Jonah Coleman didn’t know much about Arizona State. He knew they upset Oregon last season. He knew the Sun Devils sported “fire” uniforms. And he knew De’Marieya Nelson, his mentor (or “uncle,” as he calls him) played tight end in Tempe a little over five years ago.
Both products of Stockton, Calif., Nelson has been in the ear of the 5-foot-9, 185-pound running back, trying to get him to consider his alma mater.
“He told me it’s the best college in the world. There’s no getting away from that. It’s ASU all the way. His car is customized with ASU logos,” Coleman said of Nelson. “He said, ‘ASU is a great school and coach Herm is a great coach, and he’ll get you to where you want to be.’
“He also said that just because you’re a senior doesn’t mean you’re going to start. That the best man will play. I feel like if I went to ASU as a freshman, I’d have a chance to actually compete for and start as a freshman.”
Back in early February, Nelson wasn’t yet spewing his all-out recruiting pitches, but he was trying, at least, to get Coleman to look at ASU, to research them, and possibly reach out to their coaches. He showed him the sales pitch of the Sun Devils’ state-of-the-art locker room and the shiny features -- like a barbershop -- that stick out to a 16-year old.
And ASU stuck out to Coleman. With just a sliver of recruiting interest at that point, he thrust them to the top of his list of schools to look into.
A few days later, Coleman hopped on the phone with ASU defensive analyst Anthony Garnett and began a relationship with the Sun Devils that led to his second offer.
“It was literally crazy. I don’t know what it was,” Coleman said. “It was like, ‘Dang, they really hit me up out of nowhere. I was literally just talking about this school a couple of days ago.”
And leading the charge in ASU’s pursuit of Coleman is Garnett, who has formed a solid relationship with the running back through honesty.
“We talk like we’re friends,” Coleman said. “Coach Garnett is a straight up-front person. He’ll tell you if you need to get better at something. He’ll tell you if something isn’t good enough. He tells you how to get better … He’s a great person.”
As of September, Coleman’s offer list has grown to five, a list that includes the Sun Devils, Oregon State, San Jose State, New Mexico, and Fresno State.
Though listed as a receiver, Coleman played running back during his sophomore season at Lincoln High and has been on calls with Sun Devil running backs coach Shaun Aguano, who is recruiting him to his room. But if asked to catch passes in college, Coleman had no doubts he would excel.
Last season, he carried the ball 143 times for 1,600 yards and 30 touchdowns, while adding 16 catches for 324 yards and a quartet of touchdowns through the air.
“I can block, too. Not all running backs can block, but I like blocking. I like being a team player.” Coleman said. “I won’t let one man tackle me … (I model my game) after Saquon Barkley because he can catch the ball out of the backfield. He can also block really good, and he hits the hole hard, fast, and explosive.”
The Sun Devils hope Coleman brings those attributes to the desert. And gauging ASU’s chances are easy. All you have to do is Coleman describe the aftermath of that ASU offer when he approached his dad with jubilation and shock and seemed to have his mind set on something.
“I’m telling my dad like, ‘Dad, I love ASU. That’s a really good school. I would love to go there,’” Coleman said.
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