2022 four-star OL Josh Conerly weighing ASU with CFB powerhouses
If nothing else, Josh Conerly is thankful he’s only a junior. The 2022 four-star offensive lineman from Seattle has been cognizant of the quandary his fellow recruits have been enduring.
Those in the class above him have been revolving around a world of uncertainty, not confident their senior season will happen, unsure how a possible reduced college season could impact recruiting and feeling almost forced to commit early to a school they’ve never visited.
“Yeah, I’m definitely grateful that I’m in the situation I’m in because, shoot, I know I’m going to be able to play my senior year,” Conerly said about being a ‘22 recruit.
Regardless, Conerly’s status ensures he doesn’t have to worry to the degree many prospects do. The 6-foot-6, 275-pound offensive tackle has already racked up 19 offers, highlighted by Alabama, Michigan, USC, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona State.
While he admitted Washington and USC have been the pair of programs recruiting him the hardest, he’s intrigued by the Sun Devils.
ASU first broke into Conerly’s recruiting stratosphere in February when wide receivers coach Derek Hagan showed up to Rainier Beach High and got his first in-person look at Conerly. Soon enough, he was on the phone with offensive analyst Kevin Mawae and graduate assistant Adam Breneman, who began forming a relationship with Conerly and offered him on June 23.
“It’s been pretty good. I get to talk with coach Adam a little bit more, and it’s been pretty good. We’re tight, talking every other week,” Conerly said of his relationship with Mawae and Breneman. “(Breneman). I can tell he’s a good salesman. He can sell you easily.”
And, these days, Conerly is getting stacks of sales pitches. He’s always expected that, though.
It started in middle school that coaches could see his talent and began telling Conerly that there was no doubt he would soon be a D1 recruit.
“This is something I dreamed of, but I’ve always known I was going to be doing this. I’ve always known I was going to be a D1 guy,” Conerly said. “A lot of people told me, ‘You’re going to college for football for sure.”
But that was always as a running back. When he advanced into high school, Conerly hit a growth spurt and began growing into his body. Towards the end of his freshman season, the Rainier Beach coaches tried him at offensive line, permanently moving him into the trenches for his sophomore year.
“I used to love it when people opened up holes for me,” Conerly said. “So, now, I just open up holes and make lanes for guys to run through.”
That means that schools like the Sun Devils and Crimson Tide and Trojans are handing offers to Conerly based on one year as an offensive lineman.
And what does he bring?
“(Coaches say they like) my athleticism and my potential,” Conerly said. “The best part of) my game is probably my foot speed. I always grew up playing defensive line, so it was kind of easy because I knew what they were doing.”
While it may seem like ASU is a longshot compared to his other suitors, Conerly noted that going to a storied program isn’t his top priority, saying instead: “I’m there to make my own history. Like, of course, I want to go somewhere I can win, but I want to be able to put my name down wherever I go … Everybody has a shot.”
And for a recruit like Conerly who is at least a year away from a commitment, anything can happen.
When asked what he’ll be looking for in a school, he’s prioritizing a place that has a family feel, a program that he can feel comfortable within at all times.
And how is ASU doing as it relates to Conerly’s wish list?
“I’ve actually really liked those guys, and I’m really looking forward to taking some type of visit down there,” he said.
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