Brooklyn offensive lineman Armon Bethea publicly commits to ASU
Even though the Army All-American wasn’t played this year, there is still no bigger stage for prospects to announce their decision on national TV. This afternoon, ASU’s offensive line prospect Armon Bethea did exactly that publicly announcing his pledge to the Sun Devils.
Even though the Army All-American wasn’t played this year, there is still no bigger stage for prospects to announce their decision on national TV. This afternoon, ASU’s offensive line prospect Armon Bethea did exactly that publicly announcing his pledge to the Sun Devils ahead of his spring semester arrival to Tempe.
“Almost all their coaches came from the NFL or coached in the NFL, and that really opened my eyes,” Bethea said of his decision. “That’s a really big factor, to learn from people who have been in the NFL, they’ve been through the experience. I was looking for a school that has a family-oriented program. I really want to feel like I belong there. ASU is a place that is going to help me on and off the field.”
COVID-19 naturally complicated the recruiting process due to the inability to take any official visits. Yet, Bethea and his family were determined to try and learn as much as they could in-person about the lineman’s various suitors. Therefore, they flew from New York to Arizona in the summer to check out the Tempe campus on a non-hosted visit.
“My mom and dad set it up, and we went there on our own. It was a real good experience,” Bethea said in a previous interview. “We just walked and drove around the campus and looked at all the buildings and facilities … It was really nice, a beautiful campus.”
Arizona State naturally hopes that initiative leads to a commitment.
Bethea is a three-star offensive guard out of Brooklyn. The 6-foot-6, 308-pounder is ranked as the third-best player in the state and has racked up an offer list with over 14 programs.
Since the summer, Bethea has been consistent with his short list of suitors, which were ASU, Louisville, Ole Miss, and Arkansas. In previous interviews, though, he made sure to mention that the Sun Devils are no. 1 among that list.
“Yeah, I’d say that,” he said. “They think I can come in right away and be an impact player as a freshman.”
Danny Landberg, Bethea’s coach at Erasmus Hall High, doesn’t think that statement is a stretch. He always knew Bethea had the potential to be great. Heck, guys with a 6-foot-6 frame and plenty of pounds have quite an advantage over many of their counterparts heading into college.
“Obviously, he’s got NFL size. If he takes care of his weight, and he’s a real student of the game,” Landberg remarked, “and really embraces the teachings from the coaches and those coaches are really good in what they do with him; I mean, I don’t see why he couldn’t make the league.”
Yet, Landberg knew colleges weren’t looking for just massive bodies. They want lean guys who can move extremely well; he told Bethea.
He reminded Bethea of what happened with Erasmus’ center from the year prior. Tunde Fatukasi, who’s now playing at Rutgers, was hovering around 340 pounds. He was skilled, but his weight scared off collegiate interest. Around his senior season, he dropped nearly 40 pounds, and coaches began calling.
Bethea tried to duplicate that. His dad built a gym in their garage so that he could work out during the pandemic. He worked with a trainer. He ran up hills constantly. A few months in, he shed nearly 50 pounds.
“I’ve been working out twice a week, six days a week. It’s a lot of speed and agility drills, offensive sets, lifting, running up hills, stuff like that,” Bethea noted. “It made me a lot faster. I feel way lighter on my feet.”
“They’re getting a massive mauler. That’s how I always describe him, a mauler-type,” Landberg described. “If he gets his hands on you, he’s going to drive you out. He’s not going to lose that battle.”
(Jordan Kaye contributed to this article)
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