5-star recruit Eddie Vanderdoes wins appeal, eligible to play for UCLA this fall

Jim Mora and UCLA should get a boost from star recruit Eddie Vanderdoes. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Eddie Vanderdoes, a top defensive tackle recruit who initially signed with Notre Dame before switching allegiances to UCLA, has received clearance to play for the Bruins this fall, CBSSports.com's Bruce Feldman reports.

Vanderdoes signed with Fighting Irish in February but announced in June that he would instead attend UCLA. He is a California native and said at the time the decision was for "very personal reasons." It was later reported that he wanted to be closer to a sick family member.

Notre Dame refused to let Vanderdoes out of his commitment, arguing that doing so would hurt the "integrity" of the National Letter of Intent. Notre Dame's decision meant Vanderdoes would have been forced to sit out this fall. He also would have lost a season of eligibility.

STAPLES: Eddie Vanderdoes case exemplifies one-sided nature of NLI

But Vanderdoes appealed to the National Letter of Intent Steering Committee and won the right to start playing this season. Feldman had previously reported Vanderdoes would argue for immediate eligibility because of the "extenuating circumstances" of his ill relative.

The 6-foot-3, 310-pound defensive lineman should contribute right away for the Bruins. Check out his high school highlights below.