ASU Football: Arizona Prep Report

Friday, October 3- Centennial at Hamilton

In a continued effort to best get to know the local prep talent in Arizona and to understand who Arizona State football is targeting, who they’ve landed, or may want to keep closer tabs on, we’ll be providing weekly reports from the Arizona prep landscape.

This weekend, we landed at Hamilton High School, in Chandler, to see two perennial powers in the Hamilton Huskies, whom many see as an obvious competitor for The Open Championship, and the Centennial Coyotes, a program consistently in the discussion of top programs in the state. Though the game ended up being more lopsided than everyone expected, a lot of fun talent was on display.

Let’s get to the talent...

QB Nicco Marchiol, 2022- The Junior quarterback had as simple of a night as you can dream of with the Husky running game taking control of the game. Marchiol, one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in the 2022 class, threw for a touchdown and ran for another in this runaway victory.

So what did we see in the player? We saw a player be accurate on some short throws in traffic. We saw him roll out of the pocket and make some strong throws on the move. We saw him tuck the ball and run to the outside and between the tackles. The lefty even showed his composure by scrambling for a touchdown after bobbling the snap. Marchiol looks the part of a major D1 quarterback prospect- 6’2”, 220lb, a strong athletic frame, a strong, accurate arm (though he didn’t need to air it out Friday), and decent speed once underway. He even showed some wiggle in the pocket to evade pressure.

The southpaw QB is definitely an ASU-caliber recruit with an ASU offer and one the program would be thrilled to land. They’ll have to hold off several blue blood programs for his signature- Florida State, Florida, Ole Miss, Michigan, to name a few.

OL Grayson Stovall, 2022- When you think Hamilton, you think about the great potential of the Husky air attack led by Marchiol’s talented arm, but Hamilton’s first game really put on display the great run blocking of the offensive line. Five rushing touchdowns on the day against a formidable opponent certainly earns them pats on the back. That impressive offensive line is led by Junior Grayson Stovall.

Stovall is a powerful 6’4”, 280-pound offensive guard. When I look at Stovall, I can’t help but see a guard version of former NFL’er Sam Baker. The Hamilton guard displays solid mobility shows no flexibility concerns, and really knows how to explode through his lower half. Stovall moves his frame very well in pass protection with good posture. The real fun, though, is watching him run block where Stovall plays with aggression and displays the mean streak you want to see in the trenches. Playing through the whistle is not a problem for this young man.

Grayson currently holds an ASU offer but also has been offered by schools like Michigan State, Utah, Indiana, Kansas, and Arizona, to name a few. Stovall certainly looks like a solid Power 5-level recruit. The Hamilton lineman mentioned being in regular contact with ASU’s coaching staff. Sun Devil fans would be excited to keep this local product home.

CB Cole Martin, 2023- If you enjoy watching explosive playmakers with charismatic personalities, I’ve got your guy. Cole Martin is for real. Martin wasn’t tested much at cornerback in game one, but you don’t need to see him defend too many passes his way to understand the athleticism here.

The 5’10” cornerback is a very dynamic player. He has all the skills you look for in a corner- the speed, the agility, the hips, the backpedal, but he also shows a physicality even as a sophomore that impresses further. Martin likes and seeks contact and shows good tackling form. The most fun part to watch might be to see him in the return game. He catches punts well, and if he’s given just a sliver of space, he makes it the most exciting play of the game. The sophomore can escape your grasp in a phone booth; it’s that kind of smooth change of direction and burst.

Cole Martin, despite still having two seasons more to go after the 2020 season, has already collected a large number of offers, including ASU and many of the national power programs. ASU has its hands full in this recruitment- Martin will be a premier national recruit without a doubt. And with that big, fun-loving personality of his, it’s going to be a joy continuing to follow him in that journey.

S Jack Howell, 2021- The Colorado State safety commit definitely passes the eye test as a D1 prospect. The Hamilton secondary didn’t have much activity against Centennial, but you see Howell’s instincts, recognition, and agility throughout the game. The future CSU Ram is more straight-line speed than short-area burst and pivot but has the physicality and frame for safety at the next level.

RB Noah Schmitt, 2021- Hamilton’s senior running back deserves the opportunity to play college football, and he should get his chance. The Colorado native had an impressive performance that included two 50+-yard carries and two touchdowns. Schmitt has nice balance, strength, and enough speed to not be caught from behind easily.

RB Deshaun Buchanan, 2023- This tailback will be an interesting to watch over the next few years. Buchanan had two touchdowns and several impressive carries on Friday. The sophomore showed good speed, burst, and a frame that should continue to develop into a D1 caliber recruit. Buchanan is a slashing type of running who looks his best with one cut, plant and go. I look forward to seeing him evolve over the next couple of seasons.

QB Roch Cholowsky, 2023- Wait, but Marchiol is the quarterback with the bright future on the Hamilton roster, no? How can I right up the backup who didn’t attempt many passes in junk time? Well, Nicco won’t be the only one playing major D1 ball. Cholowsky is the top 2023 baseball player in Arizona and is already committed to UCLA. I’m thinking ASU would have loved to have kept him in-state for college.

OT Caiden Miles, 2021- The UNLV Tackle commit had a solid performance against Hamilton. The 6’4” 290-pound tackle held his own against one of the top programs in the state. He showed some mobility, agility, and bend for a big man. Miles's strength looks to be pass protection and shows the tools to be a quality run blocker as well. The UNLV Rebels were able to land Miles against offers from Air Force, New Mexico State, and others

DT TJ McRae, 2021- Unfortunately, McRae was not in uniform. I was looking forward to seeing him in action. In past looks, he’s shown a nice ability to collapse the pocket off sheer strength and will. I’m hoping to get a 2020 in-season look at him soon.