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Queen Creek OL Isaia Glass discusses commitment to Arizona State

Isaia Glass refused to be an uninformed commit. How can I choose where I’ll spend four or five of my formative years without knowing 1.) What it looks like, 2.) What else is out there, Glass thought.

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The three-star offensive lineman from Queen Creek High (AZ) had never been on an official visit and, because of the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t confident that he ever would. Most recruits are in the same spot right now and have felt forced to commit based on Google searches and phone calls.


Two weeks ago, Glass ensured he wouldn’t as blind to his options.


Along with his mom and dad, Glass flew from Phoenix to Iowa. The family rented a car in the Midwest and began a slow, stop-heavy drive back to the desert, navigating a route back that allowed the Glasses to check out a half dozen college campuses. They went from Iowa State to Indiana to Oklahoma State to Kansas State to Colorado to Utah, adding almost 3,000 miles to the odometer of their rental car.


“It was the best thing I could possibly do for myself,” Glass said of his road trip. “It was like, besides football, am I going to be comfortable living here for that long? That was a big thing while I was going on that trip.”


“The fact that his family would take the initiative and go out and see things the best they could, I thought that was a great experience,” added Joe Germaine, Glass’ head coach at Queen Creek High and the former quarterback who led Ohio State to a 1997 Rose Bowl victory over ASU.


The trip was enlightening for the youngster. By the end, however, Glass realized his best option was a half-hour away from his home that he was most comfortable attending the university where he and his family has accumulated the most time.


On Thursday, the 6-foot-6, 260-pound Valley native became the 16th commit in Arizona State’s 2021 class, becoming the third offensive lineman pledge for ASU and its first in-state commit.

“I think one of the biggest things was having that support system at home. It’s far enough to where I can do my own thing, but also I can still come home for anything,” Glass said of his decision. “It’ll be good for my family and friends to come to home games. It’ll be nice to have that extra support system if I need it.”

For the Glasses, too, ASU brings familiarity. Glass’ dad, Paul, was a defensive lineman for the Sun Devils for just one season (2000), but always told his son about the great memories and teammates from Tempe. Paul Glass would often take Isaia to Sun Devil games, affording Glass a close-up look at the program.

While maturing into the fandom of his dad’s alma mater, even mentioning his admiration for some of ASU’s players such as DL Will Sutton, Glass noted his family didn’t pressure him into picking the hometown school, his dad keeping distance with Glass’ decision rather than pushing his son to become a legacy.

Instead, the ASU coaches -- namely graduate assistant Adam Breneman and offensive analyst Kevin Mawae -- did most of the selling.

“He wasn’t like the typical coach; he was straight up … He’s young and was a big-time recruit himself, so he’s been through it. He was closest to me, so he understood what I was going through,” Glass said of Breneman before discussing Mawae and ASU’s ‘Pro Model.’

“That was definitely a big add-on … (I knew ASU) would give me the best insight into the NFL because they’ve been through it, and they’ve seen it.”

The NFL is a long way away, though. Those close to him and those who recruited him to believe he has that potential, but reaching it will take a journey a length of his road trip.

For one, Glass didn’t start playing offensive line until the tail end of his sophomore season, moving over both because of a team need and because coaches figured that’s where he’d receive more recruiting attention. The following spring offers funneled in, and Glass backed it up with a solid junior season.

“With his size and athleticism, we always thought, ‘What a great offensive lineman he’d be’ … And with his frame, he’s easily going to be a 300-pound dude,” Germaine said. “I think they’re getting an extremely athletic, versatile offensive lineman who’s as tough as they come and extremely coachable.”

“Isaia Glass is a phenomenal three-sport athlete at Queen Creek High School,” said Recruiting Analyst Cody Cameron. “His athleticism is matched with a 6’5 frame and quick first step off the snap of the ball. Last season was Glass’ first as an offensive lineman, and when you turn on the tape, you can see him getting progressively better every single week.

“I flipped on his playoff tape from last Fall, and I study the play at the 1:50 mark. I watch as Glass comes off the snap of the football with a significant first step and punch on the opposing defensive linemen. Glass drives the defender 10-yards off the line of scrimmage, never stopping his feet and playing through the whistle. I fast forward to the play at the 2:22 mark, Glass does a great job of getting his body across the defenders to seal him inside, then dumps him onto his back for a pancake.


“Glass does a fantastic job of keeping low pad level and driving his defenders off the ball. His lateral quickness and athletic feet allow for him to get to the second and third levels easily when downfield blocking. Glass really started to develop some nastiness in his game towards the end of the season come playoff time. That style of play, plus an off-season where Glass has reportedly packed on 15 to 20pounds of muscle, have helped Glass become one of the top offensive tackle prospects in the state of Arizona in the 2021 class.


“In the 2018 season, Glass came up to Varsity as a 6’3 225-pound sophomore. He played everywhere from tight end to both offensive and defensive line. From where he was fundamentally as a football player back then to where he is now, has been awesome to witness. Glass’ development and growth over the past few seasons can be attributed to many things, but his will to get better every single day stands out.


“Queen Creek High School is a program that has established itself as one of the toughest teams in the entire state. The Bulldogs’ rushing attack accumulated over 2200 yards on the ground last Fall, and their ball carriers averaged 6.4 yards per carry. A big reason for this success is credited to Queen Creek’s phenomenal offensive line, particularly that of Isaia Glass. This is an outstanding in-state commitment for the Sun Devils.”


When Glass called the Sun Devil coaches Thursday morning to inform them of his pledge, coach Herm Edwards jokingly said he was going to call quarterback Jayden Daniels’ mom and let her know that her son was going to have protection.


With the offensive line commitments of Glass, Marcus Mbow, Charles Armstrong and Isaiah World -- all of whom are over 6-foot-5 -- the Sun Devils have a foundation in the trenches even when Daniels moves on.

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