Hastings picks up numerous offers, including ASU after recent camps
Isaiah Hastings had been in contact with ASU for nearly a year but was still without an offer. It wasn’t until the Sun Devils saw the 2022 6-foot-5, 291-pound defensive tackle at last week’s Florida State camp that they pulled the trigger and offered him.
For those wondering how much of an impact COVID had on recruits who weren’t able to prove themselves at camps for the last year-and-a-half, Hastings is a perfect example of how much they can benefit a young prospect.
In addition to the Arizona State offer, Hastings left the FSU camp with offers from Charlotte, Kansas State, Arkansas State and UNLV. His full list is up to 17, with ASU being the only school in the western part of the country.
“I just played my game, did well, and it just came to me. It wasn’t like I was expecting (the offers),” Hastings said. “It wasn’t only the FSU camp. It was the Mercer camp, the USF camp – I’ve done really well at those camps.
“Honestly, the way I just work, how I use my hands, my explosiveness, and winning my reps. I think that really stood out – plus my size.”
Hastings is a three-star prospect out of Clearwater Academy International just outside of Tampa. He’s been there for a week, heading to Tampa by way of Toronto, Canada, where Hastings grew up and played football at Clarkson Football North. Once a basketball player, Hastings has found a home on the gridiron.
“I started growing a bit (as a kid), and my parents thought it would be a good idea to play football,” Hastings said. “I gave it a shot and was pretty good at it.”
It was there that ASU first discovered Hastings, thanks to a relationship with a Clarkson coach and ASU defensive analyst Marcus Lewis.
“We have a really good relationship,” Hastings said of Lewis.
Despite living north of the border and over 2,200 miles away from Tempe, Hastings was familiar with the Sun Devils long before they even offered him.
“I used to watch them on TV,” Hastings said. “I always knew about ASU and that they are one of the best teams in the Pac-12. They’re a really good team on the rise. They have a really good quarterback right now, and they’re coach, coach Herm; he’s a really good coach.”
Though he’s a 2022 prospect, Hastings’ recruitment seems to just be starting in conjunction with his move to Florida. He said he has no official visits planned yet and is unclear on a timetable when he may commit.
With the way, he’s performing at camps and impressing coaches, his recruitment may look vastly different by even next month or after his first high school football season in the states.
“With my size, I have really long arms, so it helps me reach the O-lineman. I have a seven-foot wingspan, so I can use my long arms to my advantage. And I’m very athletic for my size,” Hastings said. “I have really good get-off and explosiveness. You could put me anywhere on the line – I can rush from the edge, from the three-tech, I can rush from the nose.”
As he goes forward with the recruiting process, Hastings seems to be looking for a school that can best elevate his talent.
“What school believes in me the most,” Hastings said. “And what school can develop me into the best player I can be so I can play in the NFL one day.”
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