Ortiz impressed by new ASU staff
Jalen Ortiz showed up late to Arizona State's recruiting meeting on Saturday but that didn't stop the Peoria (Ariz.) Centennial athlete from having a great time.
The Sun Devils are definitely a strong consideration for Ortiz, who also has offers from Arizona, BYU, Purdue and Washington and he said this weekend's trip helped their chances for down the road.
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"I showed up late because I had to take the SAT in the morning so I didn't get there until one o'clock or so but when I got there we went to their indoor practice facility and took a campus tour and looked at all their awards," Ortiz said.
"We had a meeting with our position coach. I went with the secondary coach, coach (Chris) Ball, and he was talking to us about the basic corner stuff and we watched some film from this past season.
"It was a real good time especially since we all knew each other and we're the top guys in Arizona. It was a cool experience to share with them."
One of the things Ortiz likes about the new staff at Arizona State is that they're going after the top in-state players much harder than the old regime.
That means a lot to guys like Ortiz, one of the top players in the state, and that's one reason why the Sun Devils stick out so much.
"I really like the new staff," Ortiz said. "They make sure you know they're going after the top kids in Phoenix and they're trying to get all the top kids.
"I never really talked to the old ASU staff so I can't really compare the two that much. I didn't really have that much contact but I like that new staff a lot. It seems like a good option. From what I've seen I like them a lot so we'll see how it all turns out."
Ortiz plans to attend USC's junior day in February and he said it wouldn't be a surprise if he went to Arizona and Arizona State again in the coming months.