Jordan Kerley will bring work ethic, competitiveness for the Sun Devils

The recruitment process of the Austin (Tex.) McNeil wide receiver has been a relatively quiet one. Kerley officially visited Tempe on June 8th and committed fairly quickly less than a month later on July 4th. Yet in sharp contrast to that course of events, ASU is poised to get an explosive playmaker that can aid their aerial attack in years to come.

“He’s not just a good wide receiver,” said McNeil Head Coach Howard McMahan. “The work ethic and the competitive nature that he brings is what sets him apart from other guys. To be recruited at the level he was you have to be a great athlete, and he is. But he does the little things so well. He has great hands, he runs great routes. But he’s also the student of the game, he knows how to get open, and how to make plays after he had caught the ball.”

Kerley was extended offers by TCU, Baylor, and Arizona among others.

Unlike previous coaching staffs at ASU, this group of coaches was much more judicious in how it recruited the state of Texas, and in doing so landed two other players aside from Kerley (tight end Nolan Matthews and offensive lineman LaDarius Henderson). McMahan felt that the Arizona State coaches’ approach to pursuing his wide receiver was one that was very effective in nature, concentrating on the one aspect that’s arguably the most important component of any recruiting process.

“I know they are a lot of quality people on that coaching staff,” McMahan commented. “They did a great job coming in and making Jordan feel welcomed, being part of the family from the start. I know that they have close bonds with the players up there and they are building something special. When he went on his trip (the lone official visit he took to any school), he knew that Arizona State was the place for him.

“(ASU wide receivers’) Coach Fisher did a great job developing a relationship with Jordan and that’s what recruiting is all about. And he developed a relationship not only with the young man but also with his family. I think he did a great job doing that.”

In 25 high school games, Kerley hauled in 183 passes for 2,582 yards and 26 touchdowns. He put up career highs in virtually every category during his senior campaign, posting 75 receptions for 1,185 yards and 12 touchdowns averaging 15.8 yards per catch and averaging 118.5 yards per game. Those exploits earned him First Team All-District 13-6A honors in 2018.

Kerley was voted the District 13-6A Newcomer of the Year following his sophomore season. He followed that up with a breakout year tallying 73 catches for 1,018 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior, and once again receiving First Team All-District 13-6A honors.

Kerley plays the game with a noticeable measure of physicality that helps him as a prolific blocker in the run game, as well as being an aerial target who can effectively shield his body from defenders in tight spaces in the red zone.

“What makes him special is that he’s a versatile player that can play any wide receiver spot," McMahan stated. "Any position that he plays in he has a chance to be really successful. He played all the positions for us, and when we wanted to put the ball in his hands, we felt that we could line him up anywhere. If teams wanted to double him, we could motion him in the slot. If we wanted to isolate him, he could line up in the boundary.”

What Kerley’s high school head coach perhaps likes the most about his now former receiver is his character and the manner that it benefits him in the sport.

“He doesn’t say a whole lot off the field,” McMahan noted “On the field, he’s a very competitive young man. I don’t think I’ve seen many players who are more competitive than he is. He’s someone that accepts any challenge head-on.”

“I think Arizona State not only got a great receiver but also got an outstanding young man.”

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