Purdy visits Sun Devils for the second time in two weeks
Sometimes it’s not just the number of recruiting visits that matter, but also the frequency and the content of them. Eleven days ago, Chubba Purdy visited the Sun Devils for several hours on an extensive unofficial visit. Tonight, the local Gilbert Perry signal caller and his dad Shawn, spent over four productive hours with ASU offensive coordinator Rob Likens. Immediately after the visit, we caught up with Purdy to discuss that meeting.
“I just left ASU, and it was a great meeting,” Purdy said. “Myself, my dad and coach Likens were going over all their plays, going over film and it was just a great talk. Coach Likens and I have a great relationship, we always talk and hit each other up. Today when we were going over the plays we really connected well. We were drawing up plays, and he was showing me a lot of plays that they ran. I just loved it all.
“I like how he can spread out the wide receivers but also bunch them up too, and that really helps out the offense. I love how they are in the (shot)gun all the time and coach Likens told me that the way I use my feet would make me successful in this offense in certain situations when things break down and you have to make a play.”
With the high frequency of recent visits, does the Gilbert Perry standout feel any differently about his hometown team compared to just a few days ago?
“I do feel differently about them,” Purdy remarked, “and I really do like ASU. The coaches are great, the staff is great…I just like them and I like what coach Likens is doing there.”
Recruiting analyst Cody Cameron describes Chubba Purdy as a special talent, who has performed at a very high level in his first year as a starter for the Pumas, who reached the 6A state finals for the second season in a row.
“Chubba accounted for 4,588 all-purpose yards and finished with 59 total touchdowns,” Cameron said. “He is the true definition of a dual-threat quarterback throwing for over 300 yards in a game five games and also rushing for over 100 yards in the same number of contests last fall.
“Chubba can make any throw, has beautiful touch on his deep ball, and is extremely elusive in the pocket. His ability to keep plays alive with his feet, keeping his eyes downfield to allow his wide receivers extended amounts of time to get open, make him a special talent. He's a leader in the huddle and he's a coachable player. This is someone who can come into your program and compete from day one.”
In a previous interview, Purdy’s high school head coach, Preston Jones,
applauded his quarterback’s versatility and knowledge of the game and lists those attributes as major components of his success.
“Chubba is a very well-rounded player,” Jones said. “He can run an offense being a dual-threat quarterback or run a pro-style offense. Besides getting bigger and stronger last year, he got a lot better in reading defenses. He knows more about what we are doing and why we are doing it. He really knows now the nuts and bolts of our offense, and that helps his decision making and confidence running the offense.”
The comparisons between Chubba and his older brother Brock, who last year as a true freshman posted the best season by a rookie quarterback in Iowa State’s history, are naturally inevitable. Jones, however, feels as if both quarterbacks are extremely different from each other.
“Chubba’s strength is his speed and Brock didn’t have that type of speed,” Jones described. “Chubba’s arm strength is off the chart and Brock’s was just good. The only trait I think they share in common is that they are both extremely accurate.”
Watching Chubba Purdy on film has quickly invoked the dual-threat quarterback moniker by coaches and pundits. Yet, like many players with that title, Purdy has proven to have a much stronger pocket presence than other signal callers who this label may apply to more accurately.
“That is what we did for him on offense during the regular season,” Jones stated. “We didn’t have him play like a dual-threat quarterback, we kept him in the pocket and he did very well. We didn’t want to run him and we ran our offense accordingly. In the playoffs, we opened it up more and had him play like a dual-threat quarterback.”
As impressive as his junior year for the Pumas was, Jones would like Purdy to improve on some aspects of his game as he will have to contend with new challenges in 2019
“This year he has to really lead the offense,” Jones detailed. “He has to be the captain there and he didn’t need to in the past because the offense was just running like a machine. This year he will have inexperienced receivers and running backs that he didn’t have in the past and he needs to take charge.”
On the recruiting front, just in the last week or so Purdy has received offers from Boston College, Michigan State, Utah, and Boise State. The quarterback said that he has no favorite school at this time and plans to take at least two more visits before possible making a summer decision.
“I’m officially visiting Louisville on June 1st,” Purdy commented, “and unofficially visiting Michigan State possibly the following week. I want to check out those schools before I make my decision.”
When asked what was the first thought that crossed his mind as left ASU following tonight’s visit, Purdy replied:
“I was telling my dad how great of a guy coach Likens is,” Purdy said. “He’s smart and he knows what he’s doing. Coach Likens and I just have a great relationship.”
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