Just a little over a week after being released from his UCLA Letter of Intent, freshman Josh Shirley has found a new college home.
In a press release, Washington announced that the linebacker has signed a financial aid agreement and will join the Husky football team when players report to fall camp on Aug. 8.
Shirley, along with with fellow incoming freshmen Paul Richardson and Shaquille Richardson, were dismissed from the Bruins late last month after being arrested and charged with felony theft. The charge stemmed from the trio allegedly stealing a woman’s purse.
The school investigated the circumstances surrounding the arrest and subsequent dismissal, and concluded that whatever happened was an out-of-character act on Shirley’s part.
“We are very aware of the circumstances surrounding Josh,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said in a statement. “We have done our due diligence and truly feel that this is not indicative of his true character or the way that he was raised. We are excited about the opportunity Josh has to excel on the football field, in the classroom and in his personal life in our environment, around our people at the University of Washington.”
As the Fontana, Calif., native was released from his LOI, he will be eligible to play immediately. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times writes that Shirley could be in line for immediate playing time at strongside linebacker this fall.
Shirley was one of the more talented pieces of UCLA’s 2010 recruiting class and was listed as a four-star player by Rivals.com.