ASU’s coaching staff, academics resonate with McAlpine on his visit
Trevon McAlpine is on the home stretch of the recruitment. The three-star defensive tackle from Saraland, Ala., took his fourth and what could be his final official visit last weekend ahead of a July 3 commitment date.
Perhaps it’s a good sign that Arizona State was the closest to his official visit spree that also included West Virginia, TCU, and Colorado.
“(ASU was different because of) the way their coaches coach. They were different from all (other) three visits,” McAlpine said. “They are teaching NFL things because that’s what they’re preparing them for is to get to the NFL.
“They’re really like an NFL coaching staff, like focusing on getting you where you need to be.”
It, too, helps that the ‘NFL Model’ mindset that McAlpine raved about is preached by his main ASU recruiter, defensive line coach Robert Rodriguez, who came to Tempe after time spent as the Minnesota Vikings assistant defensive line coach.
One of Rodriguez’s key selling points in the development he can provide that he’s seen what it takes to be a great defensive lineman in the NFL and can train his Sun Devils how to get there.
“He’s a cool dude. The first time we talked, we hit it off,” McAlpine stated. “He keeps it real with you and shows me ways that I could work in their scheme … (He said) he would teach me different positions on the D-Line all across the board.”
McAlpine is 6-foot-3, 290 pounds and usually plays on the inside, but thinks he has the athleticism and versatility that would allow him to move all around the trenches.
“He (Rodriguez) said he liked the way I run after the quarterback and said you don’t see too many big guys do that,” McAlpine said. “You’re not going to meet too many big guys like me. I move like I’m not supposed to be on the D-Line.”
“(I want) a great chance for me to go up and start as a true freshman.”
On his weekend visit to Tempe, McAlpine was hosted by redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Stanley Lambert and said Lambert was a “really cool” guy who he got along with very well. Other than that, McAlpine was treated to the usual numerous official visit meals and made sure to mention that he went bowling.
But the message that really stuck out to McAlpine and his family on this trip was that about what the Sun Devils can offer academically, which was a notion brought up during McAlpine’s conversations with ASU coach Herm Edwards.
When asked what the reasons would be if he eventually committed to Arizona State, McAlpine kept it almost all about academics.
“I would say their coaching staff but also their school,” he said. “Like I really like the way they take the academics and stuff like that to a whole ‘nother level. Just like how their academic staff is going to be on you … They encourage all the football players that they stay on top of (everything) and they make sure you’re going to excel on and off the field.”
In the last few years, ASU has been just fine going outside of its traditional recruiting footprint to find kids, but under Edwards, the Sun Devils have never received a commitment from a prospect out of the state of Alabama. McAlpine mentioned that geography wouldn’t play much of a role in his recruitment, noting that even the closest school in his top four – TCU – isn’t all that close.
“Leaving home isn’t a big deal for me,” McAlpine said.
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