Even in an era of the NIL and transfer portal, loyalty in college football recruiting still matters. 6-6 240-pound Orange (Calif.) Lutheran four-star tight end Aaron (AJ) Ia excelled during his high school career and naturally garnered plenty of attention from numerous power four schools. Yet, the fact that Arizona State was the first program to offer him was an aspect that he always kept at the forefront of the recruiting process. Needless to say, the outstanding campaign his new team had this past season only reinforced his belief that he has made the correct college choice, entering an environment that will best fit him on and off the field.
This past season, Ia was named Offensive MVP in the renowned Trinity League. He had a career-best 523 yards with six touchdowns in 2024, was named to the 2025 Polynesian Bowl, and is a top-20 prospect at his position and a top-30 player in the state of California. He shares with us his football journey, the recruitment process with ASU, and what excites him about being a Sun Devil.
“I started playing football when I was four. I was really just getting used to it and learning the game with my dad in the front of the house, learning how to play, and learning how to run. I was a little bit taller than everybody. My first touchdown was a 50-yard screen play but I don’t remember having any touchdown celebration. I'm pretty sure I was just fixing my helmet. In my junior year of high school, I had the confidence that I was good enough to be a college scholarship player. That off-season (before junior year), I picked up my first offer, and I really thought to myself that I could really compete with all those D-I players that I was playing against and really just know that I belonged on the field with them.
“ASU was my first offer, and they showed constant love throughout my recruitment process. When I went on my first visit there, it just felt like home. Coach Mohns (ASU tight ends coach Jason Mohns) was recruiting me from the start, and I know he really wants the best for me on and off the field. I like that he's an intense coach on the field, and off the field, he's a good guy. He's a family guy and that's what I really like about him, is that he'll choose his family over anything. And on that visit, I really felt accepted to be a part of the ASU family and his family, too.
“In our first conversation, the thing I'm sure stuck out to me the most was when he said the words, ‘I'm offering you a full-time scholarship’ because ASU was my first offer. I like how he complimented me as a player and how our relationship grew over time. He said I could be a good receiving asset for them, and really, I've been trying to balance my game out with blocking and receiving. The (ASU) coaches said I'll bring a good mix of blocking and receiving. I can be a good vertical threat, and when I need to block, I'll step in and block in certain situations. I've been working on my blocking since my sophomore year, and I put on the weight to really help me block those big dudes that I couldn't move my sophomore year. Being able to move those dudes has balanced my game out.
“I like Coach Dillingham because he’s always himself. He keeps it real; he won't lie to you, and he'll tell you straight up. That's what I like about him and his intensity as a coach. On my visit, feeling all the love from everybody made me feel then that I could be a Sun Devil. There's nothing more than just everybody supporting each other. I know there was gonna be a very big Polynesian community of players on the team, and it means a lot. Knowing I have the people that I can talk to, that I can relate to them. I know I'll be good out there. My cousin is (ASU linebacker) Zyrus Fiaseu and he hosted me on the visit, introduced me to some of the players on the team, and I grew some relationships from there. My relationship with Zyrus grew after he transferred to ASU from San Diego State because ASU offered me before he transferred. He just loves it there, and I feel like we saw the same things. It’s gonna be cool in spring practice going up against him.
“After I committed, I had other schools come after me, but I felt confident in my decision to commit to ASU. I didn't expect ASU to have a season like that (Big 12 championship). I expected to come in and make a difference, and the difference was already made before I even came. But it's good to be a part of that. Having Ben (incoming freshman and high school teammate defensive back Benjamin Alefaio) commit to ASU is definitely a big factor in my decision, but ultimately, it was about feeling at home with the coaches, liking the players and the facilities, just being a Sun Devil overall.
“I like the scheme that they run, and I could really see myself winning those routes and making those plays. I did similar plays at my high school, and I feel like the offenses really correlated together, and I could see myself doing the same at the college level. I've been closely watching Chamon Metayer's film (ASU tight end) to see what I could possibly do next year.
"I feel it is definitely a benefit to come to ASU in the spring to improve myself as a player and to get a start on the plays that we're going to be running later on. I feel that this decision was good for me as a player and for me to mature as a man, too. I'm coming in knowing I've got to work. I've got to earn everything that's going to come my way. I'm coming with the mentality that nothing's given, and I have to earn it. I have confidence in myself to perform up to my potential.”
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