If first-year wide receivers coach Ra’Shaad Sample was brought in in large part to rejuvenate Arizona State’s recruiting footprint in the state of Texas, then the returns have perhaps come quicker than expected. For the second month in a row, ASU has landed a wide receiver from that state as Katy (Tex.) Jordan High School standout Zechariah Sample ledged to the Sun Devils.
“I was on campus for the first time two weeks ago, and it was great,” Sample said. “I loved the scenery with the mountains, which I’ve never seen before. I love sightseeing, and there, I can do that. There's a lot of stuff to do in Arizona, and the campus is just beautiful.
"I also loved what the coaches were talking about being teachers, especially coach Samples. Me and him really connected, and the same with Coach Dillingham. I was just focused on what they had in mind in the future and for my aspiration and my goals.”
In his junior year, Sample had 595 yards receiving, averaging 18.6 yards and scoring six touchdowns in just eight games. On defense, he had three interceptions, one of them returned for a touchdown, and overall collecting 1,024 all-purpose yards scoring a total of ten touchdowns. He reported a laser-time 40-yard dash of 4.54.
“Coach Samples say that I can bring to the table speed and agility,” Sample described. “I can get open and am hard to cover. I really like what they (ASU) are running. I like how they’re gonna help me with a whole bunch of stuff. I know; I’m an elite athlete right now. But in the future, this scheme is going to help me with route running, my speed, and getting myself open when I’m playing against zone coverage. He said that he sees me playing everywhere on the field.”
“Coach Dillingham said he wanted that dawg (mentality), and I said that I can give it to him.”
The wide receiver was offered by Tulsa and UNLV and stated that Tennessee was another school that was pursuing him in earnest. Sample says he plans to be back in Tempe in April, possibly for the ASU Spring Game on the 15th. He added that he is planning to graduate high school in December.
An early commitment for Sample means that he can now solely focus on his senior season and strive to improve on the already impressive numbers he did record last year.
“I want to get faster and stronger,” Sample commented, “and with my route running, I want to develop that more.”
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