Four-star 2022 QB A.J. Duffy feels strong ties to ASU coaching staff
Zak Hill is all about quarterbacks. Arizona State’s offensive coordinator isn’t blind to the fact that winning, in large part, is dictated by the skillset of the guy under center. He was a quarterback in his playing days. He pulls double duty and coaches the Sun Devils’ passers. And, when looking for the next wave of ASU quarterbacks, Hill is specific in his search.
As he and the Sun Devil staff look for the replacement of sophomore Jayden Daniels, the first-year ASU offensive coordinator is tasked with bringing in the same quality of signal-callers that he did at his last stop, Boise State.
He may have new colors on as he speaks with high school coaches or watches film, but Hill is cognizant of the 'if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it' mantra. In Boise, he recruited Hank Bachmeier, one of four true freshman quarterbacks to start week one of the 2019 college football season, who helped the Broncos secure one of the most lethal offenses in the Mountain West.
Now at ASU, Hill went back to the well of Pete Duffy, the Southern California high school coach who helped elevate Bachmeier. This go-round, Duffy is leading Rancho Verde High in Moreno Valley, Calif. And his prized prospect is his son, A.J.
A.J. Duffy is a four-star pro-style quarterback in the Class of 2022. He’s a top-75 prospect and a top-five pro-style recruit at that position with 35 offers as a junior. Arizona State, like most of those programs, was on Duffy early, offering the 6-foot-1, 195-pounder following his freshman season.
“They, for sure, have been treating me as a priority, and that’s super cool,” Duffy said. “They just constantly contact me. And they send handwritten letters, not like the generic letters. I can just tell they’re very genuine. Like all the staff has reached out to me, even the defensive coaches.”
The early interest in Duffy meant that former offensive coordinator Rob Likens was the one who handed Duffy his ASU offer. When Hill was hired by coach Herm Edwards in December, he reached out to Duffy and ensured him that, despite some coaching changes, he was still coveted in Tempe.
Leading the charge in his recruitment has been Hill, co-defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce, receivers coach Prentice Gill and defensive backs coach Chris Hawkins. In other words, a quartet with either major California ties or prior relationships with Pete Duffy.
“It’s cool that they can relate to me and that we know a lot of the same people,” Duffy said. “I talk with coach Hill a lot. I’ll send him some clips of me throwing, and he’ll give me drills to work on. That’s been super cool. And then, I’ve hopped on a few Zoom calls with him and have learned about their offense and how it fits me.”
Though COVID-19 pushed Duffy’s junior season to January, his two years of film were so spectacular that nearly every school in the country felt comfortable handing him an offer. In his pair of high school seasons, Duffy completed more than 70 percent of his passes for over 5,500 yards, tossing 66 touchdowns with 14 picks.
“I would say I’m super accurate. I make good decisions. I’m smart with the ball. I’m a little more athletic than people think, little bigger and stronger than people think,” Duffy said. “(Coaches like) how accurate I am. I’m a natural ball-thrower, and I can throw from all the arm slots. And they know how I’ve been brought up, so I know the game at a super high level.”
Speaking of ASU’s offense, Duffy raved about Hill’s willingness to mold his scheme to his players.
“He’s not like a round peg in a square hole guy,” Duffy said of Hill. “He molds the offense to however the quarterback plays.”
And he’s got confirmation on that. Duffy said he knows Daniels and has spoken to him multiple times about ASU’s new offensive scheme and the opportunities that the Sun Devils give freshman -- of Duffy possibly pulling a Jayden Daniels or a Hank Bachmeier and starting as a freshman.
Though he’s a 2022 prospect with no football season for months, schools may not have to wait too long to hear Duffy’s decision. He said he plans on trimming his list a top-10 or top-12 on Jan. 19 and hopes to commit on March 31, his mom’s birthday.
And one thing is for sure, Duffy won’t be going to a school that doesn’t show it’s love and commitment to him.
“I want to be their guy,” Duffy said. “I don’t just want to be one of the guys their recruiting. I want to be the quarterback they want. If I’m like the third guy on their board, it’s cool; you can just take one of the other guys.
“ASU has done a good job of making me feel like I’m their guy and that they like me a lot.”
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