Pro Model, recruiting relationships place ASU in Kamari Ramsey’s top-five
Then a staff member at USC, Chris Hawkins, met Kamari Ramsey at a Trojans’ football camp a few years back and started a relationship that has now given Arizona State a chance at landing the four-star prospect from Southern California.
“Once coach Hawkins got (to ASU), that’s when they started reaching out,” Ramsey said.
And naturally, it was Hawkins who became the primary point of contact for the Sun Devils. The ASU defensive backs' background has resonated with Ramsey and has made Tempe a potential and attractive destination for Ramsey.
“We’re very close. He understands the players… He knows what (players) are going through and how to process it,” Ramsey said of Hawkins, who played for USC from 2013 to 2017 and was a two-time All-Pac-12 honorable mention. “He’s fresh out of the situation you’re going into right now, so it’s great to have someone like that who you’re very close to.”
Though listed as an athlete, ASU and other schools are recruiting the 6-1, 200-pound Ramsey as a safety. With that size, it’s no wonder the accolades have come. On top of his four-star status, he’s ranked no. 83 in the country, the 10th best player in California, and is among the top half-dozen athletes.
“I’m very versatile, so I can play the run, play the pass, man up. I can basically do it all,” Ramsey said. “You can’t teach size so having that is a great asset to my game. It brings a different type of presence -- like trying to throw over someone who is tall or run at someone who is big. It’s great to have.”
His talent and measurables have garnered 18 offers from big-time programs across the country. In February, though, the high school junior narrowed his list to a top-five: Arizona State, Ohio State, Stanford, UCLA, and USC.
“For me, it was just basing it off of relationships and what the school has to offer and the program and the coaches,” Ramsey said of his top-five list. “It wasn’t that tough for me.”
Because of COVID-19, the only schools Ramsey has gotten in-person visits of are USC and UCLA, yet visits are likely to return before he could even sign in December. Moreover, though three of Ramsey’s top five schools are in his home state; geography doesn’t seem like a big concern as he picks a school.
“It’s a dream to play and be close to your family so they can see you play, but, at the same time, you have to find the best situation for you as a person, and the situation has to be right for you,” he said. If that means I have to go far, that’s what it is.”
There’s another aspect in play when it comes to Ramsey’s recruitment. He still has two seasons to play before he can sign, as his Sierra Canyon squad started its season in mid-March. There’s a chance that more film could equate schools jumping in his sweepstakes or upping their interest.
“(I’ve) been trying to improve my feet and coverage,” Ramsey said. “That’s what most people say is the weakness of my game, so I tried to work on my coverage, being in space, and stuff like that.”
When it comes to what he’s looking for in a school, Ramsey broke it down to four checkpoints he’s looking for. “Great fit, great development, great people, and great academics,” he said.
ASU certainly checks those boxes and has an extra benefit with Herm Edwards and Antonio Pierce that it can sell its Pro Model well.
“It’s very important,” Ramsey said of ASU’s NFL experience. “They know what it takes to get there, so they know what to teach you and install in you. It’s very great.”
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