Sense of familiarity lands Texas wide receiver transfer at ASU

Ryan Newsome will tell you that his decision to transfer from the University of Texas was “a leap of faith” yet ultimately he was plenty comfortable with his final destination. A day after his trip to Tempe had concluded he decided to join the Sun Devils.

“It was real important to me to get it right this time,” said Newsome shortly after his pledge to Arizona State. “The whole process and the decision was well calculated. I looked at the all the variables and talked them over with my family (who accompanied him on his Tempe visit).

“I was up late last night until 2 am praying about my decision while everyone else was asleep.”

ASU’s first-year wide receivers coach, Jay Norvell, has an established relationship with Newsome. He recruited the wide receiver while he was still coaching at Oklahoma and convinced him to decommit at the time from UCLA and follow him to Texas. Needless to say that the connection the two have established was a significant factor in Newsome’s resolution to join the Sun Devils.

“Coach Norvell is a teacher,” Newsome explained, “and with the technique part of my game he’s apropos and what I needed. He’s a technician. I wanted to be coached by him. I wanted to commit to him when he was back at Oklahoma and then recruited me at Texas.

“When I got my release (from Texas) a lot of schools came at me, but I thought about him and where he’s coaching at and I knew this is a place I could see myself playing. He and I have been through a lot together and everything happens for a reason. Coming here is just very exciting for me and Coach Norvell said that he was waiting all day for my call.”

Newsome added that he had planned to visit Michigan State following his trip to ASU, but everything he experienced on this visit left no doubt in his mind where he should continue his college career. The wide receiver will have to sit out this season per NCAA transfer rules and will have three years of eligibility with the Sun Devils starting in 2017.

“Even though I won’t play this year, I’m excited to help any way I can,” Newsome remarked. “I know John Humphrey (transferred to ASU this year from Oklahoma) and Coach Graham was joking saying that ‘we will have the best scout team in America!’ Arizona State offered me when I was high school. I was recruited by (offensive line) Coach Thomsen and he was mad that I went to UCLA then.

“I love the coaching philosophy at Arizona State. They will get their point across without cussing at you because that is what the staff believes in. They are there to teach you. That was another plus for me.”

Newsome who wants to major in broadcast journalism was impressed with the renowned Cronkite School at ASU and admitted that he was blown away by the university’s dorms, as well as the athletic facilities.

“I've been around the block and saw some of the best facilities at other schools,” Newsome commented. “The new (ASU) football stadium and the football facility…wow! That is top notch.”

The 5-9 175-pound Newsome said that he sees himself as having the traits that can prepare him for the next level, yet knows that he needs the guidance of a former NFL assistant coach such as Norvell, to hone those skills and help him achieve that dream.

“In the league, you’ll face a lot of man and press coverage,” Newsome said. “you have to be able to beat that defense. I have family members who played in the NFL so I know what the league wants to see. So it was important to me to go to a school where I can showcase myself to the NFL.

“The coaches like my maturity and character and that’s important when you have a young team like ours. I’m a very grounded in my faith and I took a leap of faith to transfer because I didn't know who would come after me - that’s the scary part of the process. Some schools that recruited me out of high school have moved on, but I’m excited that Arizona State was interested in me.”

Newsome said that he expects to arrive in time for fall camp, as ASU departs for Camp Tontozona on August 2nd.

“Whatever they need me to be, I’ll be there,” Newsome said. “I want to help and make this team better.”