Heading into 2014 the quarterback position at ASU is in the steady hands of two-year starter Taylor Kelly. Kelly had a prolific season in 2013-14, leading the Sun Devils to the Pac-12 Championship Game for the first time in coach Todd Graham’s career.

But Kelly will desert the desert at season’s end, leaving the position open to competition.

High profile 2014 recruits Manny Wilkins and Coltin Gerhart along with 2015’s Brady White have fans buzzing about the future at the position in Tempe. Each player has garnered plenty of publicity.

A local quarterback prospect, however, has gone unnoticed by the larger fan base. Bryce Perkins, a Sun Devil legacy and three-star recruit from Chandler High School, has slid under the radar.

As a junior, Perkins led the Wolves to a 10-3 record and a playoff berth, accumulating over 3,000+ yards and over 3 scores per game along the way. He threw for 2,244 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions along with 808 yards and 18 touchdowns with his feet. He was named 1st-team All Region as a result.

The dual-threat committed to to OC Mike Norvell and the Devils at the beginning of April, five to six weeks before Brady White made his announcement. Initially, many schools including ASU were recruiting him as an athlete. Northwestern, Texas, Arizona and Washington were four who recruited Perkins specifically as a signal-caller.

Bryce comes from a Football family. His brother, Paul, is a sophomore running back at UCLA. Perkins’s father, Bruce, was a JC transfer to the Sun Devils, playing in the ’88 and ’89 seasons. He was then drafted and spent two years in the NFL.

Sun Devil fans outside of the valley may find this interesting. Bryce’s family is close to UCLA QB Brett Hundley’s family. Bryce’s father, Bruce, played against Brett Hundley Sr. in college. Both were running backs. Who did Hundley Sr. play for while Bruce was at ASU? The team in Tucson.

Bryce Perkin’s brother, Paul, is close friends with Brett Hundley at UCLA. Like Bryce, both attended Chandler HS together. The parents even check in on one another’s son.

If it doesn’t work out for Perkins as a signal-caller, he has the athleticism to step outside and play wide receiver, a scenario some scouts have projected him due to the logjam at quarterback. But ask Bryce, and he’ll tell you point blank he’s a quarterback. He’s been putting in work this off-season, improving his craft for his senior year at Chandler.

When Scout Recruiting service asked if he’d entertain other scholarship offers, Bryce replied, “I’m shutting it down and not looking at any other schools…Forks Up!”

Look out for Perkins’s senior season at Chandler, and get excited for his 2015 arrival. (2013 Highlights below)