision was particularly important for Vanderdoes as it preserves a year of eligibility for the former five-star defensive tackle. Under the rules of the NLI, by breaking the contract, Vanderdoes could have lost a year of eligibility, giving him just four years to play three.
For UCLA, the benefits of the decision are more obvious.
Vanderdoes could potentially slot in immediately as the starting left defensive end, especially if Owamagbe Odighizuwa does indeed sit out the year with a hip injury. Vanderdoes was listed at 6'4, 305 on the official roster, giving him the bulk to play any of the three positions along UCLA's defensive line. The addition of Vanderdoes could drastically raise the ceiling for UCLA's defense in 2013.
