Ja’Kobi Lane has grown up just 20 miles west of Tempe, always having known about Arizona State and the local fervor the Sun Devils can produce. Last week, he had a first-hand look at what it could feel like to be a part of that.
“It was surreal. You talk about it all your life like going to college recruiting (trips) and taking pictures in the jersey,” Lane said. “To go and actually do it was crazy. It was one of the craziest experiences I’ve ever had, and I’m super glad I got to do it.”
Lane is a 6-foot-5, 180-pound receiver out of Mesa Red Mountain, who just finished up his sophomore year of high school. The Sun Devils are currently the only school that has an offer out to the Class of 2023 recruit, but Lane noted Iowa, Iowa State, and Oregon have been in close contact with him in recent weeks.
He said he no other visits planned for the rest of the summer and mentioned that, yet in the upcoming months, he’s planning on attending a few camps, ASU coaches are scheduled to attend.
For now, though, the main coach on Lane has been Arizona State receivers coach Prentice Gill, who led Lane and other receivers through their visit this week.
“We didn’t get to talk a ton because of the dead period,” Lane said of Gill, “but whenever we were in contact, it wasn’t just a normal conversation but an enjoyable conversation to the point it wasn’t stressful or anything. It was smooth.”
At one point, too, Lane and some other recruits heard from head coach Herm Edwards.
“Meeting coach Herm was really fun,” Lane said. “He talked to us about school, and just overall how (ASU) was, and I just really liked what he had to say. It was honest. It was everything you see on TV -- like that guy. He’s Herm.
“Basically, he said like, ‘Hey, don’t need you. We want you, but we don’t need you. We need you to be the best person you can be.’ I feel like his main message was be yourself and look forward to the opportunity you’ve been given because not many people get to do that.”
Lane ran into several other Valley recruits he’s become friends with over the years, including Williams Field receiver Kyler Kasper – a four-star prospect. The pair play together on the Tucson Turf 7-on-7 football team coach by Toby Bourguet, the father of ASU quarterback Trenton Bourguet.
“To go through (the recruiting visit) with another receiver is really cool, especially since we’re really good friends,” Lane said of Kasper.
And what would schools be getting in Lane?
“I don’t drop the ball. Anytime you throw me the ball, you can almost always expect a catch,” Lane said. “(ASU) is trying to do something new, and I feel like, with me and Kyler, they could expand their throwing capabilities. Like with Johnny (Wilson) right now, they already have good receivers. And like what they’re doing with Johnny is putting him in the slot and on the outside, they’re doing all that good jazz.”
Lane said what has stuck out about ASU so far is that the Sun Devils’ coaches haven’t tried to go over the top with anything, that every time he speaks with an ASU coach, it feels like the first time.
And since this approach is resonating well with the local wide receiver, this is a good sign for the Sun Devils.
“I’m just looking for another home, another place to stay, just a good place to be for four years,” Lane said. “I don’t want to have to transfer to a different school, so I just want a home for a good while.”
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