ASU can see local quarterback Chubba Purdy as ‘the face of the program’
The writing has been on the wall for a while when it came to the Sun Devils potentially offering one of the best signal callers in the state. On Wednesday night following an in-person evaluation by ASU’s offensive coordinator Rob Likens earlier that day, Gilbert Perry and 2020 quarterback prospect Chubba Purdy received an offer from Arizona State.
“Coach Likens came today and saw me throw and he really liked how well I did,” Purdy described. “He thinks that I will really fit in his offense and he really likes me as a person as well. We have a great relationship and he always hits me up and texts me and I would love to be around him all the time.
“I talked to some of the current players like Chase Lucas and they all are great dudes. They told me how much they love it there and how Herm Edwards is going to turn this program around, and I can see that. Everybody follows him and loves that guy. I feel like he’s a great leader and I can tell that all the players really want to play for him.”
In his first year as the starting quarterback for the 11-3 Pumas, Purdy accounted for 4,588 all-purpose yards and finished with 59 total touchdowns. Passing for 3,422 yards at a 64.4% completion rate, along with rushing for 1,156 yards, Purdy is a true dual-threat quarterback. Purdy threw for over 300 yards five times last season as well as rushing for over 100 yards in that same number of contests last fall.
“As a team, we did pretty well,” Purdy said. “My brother (and Iowa State starting quarterback Brock Purdy) gave me really good advice this year telling me to step up as a leader. Without my teammates, I wouldn’t be able to ball out as I did. I had great receivers and a great offensive line all year…everybody played great and that helped me out as well.”
Local recruiting analyst Cody Cameron described Purdy as a quarterback who displays an array of impressive talents.
“Purdy can make any throw,” Cameron remarked. “He has a beautiful touch on his deep ball and is extremely elusive in the pocket. His ability to keep plays alive with his feet, keeping his eyes downfield to allow his wide receivers extended amounts of time to get open, make him a special talent. He's a leader in the huddle and he's a coachable kid. “His success is owed to his hard work ethic and his will to always get better. This is a player who can come into your program and compete day one.”
The Perry standout sees an offensive scheme in Tempe that can really suit his skill set, let alone a program that can offer him something that no other out of state school can.
“They run a lot of shotgun and pistol and I like that,” Purdy commented. “They are a really balanced team and watching them in the spring I like how high energy the offense is. Coach Likens said that I can spin the ball well and use my legs if I need to get out of situations. This year I want to work on my footwork, making the right reads and staying in the pocket as long as I can.
“The facilities and the coaches at ASU are great, and if I went there it would great playing in my backyard and in my hometown. The coaches said that I would have a pretty good shot at playing early. I talked to Herm Edwards on the phone and we had a great conversation and he talked to me about how perfect I would fit in the program. He would love for me to be the face of the program.”
Purdy was proud to lead his team to the 6A state championship finals as a first-year starter, but would naturally love to get over the hump and capture the state title that eluded Perry in the last two seasons as he yearns to end his prep career with that coveted trophy.
“This year we have a lot of young guys coming up,” Purdy noted, “and I will have to be a leader and teach them a bunch of stuff. I have to be a positive influence on the entire team. I know it’s going to be a learning process but, in the end, I know we’ll be pretty good.”
Colorado, who Purdy visited a couple of weeks ago, Louisville, Kansas, Kansas State, UCF, Northern Arizona, and UNLV are some of the quarterback’s more notable offers. Purdy mentioned the first two schools along with the Sun Devils as the ones recruiting him the hardest as of late. With spring practice about to begin for the Pumas, the signal caller is not scheduling any visits until these upcoming sessions conclude.
“I’m going to wait until spring end to see all the offers I get,” Purdy stated, “and then see where I’m at. I’ll talk it over with my family and see if I’ll commit in the summer or during the season.
“I’m going to pick the school where I have a great relationship with all the coaches, and go somewhere where the college is just the heartbeat of the town, and everybody there just wants to watch football and support it. I also want to go to a school where I have a chance to play early.”
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