2020 QB Daylin McLemore commits during his official visit to Tempe
To say that Daylin McLemore had his mind set on committing to ASU even before his official visit would hardly be a wild presumption. Nonetheless, the San Mateo (Calif.) Serra standout needed to be convinced during his official visit that early and strong sentiments about the Sun Devils were validated. 24 or so hours after arriving for his visit, the quarterback wasted no time in making his announcement.
"I got to see the whole campus and meet all of the people that I will be seeing everyday," McLemore said Saturday night in a text message. "Jayden Daniels was my host for the weekend so I started to build a relationship with him and some of the other players. When I was walking on campus it felt like this was the place for me."
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 in a previous interview. “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.”
Serra head coach Patrick Walsh stated that the Sun Devils are getting not only a gifted player but one with a high measure of work ethic.
"He's a great human being and a hard worker," Walsh remarked. "He's a great leader that you can always hang your hat on. His nickname is 'Kawhi' (as in NBA star Kawhi Leonard) because he doesn't say much, doesn't yell but is just a quiet and cerebral leader, a good field general, a competitor, and a winner. His quiet is just as of a magnetic presence as someone like Drew Brees or Tom Brady who are very vocal.
"He has great size and strength, and the best thing about him is his decision making. With great coaching from (offensive coordinator) Zak Hill who I think he is a great hire and Herm Edwards, he's will be the type of player that can lead the Sun Devils to a Pac-12 championship in my opinion.
"He was prolific as any quarterback in the state of California, and if he played all 15 games he would have a lot more offers. That's just how it worked out and knowing Daylin and the type of character that he has he will be very successful for the Sun Devils. He didn't transfer out sitting behind (in his junior year) a very successful quarterback, he showed his loyalty and that's the type of player you want in your program. With the type of system Hill ran at Boise State which gave everyone hell, Daylin can be very successful."
Fresno State and Boise State are some of the more notable offers that McLemore received, as schools such as USC and TCU were showing great interest in recent weeks.
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.
The San Mateo signal caller is ASU’s 19th known commit of the 2020 class and the 13th from the state of California
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