Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
This week, Arizona State secured a verbal commitment from dual-threat quarterback Bryce Perkins. Perkins is a local product from Chandler High School. He is only a junior, so he is a 2015 recruit and won’t be able to sign with the Sun Devils for almost another year.
This commitment is profound. Perkins, at 6-2, 205 is rated by all three recruiting services as a top 20 dual-threat quarterback nationally. He is highly coveted and has already been offered scholarships by UCLA and Arizona.
On top of being talented and very skilled, the fact that Perkins is a local product makes it a huge commitment for the ASU program. Head coach Todd Graham has stated repeatedly his intent to keep Arizona talent from going elsewhere and playing in Tempe. If Graham and ASU can keep him in the fold and sign him next February, it will be another huge step toward that end.
Perkins would sign on the heels of 2014 signee Manny Wilkins, another highly rated dual-threat quarterback. Wilkins will arrive at ASU this summer to begin his career in Tempe. Time will tell what his role will be and how soon. Chances are that he will redshirt and be ready to compete for the starting job in 2015.
That’s where Perkins comes in. There’s a chance that both he and Wilkins will be thrown into a head to head competition for the starting quarterback position. Wilkins would have the advantage of having a year in the system under his belt. But if Perkins is as talented and intelligent as people are saying he is, he could challenge.
As always, healthy competition is a good thing, providing depth and keeping players on their toes. So, any way one looks at this commitment, it appears to be a good fit for ASU and a big coup for coach Graham and his staff.