When he signed his national letter of intent in February, Marcus Ball came as a bit of a surprise.

After originally committing to Wisconsin, Ball flipped the script and chose the Sun Devils after the departure of former Wisconsin head coach Brett Bielema wha was headed for Arkansas.

What may also come as a surprise is how quickly he may be able to make an impact on an already solid ASU defense.

Ball played both ways in high school at Westerville South in Westerville, Ohio but is projected to play Safety at ASU.

Marcus Ball (6’3″ / 205 LBS) should have an immediate impact at Safety in 2013.

At 6-foot-3, 205-pounds, Ball has great size for a safety and he knows how to mix it up and bring big hits. Ball isn’t afraid to come downhill and smack receivers and possesses good instincts that make him a pass-rushing threat even from the safety spot.But Ball’s skills aren’t only limited to the defensive side of things. During his time at Westerville South, Ball also played tight end/wide receiver and quarterback. He also was an above average basketball player who scored a school-record 43 points the day before signing his letter of intent.His physical tools aside, Ball also has an advantage over other top defensive recruits like Marcus Hardison, Chans Cox and Villami Latu because there isn’t a seasoned starter in front of him.

Hardison will have to compete with All-Americans Will Sutton and Jaxon Hood at defensive tackle.  Cox will sit behind Bradford at Devil Backer and Latu behind Steffon Martin or Gradndville Taylor at either linebacker spot. At safety, Alden Darby is set at Boundary Safety, but Keelan Johnson’s vacated Field Safety spot is isn’t as settled.

Redshirt freshman Villami Moeakiola is slated as the starter at Field Safety after spring over redshirt sophomore Ezekiel Bishop and neither has ever started a game. In 2012, Moeakiola played in four games while Bishop made nine appearances. Bishop did play in the first game of 2011 but tore his ACL and was out for the rest of the season.

Field Safety is where Ball can fit into the lineup even as a true freshman. However, as he grows and matures, his position may change.

It isn’t inconceivable to think that if he adds some size to see him move to ASU’s Spur position, the hybrid linebacker/safety position currently held by Chris Young, in a year or two if he puts on some more muscle mass.

Of all of ASU’s 2013 defensive commitments, and there are plenty of them, Ball may be in the best position to make an immediate impact in 2013.