January 3rd Recruiting Snapshot
We may be still over a week away from the dead period ending, but also just under a month before signing day. With several visits scheduled over the next few weeks, let’s take a look at how Arizona State is currently standing with its viable prospects at the various positions and how close are the Sun Devils to fulfilling their remaining needs in this 2017 recruiting class
We expect ASU to sign in the range of 22-23 players, and much like previous classes it’s possible that the 2017 class won’t reach that number until a few months following February’s National Letter of Intent day, as the Sun Devils try and add transfers from other programs.
Therefore, with presently 13 total pledges on board, we could very see ASU add no more than ten signees between today and February 1st, 2017 and if needed survey the market for available transfers.
The approach is no different than last year’s class. ASU won’t fill this 2017 recruiting class with “warm bodies” just to get to 25 signees on NLI day. In order to reach that number of signees it would have to literally hit on each and every high caliber target on its board and the law of averages, if you will, is making that unlikely to happen.
Furthermore, to be able and have a class that’s 25 large ASU would have to have a higher than normal rate of attrition with its current players, another improbable factor in play.
ASU cannot count any mid-year signees back to the 2016 class. Thus, the 2017 class cannot exceed 25 players.
The National Letter of Intent day period for mid-year transfers began on December 14th, 2016 and runs through January 15th, 2017.
The National Letter of Intent day period for all other prospects is on February 1st, 2017 (aka signing day) and runs through April 15th, 2017.
The commit list can be found
here
The recruiting calendar can be found
here (the recruiting dead period runs from December 12th through January 11th).
Let’s go position by position and see who is committed, and who are the Sun Devils’ viable prospects:
Quarterback
2017 Class Commits: Ryan Kelley,
Blake Barnett (mid-year transfer)
Viable Prospects
None. Since both commits are expected to honor their pledge as well as the fact that ASU has four scholarship signal-callers returning, the Sun Devils will not pursue any other players at this position.
Running Backs
2017 Class Commits: Trelon Smith
Viable Prospects (ASU expected to sign no more than 2 running backs total)
Eno Benjamin – if you recall the four-star prospect had a surprise unofficial visit to Tempe right before the recruiting dead period begun. In my opinion, a commitment to ASU should probably come as no surprise as the Sun Devils are squarely in the driver’s seat. Benjamin, a high school mid-year transfer, is scheduled to announce at the Army All-American game on January 7th, 2017. Since he’s a mid-year transfer he will be eligible to enroll in the spring at the school of his choice.
Stephen Carr - currently the USC commit is scheduled to visit Tempe on January 13th. His chances of decommiting to any school are seemingly low and it remains to be seen if a Benjamin commitment doesn’t cancel this visit.
Offensive Line
2017 Class Commits: Corey Stephens
Viable Prospects (ASU expected to sign no more than 3 linemen total)
Austin Jackson – Nothing has really changed since our last snapshot on the Phoenix North Canyon standout. We don’t expect him to make an announcement until later this month, and apparently, this still comes down to an ASU-USC battle. Washington could be the dark horse in this race. Jackson is one that is known to always keep his cards close to the vest; it’s hard to get a good read on which school may actually have the upper hand. If he were to officially visit the Trojans this month (and which we fully expect) and delay his decision closer and closer to signing day, there is a very good chance Jackson won’t stay home.
George Moore – ever since his decommitment from Washington State, the junior college lineman has been receiving several offers. The fact that ASU offered even before his decommitment could help the Sun Devils’ efforts here, but it’s almost a given that he will take as many official visits as possible this month. He’s scheduled to visit ASU on January 20th, and ideally, you would like that visit to take place a week or two later as he explores multiple opportunities.
Tight Ends
2017 Class Commits: Jared Poplawski
Viable Prospects
None. With four returning players at this position and a 2017 class with more pressing needs at other positions, ASU will not seek out any other prospects at this role.
Wide Receivers
2017 Class Commits: Curtis Hodges
Viable Prospects (ASU expected to sign no more than 2 wide receivers total)
Joseph Lewis – needless to say that the five-star prospect from Los Angeles Hawkins is one of the most coveted prospects on the West Coast. All ASU can ask for is a chance to impress him and they will get that opportunity as he officially visits on January 13th. Landing Lewis would go down as the biggest coup in this class, which is why the odds aren’t stacked in ASU’s favor.
Marlon Williams – the USC pledge from Alabama currently doesn’t consider himself a soft commit yet he is taking a trip to Tempe on January 13th. He will still officially visit USC and Auburn in that order. Offensive Coordinator Chip Lindsey’s relationship with Williams is what made this visit possible, to begin with, but it would be quite the surprise if he inked with anyone but the Trojans on signing day.
Gavin Holmes – if his fellow Texan and former Iowa commit, Eno Benjamin, committed to ASU, then the Sun Devils can make serious inroads with Holmes, another prospect that has been blowing up with offers. Much like the other two ASU wide receiver prospects here will be part of a busy January 13th visit weekend. Holmes scheduled to visits UCLA and Notre Dame after ASU, so the Sun Devils aren’t in an enviable position here but currently Holmes is more viable a prospect at this position than Lewis and Williams.
Defensive Line
2017 Class Commits: D.J. Davidson
Viable Prospects (ASU expected to sign no more than 2 defensive linemen total)
Hunter Echols – the USC commit has been shopping around his services for a while, and ASU could be getting a January visit from him. Undoubtedly one prospect ASU will have their work cut for them in order to land.
Fua Leilua – yet another commit to another school (Oklahoma State) who will visit Tempe on the 13th. Visit to Utah State and Oklahoma State will follow. ASU will have to make sure that the lineman’s visit will be a tough act to follow and that he and his wife and future child would prefer ASU’s environment over his other suitors.
Malik Young - one of the more coveted junior college prospects in the region, and due to his school’s location has visited ASU and is very familiar with the program. Didn't take any official visit to date but that should change this month and ASU is probably in a good position to get one.
Walter Palmore – much like his Eastern Arizona teammate Malik Young, Palmore has had a very quiet recruiting process that is bound to pick up this month. His school’s proximity to ASU could help the Sun Devils’ efforts here.
Austin Faoliu – in an interview we did the Arizona commit a couple of weeks ago he seemed genuinely excited about the attention he was receiving from ASU. He’s scheduled to visit Arizona State on January 13th.
Miki Suguturaga - the Hawaii prospect has an impressive list of offers and his visit list should be sorted out in the next few weeks. ASU was one of the earliest offers, so time will tell if that will earn an official visit. (if Suguturaga goes on an LDS mission so while he will commit this month, he will be classified as a 2019 prospect).
