By his own admission, when Reno (Nev.) Bishop Manogue defensive end Salesi Manu visited Tempe this past weekend; he didn't think that this trip would eventually result in a commitment to the Sun Devils. Yet, Manu has been on several official visits during the recruiting cycle, so he did have a good frame of reference before making his decision.

"Meeting the coaches and being there really made me feel like home," Manu said. "They showed me how I would fit in their defensive scheme. Their defensive coordinator (Brin Ward) came from Washington State and so their scheme and Arizona's State scheme was the same, with how their defensive ends play. They like my physicality and get off, and I like how they ask their defensive ends to do their job specifically and just rush the quarterback. It was surprising to me how well I could fit into that scheme.

“Coach (Charlie) Ragle and his defensive analyst Max Silver were the ones recruiting me. Coach Ragle made sure to meet me for the first time in person so he could be upfront with me when talking. And with Max Silver, we talked a lot on the phone, and it wasn’t always about football; I really felt a connection with him, and I felt comfortable talking to him. I really liked how Coach Dillingham interacted with me and a lot of the other recruits who were there on a visit. I saw him quite a bit during the visit. He’s a young coach who’s really chill. I really enjoyed talking to him.”

Other aspects of Manu’s visit, such as meeting other staff, current players, and even recruits like himself, resonated with the defensive end and influenced his decision.

“It was an awesome visit,” Manu recalled. “DJ Foster, the Director of Player Development, really stood out to me, and I enjoyed talking to him about life after ball and stuff. You can tell how much he likes he likes his job and how into it he is. I was hosted by (ASU defensive lineman) CJ Fite, and he told me that he enjoyed playing and being there. The campus really surprised me with how nice it was and how close it was to the airport. It’s cool because if I came here, my family could be here on a direct flight.

“I liked being on the visit with other recruits, and it was cool hanging with them. I liked having Polynesian players on the visit, and I know that there are other Polynesian players on the team. It’s important because those guys know who you are and what your family is, and you know the same about them. It’s nice to have those connections.”

Manu said earlier in the week that Washington State, another school that he had visited, was the only other school he was seriously considering, along with ASU. BYU, Oregon State, and Cal were the other programs the defensive end had visited previously.

Manu said that he plans to sign on December 20, and he will graduate his high school in May of next year.

"I'm definitely gonna come in and work hard to play right away," Manu commented. "The goal is to get early playing time. I know that I have to work hard to get that."

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