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College Football Recruiting, Opinion, and Analysis

Breaking Down Arizona State’s 2023 Recruiting Class

Director of Scouting Steven Bailoni breaks down the highlights from Arizona State’s 2023 recruiting class, including blue-chip prospect Jaden Rashada

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Kenny Dillingham is officially the youngest head coach across the entire FBS and was looking to come out with a statement showing why. He proved exactly how worth it he was this recruiting cycle, bringing in a whopping 20 high school commitments and 26 portal commitments in the 2023 class. He managed to completely retool Arizona State’s roster using the transfer portal to find some immediate talent upgrades while being able to continue the rebuild with some impressive high school signings. He’ll look to reinvigorate the ASU program as an alumni with his recruiting- let’s break down the highlights of the class.

Best Overall: Jaden Rashada

Quarterback, Pittsburg High School (Pittsburg, CA)

Best overall, most important get, biggest shock- any way you want to slice it, Rashada is the crown jewel of this class. He’s not my top QB of 2023 by any means but basically any Power 5 school would be ecstatic to have him. He’s got the exact frame you want, reads the field quickly, has a cannon for an arm, and isn’t afraid to take shots. He’s got quick feet, knows exactly how to drop back, and can take those half-steps to avoid pressure from defenders. He’s not without his flaws (and no QB is) but many of them are minor mechanical issues that college coaches can easily iron out. I’m not sure he starts this year but he’s got the potential to- the ASU QB room isn’t exactly deep right now even with the transfers they brought in. He’s currently sitting at the 11th all-time recruit for ASU by composite rankings so he’ll definitely come in and compete as a freshman. I like him to sit a year and really clean up the minor issues he has then take the conference by storm as a sophomore.

The most important thing here? For months the only thing that drove his recruitment was NIL money. I’m not sure he was even promised a dime by any donor or collective that supports ASU before committing. Landing Rashada was essentially the biggest statement Dillingham could make as he shows that his recruiting abilities go far past handing out a blank check.

Most Underrated: Keontez Bradley

Cornerback, Mansfield High School (Mansfield, OH)

I honestly believe if Bradley played in Florida or Texas he’d have about 10 more G5 offers and 7 more P5 offers. He’s got the athleticism you want out of a corner and most importantly has very good speed. Cornerback is an interesting position as you will very rarely see anyone succeed without being an extremely fast player. This is mostly due to the fact having that straight-line speed helps you stay sticky in coverage against deep routes and lets you jump back into coverage against short and intermediate routes with sharp cuts. It doesn’t matter how good you are at reading- no one can see the future and corners that can’t catch back up after a receiver cuts are doomed to fail. Bradley is the epitome of this as he’s indecisive in his reads and often takes too long to react but his athletic ability keeps him in on most plays. His ball skills are some of the best you’ll find out of a high school corner and you can tell he really wants to make a play on the ball and turn the game around, not just break up a pass. He’s not a sure-fire hit by any means but he’s got the physical tools that are much harder to develop than the mental errors he makes. I don’t see him turning into a superstar corner but plenty of P5 teams would be happy to have him as their number 2 since he can stay sticky in coverage and be aggressive for turnovers. I like him to out-play his ranking by the end of his career and may hear his name called on the second or third day of the draft when it’s all said and done.

https://twitter.com/bradley_keontez/status/1597379201329672192

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Most Important Signing: Aaron Frost

Offensive Tackle, University of Nevada (Transfer)

An All-MW lineman with good size that gives ASU some much needed size and skill upfront. Nevada’s offense took a big step back without his presence to help anchor the unit. His initial punch is strong and his feet are quick off the line. He brings good play strength to help create drive in the run game and has the size and footwork to effectively anchor against the pass. I love his competitive toughness, he doesn’t just want to win the rep- he wants to completely demoralize his opponents. His skillset allows him to play anywhere across the line and he’ll look to help ASU and Dillingham make a statement with their offense next season. Linemen aren’t always the most exciting recruits to watch but their influence can be the difference between a strong offense and a weak one which is especially important for ASU this year as they look to keep whoever wins their QB battle safe and help them read without panic.

Name to Watch: Troy Omeire

Receiver, University of Texas (Transfer)

Omeire has understandably fallen off many peoples’ radars after multiple injuries in college. He was finally healthy this year and only received 23 snaps on a talented Texas team but was a 4* recruit out of high school for good reason- he’s a physical specimen. His test results hover just barely out of range of elite level and you can see it on the field from his footwork off the line to his cuts at the top of his routes. He leverages his frame against the defense and has good hands to reel most balls in. His athletic ability makes him a threat in the open field and he’s capable of eating up tons of yards. He doesn’t seem to be lacking competitive toughness even after missing so much time. The biggest question is whether he’s put it all together mentally but he’s had plenty of time to sit and study the game as he went through injury rehab. He doesn’t look quite at the level he did before his injuries but he’ll have an opportunity to carve out a role at ASU and has the potential to turn into a star. It’s always hard to know what’s happening with injuries behind the scenes but ASU’s doctors likely got a look at him before they took his commitment and he’ll have a second chance to make a name for himself.

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