All-American Bowl Reminds ASU Fans of Current Recruiting Woes
On Saturday, the Adidas All-American Bowl was held to celebrate the top upcoming recruits in the country.
It's popular for recruits, who remain uncommitted heading into the game, to announce their decisions some time before, during or after they've wrapped up festivities.
That was the case for 2022 edge rusher Cyrus Moss, who listed Arizona State in his top five schools heading into the game. Moss, who was expecting to play in the game and announce his decision live on NBC, was forced out due to COVID protocols and made his decision known virtually.
Moss, heavily favored by many to either attend USC or Oregon, surprised everyone and opted to play for Miami and new head coach Mario Cristobal, who initially recruited him while still with the Ducks.
It was the same old story for Arizona State, as the school has constantly found itself in the running for top recruits but has fallen short in a vast majority of cases.
Safety Larry Turner-Gooden, a 2022 recruit who initially decommitted from Arizona State on Sep. 23, also revealed his new home on Saturday.
Feelings were hurt even deeper when rival Arizona managed to land four-star running back Rayshon "Speedy" Luke, who took home MVP honors from the All-American Bowl.
It was a day where Sun Devil fans ultimately felt left out of the action on the recruiting trail, a common theme that has been ongoing for several months.
Four players in Arizona State's initial 2022 class have decommitted: Turner-Gooden, safeties Jaylin Marshall and Alfonzo Allen, and defensive lineman Syncere Massey.
All four decommitments came following the launch of the current investigation at Arizona State.
Thus far, only six players have signed letters of intent to play for the Sun Devils next year, with only two more recruits that are likely to commit on national signing day.
On 247 Sports' Pac-12 recruiting rankings, the Sun Devils are at No. 11 in the conference with only eight total commits.
While schools such as USC and Oregon have similar numbers, the quality of ranking severely outpaces the Sun Devils. The Trojans have two five-star and three four-star commitments, while the Ducks have four four-star pledges.
Arizona State has just one: running back Tevin White.
The recruiting trail for ASU is particularly tricky right now, for a variety of reasons. However, results haven't occurred at satisfactory levels.
Time exists for that to change. However, if current trends continue, Arizona State fans will still feel as if they are playing catch-up with the rest of the conference.