Former Chandler HS standouts join the ranks in Tempe
The ever-popular trend under first-year head coach Kenny Dillingham of former in-state standouts committing to Arizona State out of the portal continued with two high-profile players, BYU quarterback Jacob Conover, Cal running back DeCarlos Brooks, both who played under ASU running backs coach Shaun Aguano.
Jacob Conover was a top 15 in-state prospect in the 2019 class who did choose BYU over the Sun Devils out of high school. He arrived in Provo for the 2021 season after his LDS mission and, as a backup quarterback, saw action in five games over the last two seasons. Upon arrival in Tempe, he will have three years of eligibility. He's expected to compete with junior
He led Chandler High School to three consecutive state titles under Aguano, throwing for more than 10,000 yards and passing for 102 touchdowns, and was extremely accurate, having just 16 interceptions over that three-year span. He also earned the honor of being an Elite 11 quarterback. At ASU, he’s expected to compete with junior Trenton Bourguet and senior Emory Jones, who each started several games for ASU this past season.
Cal running back DeCarlos Brooks joining Arizona State immediately bolsters a position group that saw its top two players leave the program. Leading rusher Xazavian Valladay exhausted his eligibility, and his backup sophomore Daniyel Ngata entered the transfer portal.
Brooks, who was a teammate of Conover in Chandler, was also a top 15 prospect in the 2019 class. This past season for the Bears he had 59 rushes for 250 yards averaging 4.2 yards.
On Wednesday, the Sun Devils added two other local players from the portal, both of them specialists in Cal’s starting long snapper Slater Zellers, who attended Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep, and former Gilbert High player and New Mexico State starting punter Josh Carlson.
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