Linemen, four-star running back highlight expected signing class for ASU football

Last season Kenny Dillingham was hit with a lot quickly. He was named Arizona State's head football coach in late November and he was signing his first recruiting class less than three weeks later.

Now, he has a year under his belt. The recruits coming in are ones he and his staff recruited rather than having many who had committed to the previous one. The early signing date for football starts Wednesday, and the energetic Sun Devil coach appears to have addressed the team's biggest needs.

But like last year, he will look to complement that high school signing class with a solid group of additions from the transfer portal.

ASU's high school signing class is currently ranked 50th by 247Sports. Add in a transfer group pegged fourth and that gives the Sun Devils an overall rank of 37th. Rivals has ASU slotted at No. 43, fourth in the future Big 12, two spots ahead of state foe Arizona. It is also fourth in the current Pac-12. Of course that could change with last-minute additions or subtractions.

ASU has 19 expected recruits, who come from nine different states. Recruits have the option of waiting until the traditional February signing date but most coaches push for the players to formalize their plans early so they have the option to enroll in January, which then makes them eligible to participate in spring practice.

The biggest haul comes from Texas with five players. That isn't a surprise with Dillingham's staff featuring a pair of coaches in Bryan Carrington and Ra'Shaad Samples, who have extensive experience and success in recruiting that state. Texas has become even more of a priority with ASU headed to the Big 12 next season.

Leading the group from Texas is defensive back Tony Louis-Nkuba, out of Lewisville, who earned a four-star ranking from Rivals. Others are cornerbacks Chris Johnson Jr. of Aledo and Rodney Bimage of Dickinson, versatile athlete Zechariah Sample of Fulshear and wide receiver Elijah Baesa of South Cliff in Dallas.

Dillingham has also flipped two players in the last week, and they come at the position of greatest need. Over the weekend Terrell Kim of North Medford High School (Oregon) flipped to ASU after originally committing to Oregon State. Semisi Tonga changed his commitment to the Sun Devils from future Big 12 foe Oklahoma State. Both were heavily sought-after interior offensive linemen.

The addition of Kim means the Sun Devils also snagged two of the top five players from the state of Oregon with 247Sports tagging Kim as No. 5. One of ASU's earliest pledges, tight end Jayden Fortier out of Tualatin, is regarded as the top prospect from the state.

Perhaps the biggest get of the signing class for Dillingham is running back Jason Brown out of O'Dea High School in Seattle dubbed a four-star recruit by both 247Sports and Rivals. Brown had 23 offers and selected ASU over traditional powers in Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, Oregon and Texas.

He rushed for 876 rushing yards with 12 touchdowns and averaged more than 10 yards per carry and 146 yards per game. He will play in both the All-American Bowl in San Antonio and the Polynesian Bowl in Honolulu in January.

There are four Arizona products in the class — wide receiver Plas Johnson of Chaparral, punter Kanyon Floyd of Horizon, defensive lineman Ramar Williams of Mesa Eastmark and defensive lineman James Giggey of Bradshaw Mountain in Prescott Valley.

Rounding out the signing class are interior offensive linemen Champ Westbrooks of Loyola (Los Angeles) and Filiva'a Saluni of Kahuku, Hawaii, edge rusher Salesi Manu out of Bishop Manogue in Reno, Nevada, safety Martell Hughes from Madison High School in San Diego, linebacker Albert Smith of Ponchatoula, Louisiana and wide receiver Cullen Charles of St. Martinville in Louisiana.

Breaking down the group by position, ASU is expected to bring in four offensive linemen, four defensive backs, three wide receivers, three defensive linemen, two special teamers, one tight end, one linebacker and one running back.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona State football expected to fill needed positions on signing day