2020 QB Daylin McLemore bullish on the Sun Devils

Recruitment processes often require a great deal of patience, and in Daylin McLemore’s case, it certainly seems as if the wait will be all worth it. The San Mateo (Calif.) Junipero Serra High School quarterback didn’t get recruited until his senior year and even then there were some obstacles that affected his exposure to colleges. Ultimately though, McLemore is poised to sign with the team that he has had his eye on for quite some time and playing for a coach he had established a relationship with even before he was hired by the Sun Devils.

While still at Boise State, now ASU offensive coordinator Zak Hill was already pursuing McLemore for the Broncos. Thus, with the Sun Devils needing to bolster its roster of signal callers following the departures of Dillon Sterling-Cole and Joey Yellen, it only made sense that Hill would pursue the Northern California prospect at his new employer.

“It’s kind of funny,” McLemore recalled, “He was supposed to visit me on the day before he got the job at ASU. Well, we're traveling that day for the state championship game. And as we’re on our way to the game on Saturday, I looked at my phone and saw that he got the job at ASU so I was really excited about that. I let him get settled in first and then I think I texted him after the (Sun) bowl game.

“He seemed really interested and thought it'd be a really good fit for both of us. He said I fit his offense because of my pocket passing ability to dissect defenses and then (using) my athletic ability to extend plays and run the ball a little bit.”

As a senior for the 13-2 Padres, McLemore passed for 1,573 yards and 15 touchdowns posting just four interceptions with a remarkable 79 percent completion rate. On the ground, he ran for 429 yards and five touchdowns. McLemore played in just nine games after suffering a broken collarbone that sidelined him for six weeks. He did, however, return to the state championship game, a narrow 35-27 loss to Corona del Mar.

A shorten senior season which followed a scarce playing time junior campaign were not the only factors that prevented adequate recruiting exposure for the Serra quarterback.

“We always played Saturday afternoons at 2:00,” McLemore said. “By the time our game was finished, it was too hard to catch a flight anywhere or go watch a game just because of the timing of everything and coaches couldn’t come to see my games. I tried to make a couple of visits work but it's just too hard.

“My injury wasn't too bad. It’s to my non-throwing shoulder. And I knew we had a really good team so I did my best to get back. I was going to physical therapy every day about an hour away so I could get healthy enough to play if I had the opportunity to. And I did at the end for the State Championship game. I don’t think I missed a beat really in that game. I knew the offense inside and out and spent a ton of time game planning for our opponent. It was good to get back out there showing that I could play with the (healed) collarbone before college.”

By his own admission, McLemore who was also offered by Fresno State, Nevada and UNLV among others, didn’t take any visits after his season ended because he was “holding out” for ASU which naturally paid off with a scholarship offer by Hill. This was followed by an in-home visit with Hill and Herm Edwards this past Monday.

“It was nice spending time with both coach Edwards and coach Hill," McLemore commented, "having them spend time with my family. We just talked a little bit about football, not much. And then just kind of life in general, see where things are going, where I’m at. That kind of stuff.”

“Coach Edwards talked to me about where he sees the program in a couple of years. What he expects my role to be. He told me I had a great opportunity to sit behind Jayden (Daniels) for two years and learn from him. Playing in this system just allows me to do everything with the pro-style aspect and those kind of concepts, but it also allows me to do some of the newer spread (formations) that I was comfortable with.”

McLemore did attend ASU’s Maroon and Gold recruit camp back in June, and the quarterback said that his affinity with the program began at that point.

“I really liked the school,” McLemore remarked. I knew it one of the upcoming programs and it just kept improving. I saw from the year before until now and I see a huge difference. I definitely was hoping that they (ASU) would recruit me one day.”

There was a member of the McLemore family that was already being recruited by the Sun Devils, Daylin’s sister Mailey McLemore, who signed last month with the ASU softball team out of Foothill College. Daylin McLemore confessed that he “wanted to play for ASU even more” once his sister signed with the school, as he learned about the high caliber of academics and overall strength of the athletic programs. He also helped his parents move in his sister to her Tempe dorm a few weeks ago, another opportunity to take in the school he has grown to love so much.

McLemore said that ASU asked him to visit this weekend, the last available weekend for visits before the February 5th signing day, which he was more than happy to oblige. He said that he didn’t visit another suitor in Fresno State because he felt that with his heart set on ASU he would be wasting their time in their own pursuit of a signal-caller.

This weekend’s visit is setting up to be a mere formality before his eventual pledge to Arizona State, but there are still some aspects of the school he would like to learn more about during his trip.

“I told them I want to meet the people that I’m going to be interacting with every day,” McLemore noted, “the people that are going to be helping me with academics. The players, just everyone there…it’s just getting a feel for the campus more. I've been there twice, so seeing all the facilities, and spending more time with the coaches and players.”

McLemore said that incoming freshmen Chad Johnson Jr. and LV Bunkley-Shelton have been in contact with him in recent weeks expressing their desire to have him join the ranks of the Sun Devils. It doesn’t appear that they or anyone else in the program will have to wait for the Serra standout's decision much longer.

“I’m not looing at any other schools besides ASU,” McLemore stated. “Once I see everything’s lined up right (on the visit) I will be committing as soon as possible.”

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