Junior College DB Adonis Forrest is the first pledge under Kenny Dillingham

It was only natural for new ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham and his staff to spend their first few weeks on the job diligently recruiting. Part of that process involved reaching out first and foremost to prospects with prior connections with the Sun Devils’ assistant coaches.

Contra Costa (Calif.) College defensive back Adonis Forest was one of the first 2023 recruits contacted by Arizona State due to his relationship with both ASU defensive line coach Vince Amery and defensive backs coach Aaron Fletcher. This calculated move paid immediate dividends as Forrest committed to the Sun Devils on the same day he was offered a scholarship, making the 6-4 210 defensive back The first commitment under the new regime in Tempe.

“I had a good connection with Vince Amey, he recruited me when I was in high school, and he was at Arizona,” Forrest said. “It was just perfect timing and a perfect match. He’s an amazing man, very honest, and he’s very football smart as well. He knows when he sees talent and knows what he wants to achieve on the field. I know he brings a lot of grit to Arizona State. He’s going to bring a standard, and he’s going to hold his players to that standard and make sure that we’re coming here to win national championships.

“I talked to the head coach Kenny Dillingham, and he was excited; he was ecstatic for real. He told me that he really wanted me to be there because he’s seen the talent that I had. He wanted me to commit on the spot after I got offered and led me to commit to Arizona State. The energy that he has makes me want to get on the field now and play for him.”

Forrest, who, out of high school, played at City College of San Francisco before transferring to Laney College and ultimately landing at Contra Costa, posted 13 tackles in nine games (missed the rest of the games due to a shoulder injury) this past year.

“Coach Amey likes that I’m very long and very agile with feet being 6-4 210. I can move better than a lot of smaller players at corner sometimes. He likes my playmaking ability; how physical I am coming down and making a hit.”

Forrest added that there was no talk about him playing safety or cornerback and that he was open to whichever role that would help him contribute the most to the team.

ASU’s newest addition said that being in Pac-12 country, he was familiar with Arizona State and did check out the campus on his own as he was visiting family members who live in the valley. Forrest said that just being in the vicinity of Tempe, he knew this would this was an area where he felt he could thrive on and off the field.

The defensive back’s relationship with another staff member in Tempe also played in his decision, Aaron Fletcher, who could ultimately be his position coach at ASU.

“I’ve known coach Fletcher for a minute,” Forrest commented. “I was in contact with him since he was at Tulsa. So, we have a very long relationship. He recruited me when I was first got into junior college in 2019. He said that he saw my talent, and he always stayed in touch with me throughout this time. I talked to him a little during the (ASU recruiting) process, and I can’t wait to get on the phone with him and actually have a real conversation with him.”

Forrest’s most notable offer aside from ASU was Jackson State, who is coached by NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, and since Forrest had already earned his Associate’s degree, he could have committed to that school. He decided to come to Contra Costa and played in the 2022 season, a decision he doesn’t regret making in light of his resolution today, despite a setback he had.

“After I decided not to commit to Jackson State and I ended up hurting my shoulder and having labrum surgery,” Forest described. “So, I had to come back from that. It was great being recruited by Deion Sanders, and I went to the campus there in Mississippi. It was a great experience, and Deion was a great man to talk to. I enjoyed myself a lot up there.

“I just felt that I could play for a bigger program. I felt like all the work that I put in, that I deserved a little bit more than what was given at the time. I just took a chance; I had to go through obstacles, trials, and tribulations to get there. And now we’re here, and it’s truly a blessing.”

Forrest has two years of eligibility plus a redshirt year and is expected to arrive in Tempe next month for the spring semester.

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