Recruiting efforts can often rise or fall in their effectiveness depending on the depth chart that awaits a prospect. So when it comes to pursuing tight ends, such as Overland Park (Kan.) prospect Gavin Hoffman, this is an aspect that is certainly appealing to the Blue Valley Northwest standout who officially visited the Sun Devils last weekend.
“I really liked the people and their coaching staff,” Hoffman said of his Tempe trip. “What they built there is really, really cool. (Head) Coach Dillingham is a really cool person. I really liked the campus and the city in general. If I went there, I know it for real would be a good spot for me. I went there three weeks ago for an unofficial visit, so I saw most of the same stuff. But something that stood out on this visit was their academic programs. They have a good school for business, one of the best in the nation, and that’s something I’m interested in.
“Arizona State definitely has a really good culture. We were at the facility on Saturday, and there were a bunch of other players like (quarterback) Jaden Rashada and the tight ends just running routes on their off day, which is something that shows a lot of culture and character. (Tight end) Jalin Conyers was my host, and he said that with like my style of play and my build, he feels like I could really thrive out there at Arizona State, as well as because of the position they’re in because they got four tight ends on scholarship, and then two of them are leaving next year with Jalin going to the draft. So If I went there, it would be very, very good.
As a junior, Hoffman paced the Huskies with 685 receiving yards in ten games scoring 11 touchdowns. ASU’s tight ends coach Jason Mohns listed to him some of his skills he felt would make him a good fit in Tempe.
“Coach Mohns said that I’m a versatile player with athletic ability,” Hoffman described, “I got the speed to stretch the field vertically and basically play the same way Jalin does, but maybe a tiny bit faster because we’re kind of the same player. He’s just a lot bigger, obviously, because he’s been in college. He (Mohns) said I could really affect the passing game a lot coming there, which I’ve seen with Jalin.
“Watching film on the visit really opened my eyes, though. I see (Offensive Coordinator) Coach Baldwin, and watching the whole presentation, it went from one of my high school game clips to one of the plays they ran with Jalin in Spring ball. And what stood out was that he was running many routes that I like to run. And it’s not just simple tight end passes; it’s actually routes vertically down the field. So it’s definitely intriguing seeing them sharing with the tight ends.”
Missouri represented the tight end’s first official visit earlier this month, and this weekend he is scheduled to visit Iowa, a trip he plans to have marked his last official visit with a commitment decision possibly taking place by the first week of July. Hoffman admitted that he has experienced a very active recruiting process for him thus far, and one that he doesn’t plan to extend into the season.
“I kind of blew up really late in my process compared to some other tight end prospects,” Hoffman explained, “so it’s definitely been overwhelming and stressful, everyone telling me where I should go.
“I’m going to choose a school that’s really going to utilize me and value me. I want their guy at tight end coming in. I know that at ASU, I can be that, which would be pretty cool. I want to have the best people to be around because, obviously, I will spend a lot of time with Coach Mohns or wherever I go, sign with that tight ends coach. So, having the right people around me is the biggest thing.”
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