Noah Avinger used to get fed up at the notion schools were overlooking him, frustrated that interest came for all of his friends and teammates. He wondered how long collegiate offers may elude him. It was his freshman year, he remembered when he thought he was just as good as some of those kids, but at 5-foot-6 and a slender 130-pound frame, he didn’t exactly fit the power-five profile.

Fast forward three years later, Avinger who hails from Anaheim, Calif. -- has shot up to a 6-foot, 160-pound cornerback prospect and received numerous offers from notable programs, mainly in the Pac-12.

“I’m still growing, too,” Avinger said with a laugh.

On Tuesday, Arizona State’s first-year defensive backs coach Chris Hawkins talked to Avinger on the phone and extended his 11th overall offer. The soon-to-be high school senior noted that the Sun Devils have been watching him for some time, even seeing him lift during his spring workouts at his high school.

But, he said, things truly picked up in the last week. He’s been in more communication with Hawkins and begun to form a relationship with a coach who shares so many similar life experiences. fgtg

“He’s young, and he’s a great coach,” Avinger said of Hawkins. “I like that (he’s young), too, because, from his perspective, he really understands us because we’re young, too. He understands what is going to benefit us and help us get us where we need to be.”

“That makes me feel more comfortable because he went through the (recruiting experience), so he knows exactly how I’m feeling.”

Avinger said Hawkins has singled out his length (ASU coaches have stated that they want to recruit cornerbacks who stand at least 6-feet tall) and how sharp he is technique-wise. Avinger’s dad has been his coach most of his life, so while he may have been a scrawny teenager he was always in the backyard, always doing drills and improving on the little nuances of the cornerback position.

During his junior season at Servite High, Avinger recorded 40 tackles and four interceptions while also catching eight passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns as a wide receiver.

“Everyone says my game is smooth. I’m long,” Avinger said. “And I work hard, that’s my main thing … “I’ve had to rely on (my technique more than my size).”

Among Avinger’s 11 offers, a half dozen are from power-five programs. Perhaps more surprising was the school that kicked off his recruitment. Oregon, arguably the best program on the West Coast, handed Avinger his first offer last May. “I was kind of shocked, too. I never expected that one to be my first offer,” Avinger admitted.

Since then, his options have grown. Regardless, Avinger said the three programs recruiting him the hardest are Arizona, Oregon State, and ASU.

“(ASU) is one of the top schools I like,” Avinger said. “It’s not too far from home. I like the coaching staff, and I’ve had good conversations with them. That’s always a benefit. And coach Hawkins, he’s young too, so he understands where I’m coming from, and he can really help me because my ultimate goal is to get to the NFL.”

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Avinger has yet to venture off to any college campuses for an official visit. Those were all supposed to be this summer. Instead, the schedule for when he may be able to check out his top schools in person is a bit up in the air. And, unlike some recruits, Avinger said he wouldn’t be comfortable committing to a school without seeing the campus.

But, for now, he has time, a few more months to research his possible options and develop relationships with numerous coaches across the country. He wants to take his time to choose the school that best fits his needs, admitting that education, the school’s environment and its coaching staff are his three main priorities.

“(If you were to tell me I committed to ASU, it would be) because it felt closest to home -- like it felt like the place I needed to be,” Avinger said. “The education is set up to where I’m going to be able to be successful for the rest of my life, after football, and the coaching staff and environment is going to get me to where I need to be as a player and a man.”

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