ASU Football: SI All-American Team Breaks down ASU's 2021 Class
The pandemic has slowed down life as we know it. In fact, for a moment, it felt like the whole world was on pause, that is, everything except the Herm Train on the recruiting trail. While recruiting has been dramatically impacted due to the pandemic, it hasn't stopped it.
According to our SI All-American's staff that released their first edition of Top 25 Recruiting Class Rankings, the Sun Devils made the cut for their 2021 recruiting class at number 21.
The Devils have 21 hard commits for the 2021 class. One of those commits finds himself on the SI 99 list, and that is cornerback Isaiah Johnson. According to SI's lead recruiting analyst, Edwin Weathersby II, " (Isaiah) has the size and skillset to work eventually as a boundary corner in Tempe … with his ability and ball skills and he likes to eat grass. He also has safety traits. He can kick inside to the seems … Overall, this class sits at 21st in our recruiting class rankings. They are off to a pretty good start."
Johnson is a stud cornerback and stands at 6'2". Other corners in the class also have the length like Tommi Hill out of Florida, who stands at 6'1", and another corner with length on his side is Robert Regan, who stands at 6'0". One thing Herm Edwards has preached to his coaches is that he wants length. He wants long arms and long legs. And that is evident in these corners alone.
According to SI's Director of Football Recruiting, John Garcia, he likes this class, "I like what they are doing at a skillset perspective and then in the trenches, you also expect plenty of volume from a Herm Edwards lead program. There are nine offensive and defensive linemen committed at this point. So you expect that sort of foundation. Build it from the inside out and go on … That's why they are a top 25 group for us here at SI All-American."
Weathersby explained that one area he is most surprised by was the lack of recruiting in the state of Arizona. This has been a sore spot for Sun Devil fans for a while and something that is echoed across the state.
While both Weathersby and Garcia agree that it is pretty impressive the number of commits Herm has from all around the nation. The 2021 class includes commits from states like Florida, California, Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and North Carolina, to name a few. For Herm Edwards and company to land elite talent from all over the nation during a pandemic is nothing short of amazing.
As for who the SI All-American team likes in this 2021 class, for Weathersby II, it's Isaiah Johnson. "his size, his length. He's got good hips, solid speed to carry receivers through level three. There's also center Ezra Dotson-Oyetade, just an impressive pivot player prospect who has the athleticism to execute both; reach blocks and zone concepts and be asked to pull plus he's nasty at the point."
Garcia’s impact player is OT out of Florida Charles Armstrong. "He’s a 6-5, 285-lb kid, basketball background, so you know his footwork is going to be a little bit more advanced than your typical offensive lineman, but he's also got a lot of room to grow is what I really like in his frame… and he's a kid that can bend."
While the Herm Train keeps rolling the commits will keep coming. For more SI All-American coverage you can follow them here.
