After decommiting from Northwestern, DL Barryn Sorrell earns an ASU offer

Barryn Sorrell had heard a lot about ASU. Every once in a while, he’d train with coach Clyde Alexander who runs Edge Assassins, a local football academy for defensive linemen and linebackers in Louisiana.

There, he met Gharin Stansbury, a wildly-athletic 6-foot-6, 232-pound pass rusher who attended Franklin High, a school not too far away from Sorrell’s Holy Cross. They trained and battled together, sometimes discussing their nest destinations.

Sorrell committed to Northwestern in June. Stansbury gave his pledge to Arizona State about a month and a half later. Because of the COVID restrictions, both three-star prospects had never actually visited the campuses they planned on being at for four years.

“During the summer and stuff, we worked out a lot and really got to know each other,” Sorrell said of he and Stansbury. “He told me that he was excited about going there and what the D-Line coach there has to offer for him.

“(He said) it’s a really nice school that the staff is really experienced. He’s really excited to go out there and get a different feel than Louisiana.”

Regardless, two monstrous D-Lineman from Louisiana were months away from playing Power-5 college football.

Then, on Friday, there was a change. Sorrell de-committed from Northwestern, deciding to open up his options. That night, he was on the phone with ASU defensive line coach Robert Rodriguez, the same man who helped lure Stansbury to Tempe.

“They knew who I was for a while. When I decommitted, they reached out, we talked, and they offered me,” Sorrell said before discussing his talk with Rodriguez, who joined ASU’s staff in the spring after leaving his post as the Minnesota Vikings’ assistant defensive line coach.

“He’s a very easy guy to talk to … We got to talk a little bit about him and what he did in the past. Then he obviously told me what he thought about my film, and then he just wanted to let me know (ASU) wanted to offer me.”

With the Sun Devils getting in on the action, Sorrell’s offer list now sits at 16. Several schools reached out to Sorrell following his Northwestern decommitment and told him they were interested.

But only ASU pulled the trigger.

“Knowing that I have the trust from those coaches and that it didn’t really take long to show that trust,” Sorrell said, “Yeah, it definitely is something big.”

Those programs that showed interest, Sorrell said, include LSU, UCLA, Cal, and Auburn -- all big-time schools after a dominant 6-foot-4, 263-pound pass rusher.

“I can play as an inside and outside D-Lineman. I have good pursuit; if you look at my film, I can make plays up the field coming from behind anywhere in the box,” Sorrell said. “I have really good hands. I have a really good D-Line coach; he stays on me on my hand placement, pad level, and those type of things that I’m going to be able to bring up to the next level.”

“Coach Rod (ASU defensive line coach Robert Rodriguez) was the first coach to reach out after Barryn announced that he decommitted,” Carter said. “I have a pretty good relationship with coach Rod. He's a pretty great guy, straightforward, really has a good grasp of what he wants, in terms of not only the way a kid plays but also what he's looking for in terms of physical attributes. He’s huge on length, athleticism. And Barryn definitely has those qualities and characteristics. He’s like a Hulk with no bad body weight. He watched what he eats and counts calories. I can remember visiting one of the universities, I think it was TCU, and we are all stopping at Popeye’s (Chicken) to grab something to eat and Barryn told me: ‘coach, I can’t eat that.’ That’s the type of kid he is. He’s very disciplined.

“During the pandemic, Barryn never stopped working out. He was working out two, sometimes three times a day. He’d work out with me and on his own. He came into the season in better shape than he was before. I like to give all my guys players to study who I think they most remind me of not only in terms of playing style but in terms of their skill, just their physical body. Baron is like (former New York Giants two-time Super Bowl Champion and All-Pro) Justin Tuck. When that kid finally mature into his body, and everything comes together if I don't see him as a defensive tackle or a defensive.

“I see him as just a defensive lineman, and what I mean by that, he's going to be one of those guys who's going to be he's going to be big and strong enough, to play interiorly as a three-technique or one wherever you need them. But he's also going to be athletic enough to play on the perimeter as well, so it's like he'll be he'll give you versatility to play up and down the line. Arizona State is looking at him as a three-technique (lineman) type of body, possibly.”

Sorrell mentioned his defensive line coach at Holy Cross. He’s referring to Roland Barbay, a nose tackle who started at LSU in the 1980s and had a short stint in the NFL. He brought that up to note that he’s comfortable being coached by former NFL players, that he wants to drain their wisdom to improve his game.

And, perhaps no place can provide that to him better than ASU, which has a coaching staff that includes a hodgepodge of former NFL players and coaches. Rodriguez; coach Herm Edwards; offensive analyst Kevin Mawae; co-defensive coordinators Antonio Pierce and Marvin Lewis. The list goes on and on.

“I already know what that feels like having somebody that can tell you like, ‘Yeah, I’ve been there before,” Sorrell said. “Yeah, that’s definitely a big thing for me.”

The proverbial package deal in college recruiting is one that often is meant with much skepticism. Yet, Carter indicated that both Stansbury and Sorrell have been talking for months now about joining forces at the next level.

“From the very beginning, those two said that they want us to play together,” Carter noted. “Any college coach that has dealt with me, they'll tell you I'm pretty straightforward. I don't lie. I don't hide any information. I know it is your job to recruit a kid, and I will give you everything you need to know. I told everyone from the very beginning that those kids were extremely interested in playing with one another. I remember one coach calling me and laughing about it and he said ‘everybody says that, and we know the game. Players are just trying to get offers.'

"But I wasn't joking. I sincerely admit that. Those two told me: ‘coach, we would love to play together.’ With this (ASU to Sorrell) offer, that may very well happen. They know they talk all the time, we all train together, and those kids have a very close relationship.

“Both of them physically are two totally different players. On a team together, they would complement each other very, very well. From that standpoint, the sky is the limit for them. I'm excited for them, and they've talked about it, and if it happens, it happens. I’m positive that both of them will have very successful careers.”

Sorrell said he’s unsure when he’ll make his final decision, admitting that he doesn’t have to wait until he can visit. As long as the school and the fit feel right, he’ll be comfortable with his decision.

“I’m looking for somewhere that’s going to put me in the best situation to be successful later down the line,” Sorrell said. “This is a really big decision. Obviously, my skills have put me in a position to get something out of this, and I just want to get the most I can out of it and be successful.

Join your fellow Sun Devil fans on our premium message board, the Devils’ Huddle, to discuss this article and other ASU football and recruiting topics. Not a member yet? Sign up today here and get all the latest Sun Devil news!