For the Chandler, Ariz. native, an unofficial visit to nearby Tempe was a homecoming of sorts for Van Fillinger. Following his trip, we caught up with the Draper, Utah standout to get his impressions of his time with the Sun Devils.
“My family is important to me and that’s one of my main interests in Arizona State,” Fillinger said. “My sister will be attending Arizona State in the fall, and I also have family here in Phoenix, my grandma lives there. I really like the city and that’s what I really like about ASU.
“They showed me a lot of hospitality. The coaches were nice and really good to me. They really scheduled the whole day to show how much interest they had in me and even brought my boy Omarr (Norman-Lott) to visit there at the same time. It has been really fun going with him to all those camps together and doing the drills together and being there on the visit with him.
“I know he’s leaning towards Arizona State and I still l have a lot of thinking to do. In the end, I have to do what’s best for me, and we’ll see if that means going to Arizona State with Omarr or going somewhere else. Arizona State’s interest in me really stood out and I’m not taking it for granted.”
The non-football aspects of his visit also resonated well with Fillinger.
“They took me on a whole tour of the facilities,” Fillinger remarked, “and if I wanted to see something, they took me to see it. Herm Edwards is such a good guy to talk to because he knows so much about the NFL. He knows everything about the game and he knows how to get you to the NFL. But he also talked about how the school would set me up for my future if I came there.”
The 6-4 250-pound defensive lineman tallied 71 tackles and five sacks during his junior season for Draper Corner Canyon and subsequently earned a first-team all-state selection. ASU’s defensive line coach highlighted Fillinger’s athleticism as one of his biggest assets.
“Coach Cain really likes how I move well for my size,” Fillinger remarked, “my agility and ability to change direction and they see me as a defensive end. My technique is getting much better because this summer I’m taking it more seriously. I know I need to improve my overall football understanding, knowing the scheme of the defense and the formations of the offense but I have been improving in that and knowing what's going to happen before it happens.”
Texas, a school Fillinger visited earlier in the week, is a program that the defensive lineman mentioned is recruiting him quite hard and offered him during his visit. Oregon and UCLA are two other schools that have been pursuing Fillinger for quite some time and in earnest as well. LSU was another school he checked out this week and added that he won’t be visiting any other schools before the dead period begins in a week and a half.
“I’m a little burnt out by all these visits,” Fillinger admitted. “The recruiting process has definitely been crazy, but it’s also not anything I would put a negative connotation on. Playing in college has been my dream ever since I was little, and I’m not taking all of this for granted at all. Even though recruiting can be tiring and crazy, I know how lucky I am and how many people would love to be in my spot.”
Texas and Oregon are two schools Fillinger knows he will surely officially visit in the fall and claimed that he doesn't necessarily have to take all five of his visits to settle on the college of his choice.
“If I really like a college that I’m really comfortable with, I’ll commit to it,” Fillinger declared. “I really wanted to make a decision before the season started, but if that doesn’t work out, I’m not going to force myself to commit.
“First thing I’m going to look at is academics because this isn’t a four-year decision but a decision that will affect the rest of your life based on the degree you get. What sets you up for the future is the support you get from the school and its alumni that can get you the connections. Obviously, I want to go to the school where I know I can fit the best and that can really use me in their defense.”
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