By his own admission, Texas Tech offensive line transfer Cade Briggs was unhappy at the lack of playing time during his one year with the Red Raiders in 2022. The fact that aspect was irrelevant for all the right reasons at ASU, along with reuniting with his previous position coach at New Mexico, Saga Tuitele. who is now at Arizona State, led to him pledging to the program last week following an official trip to Tempe.
"Coach Saga was recruiting me out of high school when he was at New Mexico," Briggs said. "So, I feel very comfortable with him, and I know that coaching-wise, he's very sound. His technique is top-notch, and he will get on your butt if you need it a little bit. So, he definitely has a good healthy balance between those two. He's a fun guy to play for.
"When he recruited me (at ASU), he told me that there was a starting spot opportunity at left guard (due to the long-term injury of the injury to Cal transfer Ben Coleman) that was basically up for grabs. That's all I need to hear to be all in. I played a lot of different positions, so I could also play center if they needed me."
This past season for the Red Raiders, the 6-3 300-pound Briggs was a backup center for his team, where he spent just one season at. Yet, he did play tackle and guard at his first stop at New Mexico for three seasons between 2019-21. In his first year at Albuquerque, Briggs played in nine contests, starting five of them at guard. A year later, in a COVID-shortened season, he started all seven games for the Lobos. In his last season at New Mexico, Briggs shifted to left tackle, a role where he started all 12 games for his team, tallied the most snaps of any offensive lineman on the team, and was responsible for five sacks in 309 instances during that campaign.
While the transfer from New Mexico to Texas Tech didn't result in ample opportunities to see the field on game day, Briggs is cognizant of the fact that it was a move that carried other benefits, mainly adding some 25 pounds and increasing his weight to 305 lbs. while also improving his strength.
When he entered the transfer portal, the lineman, who has two years of eligibility left, was seriously exploring opportunities at Louisville, Duke, and Coastal Carolina and consequently visited all three schools. Yet, his relationship with Tuitele, which completed him to contact his old position coach after entering the portal, did lead Briggs to hold off on any commitment before he visited ASU.
"I wanted to check out my old coach," Briggs remarked, "and after I visited, I did feel comfortable with my decision. My family lives in Las Vegas, so going to play there makes it easier for them to come to see me play than if I was playing somewhere on the East Coast, and instead of driving five hours, they would have to take multiple flights.
"I was surprised with just how nice everything was around campus. Usually, around the campuses, things are a little rundown. But the city (of Tempe) really reminded me of home, especially with the way the apartment and the amenities looked a lot like Las Vegas. I always knew in my head that if this visit was what I thought it was going to be, this would be a no-brainer decision. I just had to physically go see it."
Briggs will attend ASU's summer school starting this week, and when Fall camp practice begins in August, he will presumably battle another transfer, Sione Finau from Purdue, for the starting left guard role. One of the Sun Devils' latest additions is naturally excited for his new chapter and doesn't feel any significant weight of expectations placed on him following his decision.
"I don't think there's any pressure on me," Briggs noted. "I feel very comfortable fighting for a starting spot. I believe in myself, and now I am ready to go get it."
