Recruitment process quickly heating up for Cade Beresford
A 6-7 quarterback is anything but commonplace in high school football. Yet, what is just as rare is to see a signal caller switch positions and become an offensive lineman and after just one year at that new role garner Power 5 offers. Woodinville, Wash. lineman Cade Beresford is thankful for the opportunities presented to him and talked about his relationship with the Sun Devils, which are the latest school to offer him.
What makes Beresford’s recruitment with Arizona State that much more unique is the fact that he reached out to the team to initiate a visit to Tempe since he was in the neighborhood, so to speak.
“I was down in Tucson for a camp,” Beresford said, “and I decided why not visit Arizona State as well? So, I got in contact with the coaches and my coach helped out too. I checked it out and got a tour of the facilities, the campus and the city and it was cool. I saw pictures of the new (football) facility and you can tell that it will be amazing. I didn’t participate in the camp that was going on there but I got to watch Coach Napier coaching there. I know that he was part of a great offense in Alabama so I know what to look forward to if I did end up at Arizona State.
“It was cool to see everything there and it was cool that I made the effort to reach out to them and they offered me.”
ASU’s offensive lineman coach, Rob Sale has been in close contact with Beresford the last several weeks leading up to the lineman’s July 4th offer and said that Sale was intrigued by his potential as a player who just completed his only season on this team’s front five.
“He likes how I’m a two-sport athlete (basketball),” Beresford commented, “so he likes my footwork and how I stay in shape. He also likes my how I finish plays and I don’t give up. He likes my attitude and personality and that is something big with the Arizona State coaching staff.
“He sends me a text every once in a while, just saying hi and checking up on me and seeing how I’m doing. It’s been really cool for him to keep in touch and that’s big with me, having a coach that really cares and he does text me often. We have that good relationship and it was cool talking to him on the 4th and getting that offer. That whole (ASU) coaching staff has been texting me too and that’s really cool.”
Even though the transition from quarterback to offensive lineman would appear a sharp change in plans on the surface, Beresford feels this was a natural changeover, and in some regards perhaps inevitable.
“I’m a nice guy off the field, but a mean guy on the field,” Beresford explained, “and Coach Sale likes my aggressiveness. When I ran the ball as a quarterback, which was rarely, I couldn’t juke anybody out – I was running over people. And at that point, I felt that I want to play a position where I can hit more. I love that ‘chippy-ness.’ My dad played left tackle at Boise State and I was thinking about that possibility and ended up having a good junior year.
“I didn’t see myself playing a skill position down the road, but I didn’t want to give up football. So, this was the right position move for me. This is what I think I was meant for. Most coaches want me to get up to 315 pounds when I get to college, but right now I’m looking to add about 10 pounds and after basketball season I really want to get up to 275-280 pounds. Coaches know I can add weight pretty easily with my frame.”
In recent weeks, Beresford has received offers from Power-5 schools Nebraska and Washington State (the lineman has already visited both schools) and was previously offered by Nevada, Utah State, Eastern Washington and both Montana schools among others. The fairly lengthy list of suitors naturally makes Beresford thankful, let alone validates his football career change in path.
“It’s good to know that all the hard work paid off,” Beresford admitted. “Even getting one offer during my high school would be great. It’s awesome to get an offer from schools such as Arizona State.”
The lineman stated that he was planning to visit both Oregon schools and that the tandem of those programs along with Washington, Arizona and Boise State were some of the suitors who could be extending an offer in the near future. Beresford said that the timetable for his decision could occur sooner rather than later.
“If there is a school I really like then I could commit maybe by the end of this month,” Beresford remarked. “I want to see as many schools as I can so I make sure that it’s the right decision for me and my family. But it could come later in the year, maybe in a couple of months.
“I’m going to commit somewhere where I can really see myself going to school and not just playing football there. Somewhere where I can see myself getting a good education and get academic help. I want to have a close relationship with the coaches and the players. I want to go somewhere where I could see myself getting a starting spot in the first couple of years. It doesn’t have to be my freshman year and I know I will have to work hard for it. But I’ll be looking at the depth chart, which players the school is bringing in and offering. Those are all the things I will be looking at before I choose a school.”
Join us in the Devils’ Huddle to discuss this prospect and other Arizona State recruiting and team news.
