Arizona State visit exceeds expectations for quarterback Conner Harrell
The Sun Devil staff has certainly seen a good deal of success with their virtual recruiting effort, but now that floodgates have opened for every school to host 2022 recruits the obvious goal is to provide an even better recruiting experience for those prospects now that they have finally get to see their suitor up close and personal.
Judging by the feedback coming from Alabaster, Ala. Quarterback, this weekend has played out to the hopeful script the ASU coaches have envisioned.
“The visit went great and really well,” Harrell said. “I was there with my mom and older brother. I definitely loved the city and atmosphere. I love the players and all the people I met while I was down here, the coaches and the other recruits. That was great. They told me how much they love all the staff and environment. I got to talk to Jayden Daniels a couple of times during my visit. He told me about his experience and what he went through in recruiting and gave me good advice on what I should do. He told me how much he loves coach (Zak) Hill and that this is a great opportunity to come in and play in this offense. I loved talking to coach Herm (Edwards) and coach Hill. I loved the facilities, and just really everything about my visit.
“The visit definitely exceeded my expectations. I didn't know this was such a big city. When I first got here, and we drove around Phoenix first, and it was huge. Then we drove to Tempe, and I didn't think they had another big city here…it was crazy. I wasn't expecting the architecture of the buildings I saw and that type of creativity. It’s very different than Alabama. I was extremely glad I came on this visit.”
Last season Harrell led Thompson High not only to an Alabama 7A state championship but also an undefeated 14-0 season. The signal-caller completed 229 of 312 pass attempts for 3,568 yards, 42 touchdowns, throwing just three interceptions. Harrell also ran the ball for 319 yards on 61 carries, scoring five touchdowns.
During the recording process with the Sun Devils Harrell has naturally kept in close contact with ASU’s offensive coordinator Zak Hill, and has relished the in the close relationship the tow have formed over the last couple of months.
“He's really outgoing,” Harrell described. “He really thinks that we can that we can do great things at Arizona State. I love his offense; I love his energy. And once I make my decision, and if it will be to Arizona State, I think coach Hill will be a great quarterbacks coach. He does like that I’m an athletic quarterback, and I showed him the skills that he likes. I know people say that I’m a dual-threat quarterback, but I don’t have a lot of running plays on film. Coaches tell me that I do a good job throwing in the pocket.
“I really like the scheme he runs with Jayden (Daniels) and all the stuff that he puts into this offense. If I came there I know I will be a good fit.”
The NFL experience on the ASU coaching staff was unsurprisingly an aspect that wasn't only highlighted over the weekend, but also a facet that left a significant impression on Harrell.
“It’s definitely a great thing,” Harrell commented. “You have a guy like coach Herm who can call anybody in the NFL and talk about you with other teams. That’s really important. If you have a good enough college career that you can play in the NFL, it’s important to have those types of connections.”
The Alabama quarterback plans to visit Northwestern this coming weekend and North Carolina on the 25th. Harrell is on track to graduate in December but is unclear as to when he will make his decision.
“I’m just going to take all my visits and just keep on riding it out and see what the best fit for me is,” Harrell stated. “When I choose a school, I'm definitely gonna look at the coaching staff if they are going to leave (in the near future), and I think Arizona State has a stable coaching staff, and that's good. Besides a great school, I want to play in a great offense. I want to pay for a school that, even if they are not winning that much right now, do they have the desire to be a top program in the years that I’m down there."
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