Punter Eddie Czaplicki drawn to ASU's Pro Model
Prior to the Herm Edwards’ arrival in Tempe, and the throng of NFL experience he brought over to the ASU staff, there was already one proven NFL experienced coach for the Sun Devils, special teams coach Shawn Slocum. Today’s pledge by Eddie Czaplicki, much like his fellow newcomers of the 2021 recruiting class, was certainly driven by that one attractive aspect.
“Arizona State actually offered me back in February,” Czaplicki said. “I wasn’t able to take any visits because of COVID-19, and ideally, I wanted to commit to a school that I had already visited in July or next month. But I wasn’t able to. If I did visit earlier in the year, I probably would have committed then. It was a pretty easy decision for me.
“I have family in the Phoenix area, so it really wasn’t hard committing to Arizona State. I have a coach in North Carolina who trains a couple of players in the Pac-12, so he was telling me about the campus and environment. I have full trust in that coaching staff and what they can do for my future. Coach Slocum wants me to punt and kick off immediately (upon arrival on campus), so his confidence in me is great. He told me what he likes about my form. His trust in me from the beginning just made me feel like family.”
Czaplicki said that as it is, punting and kickoffs are the stronger suits of his game, but he noted he could be handing field goal kicking duties down the road in his ASU tenure. He added that being a strong, explosive athlete has benefited him to become stronger and more proficient in those traits.
“For every five good kickers, there is one good punter,” Czaplicki remarked. “I feel I have a refined skill set when it comes to punting.”
The Kohl’s Kicking professional camp rated ASU’s newest addition as the no. 4 ranked kicker in the 2021 class and no. 5 in that group, being awarded a five-star rating for both. The founder of that organization has known Slocum for decades now, which naturally played a significant factor in the Czaplicki pledge.
“He has one of the quickest legs we have seen in the 2021 class,” that Kohl’s evaluation cited. “Czaplicki will continue to be a highly sought-after recruit at the college level. His hands are quick, and he gets the ball out well when he punts. His overall coordination is impressive on both field goals and punts. Czaplicki is very mature athletically and able to produce kickoffs and punts that other good players cannot.”
"Directional punting is definitely my strong suit," Czaplicki commented. "I can put it on the numbers, on the dot where they want me to. I averaged 45.9 yards last year."
North Carolina State, San Diego State, and Yale were some of the schools that recruited him in earnest along with the Sun Devils.
"The thing that impressed me the most about Arizona State was the experience that thus staff had," Czaplicki stated. "Coach Slocum has experience in the NFL coaching NFL punters and has bene coaching that position longer than I have been alive. Coach Edwards obviously has a lot of expertise with his own NFL background as a head coach. He's a very charismatic guy and has taken this program in the right direction. I think quarterback Jayden Daniels will be a Top-5 pick in a few years.
"His (Edwards') leadership and recruiting abilities are only going to take this team further."
Czaplicki and his Charlotta Providence High School are scheduled to begin their fall camo workouts in a couple of weeks, ahead of a current season kickoff of September 1st. Some high school football seasons across the nation have even longer delays to the start of their respective seasons. While the special teamer is planning to enroll at ASU early in the spring of 2021, he has not entertained any thoughts of scenarios where he would have to potentially skip his senior campaign in favor of an early arrival to college.
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