As Fall camp nears, we decided to put together a quick reference for each new player in the Sun Devil Offensive Class of 2014. (We’ll cover the defense on Friday.)
Quinn Bailey
Offensive lineman Quinn Bailey out of Higley High School was coached by former Arizona State lineman Jon Hargis. The towering lineman comes in at 6-foot-6 and tips the scales at 302 pounds. Bailey earned first team All-State honors in division III and placed within the top 90 offensive tackles in the country by the top three ranking services.
Kalen Ballage
Kalen Ballage, the running back out of Peyton, Colo., had several of the Sun Devil faithful on edge on National Signing Day because he was snowed-in and couldn’t get to a fax machine to send his NLI. Ballage chose Arizona State over offers from Big 10 powerhouses Michigan and Nebraska. 24-7 Sports named the four-star recruit the No. 27 athlete prospect in the nation as he played every position other than offensive line in high school. Ballage brings to the Sun Devil Offensive Class of 2014 a future star.
Colton Gerhart
Quarterback Colton Gerhart is also a top baseball prospect out of Murietta, Calif. The youngest of three Gerhart boys, Colton is looking to follow in the footsteps of his brothers, Toby and Garth, who are both on NFL rosters. Sun Devil fans will remember Garth from Arizona State and Toby, who excelled in the backfield and on the diamond for the Stanford Cardianl.
Jalen Harvey
Jalen Harvey, the 6-foot-2, 185 receiver out of El Cerrito, Calif., comes to Arizona State as a highly-sought after prize. The four-star recruit was heavily recruited by most of the Pac-12 Conference after being ranked the nation’s No, 29 receiver by ESPN and the No. 15 overall recruit in talent-rich California by 24-7 Sports.
De’Chavon Hayes comes to the desert from Richmond, Va., via Lackawanna College in Scranton, Penn. The junior will have three years to play two and will mesh nicely in the backfield with D.J. Foster. Hayes was tabbed the No. 2 junior college running back by both ESPN and Rivals.com.
Sam Jones
Sam Jones, the Highlands Ranch, Colo., native weighs in at 285 pounds and his quickness and agility make him able to play any position on the offensive line. The four-star recruit was ranked as one of the top overall recruits coming out of Colorado and No. 23 in his position nationally by ESPN.
Eric Lauderdale
Eric Lauderdale, another junior college transfer by way of Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, Calif., originally hails from the land of peaches in Fayetteville, Ga. The tall, dynamic receiver will make an immediate impact for the Sun Devils as he was unanimously ranked as a four-star recruit by all services and also rated in the top four of all junior college receivers in the country by all.
Tyler Whiley
Tyler Whiley is Arizona State’s poster child for the ‘Stay True to ASU’ campaign. The Scottsdale receiver from Chaparral High School was one of the state’s most lucrative national prospects and was heavily recruited by Michigan State, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Tennessee. The highly athletic Whiley excelled as a two-way player, both at receiver and defensive back.
Manny Wilkins
Saving the best for last, the jewel in Coach Graham’s 2014 recruiting crown is quarterback Manny Wilkins. The towering quarterback out of Novato, Calif. is the heir apparent to take over this squad after Taylor Kelly’s final season. Wilkins is the highest-rated quarterback to sign with Arizona State in the past decade and his early commitment fueled the rest of the class. He tirelessly stumped for Arizona State convincing a number of California’s top prospects to visit and sign with the Sun Devils.
Sun Devil Offensive Class of 2014 is stacked, and fans can expect some fierce competition these next several weeks.
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