Armstead makes decision: He won't pick until Feb. 1

The Armsteads have made somethinig of a decision, or at least a bit of clarity.

Arik Armstead, the towering 6-foot-8, 295-pound lineman and a MaxPreps All-American from Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove, Calif.)., said today that he will wait until National Letter of Intent Day on Feb. 1 to formally make his college destination decision.

Enrolled online through the student directory at Cal, Notre Dame and Auburn, the nation's No. 16 recruit entered the weekend expecting to be on a college campus this week, in class, in school colors, in the fast-forward phase of the next chapter of his life.

He was leaning toward Cal in the Bay Area, some 90 minutes away, and the family on Sunday evening entertained Cal coach Jeff Tedford and defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi. But on Monday morning, Lupoi stunned Cal and the recruits he had been in constant contact with by accepting a coaching spot with the Washington Huskies.

So now Armstead will take more time to sort through the mound of possibilities, including Cal, Notre Dame, Oregon and Auburn - and the chance to play on the same team with brother Armond, a two-year starter on the defensive line for USC who last month graduated from the school. Armond and Arik have talked of possibly going to Notre Dame or Auburn together. Playing at Cal might be a longer shot as USC will not release Armond.

Distracting? Drama?

"Most definitely," Arik said. "Different loops, twists and things to go through. It's too gut wrenching so I'll take more time to decide. There's a lot of stuff to think about. This is the biggest decision of my life."

Arik said the loss of Lupoi from Cal really stung him, as it has for other recruits, too.

"Definitely," Arik said. "That was a guy I was hoping might groom me the next few years. Everyone loves him. It definitely affects everything."

Because Arik graduated from Pleasant Grove over the weekend through online courses, he cannot return to his high school basketball team, which is ranked No. 3 regionally by The Bee and has the sort of lineup that can make a Northern California large-school title run.

Arik insists he is OK with the decision.

"You can't regret anything or go back and change anything, and I'll be busy trying to figure out what's best for me (long term)," Arik said.

Joe Davidson has covered prep sports at The Bee since 1988. Follow him on Twitter: sb_joedavidson