ASU Football: Sun Devils sign 17 recruits in early signing period

In head coach Herm Edwards’ first full recruiting cycle, ASU football signed 17 recruits Wednesday including three quarterbacks.

Arizona State signed 17 recruits Wednesday as the Sun Devils have posted a top-30 recruiting class ranking 29th according to ESPN.

Quarterback

Jayden Daniels (Cajon HS; San Bernadino, CA)

Daniels was a highly coveted four-star prospect who committed to the Sun Devils just a week ago. He is the No. 2-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the nation according to 247Sports. In his senior season at Cajon, Daniels recorded 4,515 yards and 60 touchdowns through the air and 170 touchdowns in his high school career.

Joey Yellen (Mission Viejo HS; Mission Viejo, CA)

Yellen is another huge get for the Sun Devils, especially after reports of Georgia pushing hard for him to sign there. The 6-foot-2.5, 211-pound pro-style quarterback possesses a strong arm and can stand in the pocket. Yellen visited ASU back on Dec. 1 and has had the school at the top of his list since.

Ethan Long (West Linn HS; West Linn, OR)

The Sun Devils get another solid quarterback in long that adds to one of the better signal-caller classes a university has secured in a long time. Long will bring lots of toughness and has strong leadership skills. ASU offensive coordinator Rob Likens compared him to Tim Tebow on early signing day due to his leadership skills. His signing only adds to the intense quarterback competition that will go down in Tempe this upcoming spring.

Wide Receiver

Jordan Kerley (McNeil HS; Austin, TX)

A 6-foot-1, 180-pound wide receiver posted 2,582 yards and 26 touchdowns in three seasons at McNeil High School. Head coach Herm Edwards has mentioned he wants to add size and speed and Kerley would fit both areas as ASU looks to next group of wide outs to replace N’Keal Harry.

Ricky Pearsall (Corona del Sol HS; Tempe, AZ)

Another local product staying home to go to Arizona State. Pearsall, ranked as the No. 15 player from Arizona, exhibits elite speed posting a couple of 1,000 all-purpose yards season as a wide out and a returner. His speed will be a welcomed addition to the special teams unit.

Tight End

Nolan Matthews (Reedy HS; Frisco, TX)

Matthews is the No. 9-ranked tight end in the country. He brings great size at 6-foot-5, 240-pounds. Matthews will fit ASU’s offense nicely with the ability to block and go downfield for catches.

Offensive Line

Roman DeWys (Basha HS; Chandler, AZ)

LaDarius Henderson (Waxahachie HS; Waxahachie, TX)

Ben Scott (St. Louis HS; Honolulu, HI)

Dohnovan West (Bishop Alemany HS; Mission Hills, CA)

Four offensive linemen signed with the Sun Devils Wednesday. DeWys ranked as the 45th-best offensive guard prospect according to ESPN. According to ASU, he has the ability to play either as a guard or tackle. Henderson is a 3-star prospect who only gave up one sack in his senior season and according to Arizona State, didn’t start playing football until he was a junior in high school.

Scott is a 6-foot-5, 290-pound offensive lineman rated as a 3-star prospect. He helped lead St. Louis High School to three state championships helping a potent offense. West is a 3-star prospect ranking as the ninth-best center prospect in the nation according to 24/7 Sports.

Defensive Line

Amiri Johnson (Diamond Ranch HS; Pomona, CA)

Johnson is the tallest commit who signed with Arizona State Wednesday standing at 6-foot-6. According to ASU, Johnson’s wingspan “makes him difficult to engage and blocking” and has an “excellent get off at the line of scrimmage making him a dangerous threat to beat the tackle around the edge and get to the quarterback.”

Stephon Wright (Cathedral HS; Los Angeles, CA)

Ranked as a 4-star commit and the No. 18 strong-side defensive end prospect according to 24/7 Sports. As a player for Cathedral High School, Wright finished with 123 tackles, 34.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks. ASU said he “impacts the game with his relentless motor and constant pursuit of the ball.”

Cornerback

Jordan Clark (University Lab HS; Baton Rouge, LA)

Clark, son of former Pittsburgh Steeler and current ESPN NFL analyst Ryan Clark, committed to Arizona State just over two months ago. The prospect out of Louisiana is the No. 38-ranked cornerback in the country. His signing is pivotal in the aspect that Herm Edwards and Antonio Pierce are trying to create the pipeline to the NFL.

Willie Harts (Pittsburgh Senior HS; Pittsburgh, CA)

Harts is a 6-foot defensive back who can both sides of the football. Defensively, he record 95 tackles, 21 pass breakups and six interceptions while totaling 15 touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams. His versatility will be highly valuable next season as he’ll be a productive special teamer right out of the gates.

Safety

Kejuan Markham (Long Beach Poly HS; Long Beach, CA)

Joining twin brother Keon at Arizona State, Kejuan picked up 116 tackles, 20 pass breakups and 14 interceptions during his three-year career on the varsity team. He’s listed as a 4-star prospect according to 24/7 Sports and ESPN.

Athlete

Keon Markham (Long Beach Poly HS; Long Beach, CA)

Keon joins twin Kejuan in Tempe as a 4-star recruit as he has the versatility to play receiver or defensive back. Ranked as a top-50 wide receiver prospect, Keon finished with 45 catches, 861 yards and eight touchdowns in his career playing in just six games his senior season. He also recorded an interception and was effective on special teams returning and blocking kicks.

Connor Soelle (Saguaro HS; Scottsdale, AZ)

Soelle, the younger brother of current Sun Devil linebacker Kyle Soelle, has decided to remain local. Touted as one of the best linebackers in Arizona, Soelle completed his high school career with 256 tackles, 45.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks and eight interceptions. Arizona State said they project him to play the Tillman position as a hybrid safety and linebacker.