SoCal OL Sean Na'a bullish on ASU ahead of his official visit
Monday was not the first time Sean Na'a received a scholarship offer from the Sun Devils. Yet, in many ways, for the Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco offensive lineman, it's as if he has been recruited all over again by the program, and the fact that he has forged a strong relationship with his potential future coach in Tempe has made the Sun Devils that much more attractive to him.
“(offensive line) Coach Saga Tuitele recruited me when he was at Fresno State, and he told me how great the environment is over there (at ASU),” Na’a said. “With everything that’s going on right now, with the new staff that (head) coach Dillingham has put together…I know it’s not going to be like how it was these past few years with the last staff they had. I’m just really excited to visit there this weekend.
“We’ve had a solid relationship, and his personality is real chill. He always keeps it 100 with me; he always tells the truth. So, that’s why I’ve always kept him high on my list. He never tried to sugarcoat stuff, and he really cares about his players.”
Na’a recalled being offered by the Sun Devils prior to his freshman year, and they didn’t hear from them until last year when offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh was in contact with him for a short period. ASU wide receiver Cooper Wallace is friends with the lineman and has naturally urged Na’a to join the ranks.
“He and I went to Westlake High School together,” Na’s remarked. “When he saw that I got offered, he said, ‘Congrats! Come on, man. You know, what the move is.’ He’s excited and proud of me.”
St. Jon Bosco won the state’s CIF Division I Championship last season, and Na’a, a Top 100 California prospect in the 2023 class, also earned second-team MaxPreps All-American honors.
“Coach Tuitele likes athleticism, and he thinks I can play all five positions on the line,” Na’a described, “but he wants me to play inside; he talked about me potentially playing center. I really don’t care where I play as long as I get on the field. In my senior year, my football my football IQ got way better, especially coming to a place like Bosco, which is the closest thing I could get to being on a college team because I’m going against Division I guys every day at practice.
“It was cool experiencing a big time environment, and even though I played just one year there, I got way better. It was great to have the season that we had.”
The lineman commented that San Jose State and UAB are the only other schools besides ASU that he is seriously considering at this juncture.
“I’d say I like Arizona State just a little bit more than the other schools,” Na’a stated. “When I visit there, I just want to see what the culture is like. I want to see what the new staff can bring to the table for me because I’m really looking for a place where I can get developed, both as a player and a person off the field. My mom and grandma will be with me on the visit, so I want to see how they like it.”
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