Sun Devils appealing to Devin Kirkwood

With an MVP performance at the Los Angeles Rivals Camp, Devin Kirkwood has only become that much more coveted of a 2021 prospect. Gardena (Calif.) Serra’s defensive back has been hearing quite a bit from Arizona State and said that the program has been resonating with him quite a bit.

“Recruiting (with ASU) is going good right now,” Kirkwood said. “Coach Chris Hawkins is recruiting me and I like coach C Hawk a lot. I've been training with (the 7-on-7 team) Ground Zero so I know his dad (Armond Hawkins Sr.) and I got to know him too.

“Coach C Hawk likes that I’m not afraid to come downhill to make a tackle, I can cover people, and that I’m able to move from safety to corner and being able to play nickel too. Coach Herm said he really liked my playing style, he likes long defensive backs and defensive backs that can really move, and that’s the type of game style I have. They’re looking at me as a free safety

“I’m a hybrid type safety/corner where I can come down in a box and make tackles and also be able to go out and stick a receiver, a tight end, a slot. And I trust in my game and my technique a lot that I won’t get beat. I want to still work on staying a little bit more patient and working on getting out of my brakes a lot faster when I’m braking on a ball.”

As a junior for the Cavaliers Kirkwood posted 34 tackles and six passes defended.

Kirkwood stated that he saw a very fast and physical ASU defense when viewing the Sun Devils on TV and that this style of play appeals to him quite a bit.

“I like Arizona State’s defense a lot,” Kirkwood commented. “This year that I want to see them play twice as better as they did last year because they had a young QB and their defense won them a lot of games. Their defense is young but deep and will help them win a lot of games this year too.”

“It's a good school because my friend (and Serra alumnus) Merlin Robertson goes there. I know a lot of people like it there and they're like a family. I know players that are going there this year like Macen Williams, Chad Johnson Jr., Johnny Wilson and LV (Bunkley-Shelton) who played with me at Serra.

“LV told me to just pick a place where it fits like your home, make it your home and don’t go somewhere if they want you…go somewhere where they need you and want you to be there too at the same time.”

Kirkwood admitted that the defensive back MVP award he earned at the Los Angeles Rivals Camp did catch many by surprise (reported a 40-time of 4.55) and that he was extremely proud of achieving this feat against the level of competition he did.

“It was really good for me to go against the best of the best at the camp,” Kirkwood explained, “and the best of the best in the West Coast. I felt like I was being able to display my abilities really well and being able to show that I can get in and out of my brakes well and cover people in the open field and on the goal line.”

The Serra defensive back said that compared to most of the schools pursuing him that ASU was recruiting him “harder” as are programs such as UCLA, Notre Dame, Michigan, Arizona, Oregon State, Yale, and Utah.

“I’ve visited USC, Notre Dame, and Oregon State,” Kirkwood remarked. “I plan to visit ASU a second time. First time I was there was for a (7-on-7) tournament last January. I toured the campus and I liked where it was near the city. I liked the atmosphere that it had, and how the players got along with each other a lot.

“When I come there for a visit, I want to just see how they bond together a little more and see how they welcome me onto the campus.”

UCLA, Michigan and a second visit to Notre Dame are some other visits Kirkwood intends to take.

Kirkwood will graduate in the spring of 2021 and has no timeframe for his decision, but he does plan to sign in December of this year.

“I’m going to a school where I know I can go to play as a freshman and can fit in their type of playing style.”

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