Tight end Jacob Newell talks Sun Devil pledge

An early-season commitment to Nevada didn't stop several Pac-12 schools from contacting Springfield (Ore.) Thurston tight end Jacob Newell. Ultimately though, there was one school from that conference that seemingly always had the best chance in swaying him over. And an official visit this past weekend to Tempe indeed did seal the deal.

“I’ve been an Arizona State fan for a while, and they just jumped out at me,” Newell said, “and I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness.’ So yeah, after they offered me five games into the season after watching my film, that’s where it took off. I’ve been following them for a while, and obviously, their uniforms really stood out to me. I always thought those were cool, but I was also a huge N’Keal Harry fan growing up, and it was just super cool to watch that guy play.

“I got to visit there, and it was really special. I loved it. I loved the fan interaction just walking around the place…they were just all super welcoming and everything. I was hosted by Jalin Conyers, who was a transfer portal guy that came from Oklahoma. He is a super cool guy, and me and him hit off right off the bat. He said how much he loved it here with the coaches and the family atmosphere and that they really embrace you here at Arizona State.

“I loved the dorm rooms, and the living situation they provide here is really nice. The library was super cool. The academic support centers they have and what they provide for you are really special. I obviously love the weather coming from Oregon, where it’s super rainy and wet. The facilities were just amazing but honestly, what blew me away was the camaraderie and just the family vibe I got from the team there. Those guys are just a bunch of dogs who love football, and that’s my mindset.”

Needless to say that attending one of ASU’s biggest wins of the year, a 31-16 victory over USC, was certainly an opportune time for Newell to experience his first in-person Arizona State game and was naturally just another catalyst in today’s decision.

“Man, first off, I got goosebumps after every big play on offense,” Newell admitted. “Just again, the fan interaction was amazing. But also just seeing and learning the double tight end that they run and the motions that they run. Talking about it with to (interim tight ends coach) Coach Juston Wood. It was just really special to watch, and with USC, it was obviously more of a run-heavy game, which is fine because as tight ends, we got to block too. Playing basketball has helped me with my ball skills and athleticism, especially as a receiving tight end.

“Coach Wood told me that he wants a tight end that will both block and a pass catch, so he likes my skill set in that regard. He likes my length and size when I run running routes going against slower linebackers and smaller corners.”

The tight took official visits to both Nevada and Arizona before his pledge to the Wolfpack in late August. He took an unofficial visit to nearby Oregon and said that aside from many Mountain West schools that showed interest, he was also receiving attention as of late from Pac-12 programs such as Utah, California, and UCLA. ASU was the only visit he took since committing to Nevada.

“When I got the Arizona State offer, I scheduled this visit knowing that I would for sure want to check it out,” Newell commented. “I felt like it was my locked-in sort of school. I really did come to this visit with pretty high expectations. To be honest, they excelled them even more than I could ever think they would.

“No disrespect to Nevada at all. I love that school and the coaching staff there. But I did commit early just to lock it in with the COVID and everything going on. We didn’t really know what was going to happen. So I definitely wanted to secure a school to go to. But my expectation going into this process was going to the Pac-12, a big time school. If I love it, I love it. If I don’t, it’s okay. But that Arizona State visit ended up just exceeding my expectations. I’m locked in for the Sun Devils and not taking any more visits.”

Newell said that while he will sign in the December signing period, that he will only graduate in the spring of next year so he can play his entire season year on his high school’s basketball team, which has state championship aspirations.

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