Junior college cornerback joins Sun Devils' 2017 recruiting class

Arizona State made no secret of the fact that additions to their 2017 recruiting class were forthcoming beyond National Letter of Intent Day, and on Thursday the Sun Devils added Cerritos (Calif.) College cornerback Darien Cornay to their list of newcomers.

It's been just about a week since Arizona State first contacted the cornerback, and matters did move at arapid pace from there.

"Things happened fast and they happened for a reason," Cornay said following his Tempe visit where he signed his National Letter of Intent with ASU. "I'm happy they found me. Coach Slocum was the first one (ASU coach) I talked to, and then I talked to coach Bennett and coach Rushing. When they first called me they said that they just finished watching my film as a staff and were in dire need of a corner. They said that I fit their scheme pretty well."

Cornay, who is a 4 for 3 player in terms of eligibility, stated that the Sun Devils staff highlighted his versatility, as one of the traits that appealed to them when first evaluating him.

"They liked my patience and attention to detail," Cornay remarked. "They liked my aggressiveness and physicality. They said they liked cornerbacks that can do it all, and they liked my all-around game. I feel that I'm an intelligent player, I attack the ball and always position my body well."

The cornerback anticipated the ASU offer to come during his visit and he fully expected to sign with the team during his time there. The football aspect of his trip wasn't the only reason that led him to today's decision.

"It was an amazing visit," Cornay admitted. "I fell in love with the city and the area. The most thing I fell in love with was the people and the culture. Everyone on the coaching staff was very genuine and welcomed me with open arms. I was hosted by Ryan Newsome and John Humphrey. They told me that you can't beat ASU with the area, the academics, and they are really high on the coaches. I really trusted their word because they all come from different places. So it's not like they were all from Arizona and being biased. Kyle Williams (current ASU wide receiver) is one of my good friends and I might move in with him.

"I thought it (Tempe) was going to be 'deserty' like the stereotypes of Arizona, but the surrounding area was amazing."

Cornay said that Nebraska and Kansas State did show interest in him in recent weeks, and pointed out that no other Pac-12 team did pursue him. The cornerback was a qualifier out of Los Alamitos (Calif.) High School and attended junior college due to lack of quality offers. Now that he's a member of a Pac-12 program, it's not hard to guess what his mindset will be for the 2017 season.

"Being overlooked was frustrating at times," Cornay noted. "It was hard to keep the faith. But one thing I'm not is a quitter. I persevered, and I believed in the process. So, I'm definitely coming with a chip on my shoulder."

Cornay is scheduled to arrive on Campus the last week of June.