Georgia defensive lineman Devin Lee discusses recent ASU offer
Devin Lee has never seen the Pacific Ocean. His images and scenes of the West Coast come from what television and movies have shown. Hailing from McDonough, Georgia, a southern suburb of Atlanta, the other side of the Rockies may as well be a different country altogether.
But as the three-star defensive end’s offer list bulks up; his college prospects have begun stretching east across the United States. His penultimate offer from Arizona State on July 10, which bumped his list to more than two dozen, marked the westernmost offer he received.
That nugget has been at the forefront of Lee’s mind as his deadline decision draws closer. A recruiting dead period has been implemented at least through August, which leaves schools and recruits alike in a state of uncertainty about how to proceed in recruiting, namely when recruits can take an official visit.
With that timetable still unknown, Lee admitted he expected to take a visit to Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Virginia Tech, and “Arizona State for sure.”
“It would be my first time going out to the West Coast and getting to experience it for real,” Lee added about the desire of taking a Tempe visit.
Lee had been in contact for a couple of weeks with the Sun Devils before they offered the 6-foot-3, 275-pound 2021 prospect last Friday. During ASU’s involvement in Lee’s recruitment, graduate assistant Steven Beard has been his primary contact in Tempe.
“(Coach Beard) says he really likes my game, that I could fit well into their defense and just be a baller out there,” Lee said of Beard. “He likes how athletic I am, how fast I get off the ball, that my pass rush is very good.”
For the Sun Devils, Lee would check one of two boxes that have been priorities for the 2021 recruiting class. He is a pass rusher, a vital position group that coach Herm Edwards was adamant his team needed to add depth and talent within. But Lee is only 6-foot-3, which is a tad under the 6-4 threshold co-defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce said the Devils were searching for at defensive line.
Regardless, even without the extra inch, ASU’s coaches have been crystal clear with their intent as they pursue Lee, who recorded 17 sacks and 26 tackles for loss during his junior season at Ola High.
“I think I improved best on my pass rush,” Lee said. “I just need to work on everything. You can always improve at what you do.”
Lee’s improvement has also come away from the football field. He recorded personal bests marks in the weight room, benching 315 pounds, squatting 500, and power cleaning 315. On top of that, he competed on both Ola’s basketball and track teams. The diversification of his athletic portfolio, he said, aided him for football.
“I think it helped a lot making me versatile and just helping my other muscles develop,” Lee said.
That development has led to Lee becoming a sought after collegiate prospect with options months away from his signing. And that forces Lee to churn through information about new shows that show interest.
For Arizona State, Lee said the Sun Devils were foreign. His prior knowledge was sparse. A few Google searches later, and he learned about their coaching staff and the deep NFL ties that ASU’s staff could boast. Plus, Beard’s conversations with the soon-to-be-senior harped upon the Sun Devils’ upward trajectory and the goal of being a “top-10 team in the future.”
But, for Lee, his decision will come down to three main factors.
“I’m going to look at the education, the ability to get me to the next level, the college atmosphere,” he said.
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