ASU linebackers coach Antonio Pierce, and defensive line coach Shaun Nua made the long trek to Dublin, Ga. last Friday to attend the game of linebacker Steven Linton, one of the Sun Devils’ primary targets at this position. It was just one more factor that makes Arizona State so appealing to Linton.

Linton who also plays tight end aside from defensive end scored on a 31-yard touchdown reception in front of his potential future coaches helping the Fighting Irish beat Southwest 48-0 to improve to 7-1 in Georgia’s Class AA. Below are some highlights of Linton from that contest.

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“Things are going really good with Arizona State,” Linton said. “It’s a good program and I love the coaching staff there. I really like coach Antonio and coach Nua because they have great personalities and they care more about the person than the player.”

The linebacker prospect was one of many ASU official visitors back in June, and said that his time in Tempe has made a great impression on him.

“I liked everything about it,” Linton recalled. “I loved the campus, the locker room, the dorms, hanging out with (ASU defensive lineman) Jalen Bates was cool. I really liked coach Herm and he really showed me how much he cares about you, not just about football. He really wanted to know me as a person first and that was really cool. That’s how you really get to know somebody.”

Linton said the ASU coaches like his pass rushing skills and told him that they see him fitting the role that senior outside linebacker Jay Jay Wilson currently occupies.

“They really like my get off,” Linton described. “They like my athletic ability. My strength is my quickness, and the coaches told me that if I came there I would have to drop back in coverage sometimes, but also blitz the quarterback. I feel that with my speed I can beat anybody. I still need to work on using my hands better.”

Back in March ASU marked Linton’s first Power-5 scholarship offer, and Pierce did observe him during spring practice a month later. Linton was offered by Louisville and Syracuse as well, two programs that are likely to get an official visit from him by the end of the year. He currently has a visit scheduled to Louisville on October 27th, but stated that he’s probably going to reschedule it due to the ACT test.

UConn and South Florida are also in-line to potentially receive a visit. Linton said that he wasn’t sure if he was going to sign in December or February and had no specific time frame as to when he plans to make his announcement. Nonetheless, he intends to take all of his visits by the end of the year.