Even months after his first ASU contact, Brody Crane still revels in the communication he has with the former NFL coaches and players on Arizona State’s staff. There’s Herm Edwards, and his accolades are already week known. Offensive analyst Kevin Mawae is a Hall of Famer. And co-defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis was an NFL head coach for a decade and a half.
“It's cool getting text from guys like Marvin Lewis or one of the top tier guys who has ever coached the game,” Crane said. “(Mawae) was wanting to get to know me … just getting to spend time with a Hall of Famer is pretty incredible, and getting to learn little tidbits from the game is pretty cool.”
We caught up with ASU’s offensive lineman shortly after his first conversation with ASU’s offensive coordinator, which was par for the course in terms of his overall interactions with the Sun Devil staff.
“I just got off the phone today with the offensive coordinator Zak Hill and it was great,” Crane remarked, “great call. One the best I've had. He was commenting on my film. He was wanting to get to know me. It was a long conversation that I loved it. We were both laughing and just talking life. It was pretty cool.”
Crane, a center from Santa Margarita, Calif., currently holds offers from Arizona State, Army, Air Force and expects more to come from the likes of Boise State, Colorado, Cal, Utah, and more.
Yet, his interest in ASU is already seemingly high. The Sun Devil program is the only one he’s been on a visit to, getting a first-hand look at a game day in Tempe during ASU’s loss to USC in November. Like many other 2021 prospects, he was supposed to visit again for ASU’s junior day in March but the COVID-19 pandemic derailed those plans.
Regardless, his lone experience to date on ASU’s campus left a very favorable memory.
“It was the fans were a big one,” he said of his visit to Tempe. “I love the whole vibe. I love the whole vibe of it. It was pretty cool. Getting to walk by that Pat Tillman statue is pretty special. Makes you realize there are things bigger than the game but also how the game can translate to those parts of life.”
Watching offensive line film can often be a tedious process and those without an intricate knowledge of the position may have no clue between right and wrong. But Crane’s film displays an attribute that isn’t lost on anyone. He’s tough, he’s physical, he chirps at defenders, he’s a mean football player with the expectation that he’s going to dominate anyone across from him.
“All the coaches have brought up my nastiness,” Crane said. “They think I’m pretty aggressive off the line. I can pull. I think that translates well in a center, being able to down block and just be nasty with guys up front. So, I think that's probably the biggest one.”
The 6-foot-3, 290-pound Crane said that while Mawae and the Sun Devils are mainly recruiting him as a center, he played nearly every position on the offensive line in high school.
That versatility is a plus for a Mawae-recruited center. The NFL Hall of Famer at the same position looks for those who are quick and athletic, who can dominate big defensive linemen with speed and efficiency rather than only force. To the ASU offensive analyst, Crane fits that bill.
“Man’s just honest,” Crane said of Mawae. “He’s definitely been up front with me. He won’t BS you. He’ll let you know what he thinks and to have a guy believe in you that’s like that and has that type of personality is pretty cool, especially in recruiting at the same position he played. It’s pretty special.”
At the moment, Crane is weighing his options when it comes to a commitment date. Like most, he would like to take a visit to the schools he’s considering so he can make a more informed decision. But, at the same time, he doesn’t want every spot to get swiped while he’s waiting.
These days, he’s figuring what’s best for him. In the meantime, he said he’s tentatively scheduled another visit to Tempe for October.
“Regardless of where I commit to by then, I don’t want to wait,” Crane said. “I don’t think until those officials. But even still I might take those just to explore all the options. So, we’ll see.
“It’s a big step in life. You’re here four years no matter what to where you’re going. I don’t believe in bouncing around even though I’ve bounced around in High School. I know college is not going to be like that. So definitely things come to mind when you’re looking at those schools that are very important.”
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