Rand has plenty of early opinions

Garrett Rand's offer list will grow in time. That's a near certainty. For now, though, class-of-2016 defensive lineman lists just Arizona State, the hometown school. With this, Rand has little problem.

While he waits for other suitors to show themselves, he's focused on getting to know the Sun Devils. And, at least so far, he loves what he's learned.

"I went to ASU's spring game last Saturday," said Rand, a sophomore at Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton High School. "That turned out pretty good. ASU is always in the back of my head. I'm always thinking about them. They are going to be one of my top choices when I'm ready to commit to a school. I really do think that's a great college."

Despite the Sun Devils' head start and Rand's fondness for the university, a trump card lingers on the West Coast. And while ASU will remain in the thick of the hunt no matter what happens in the future, a certain offer could make Rand's recruitment an uphill battle for every school but one.

"My dream school right now would be Stanford," Rand said. "education is one of my top priorities. So that's the place to go to."

Still, there will be other options. As Rand's recruitment evolves, so might his feelings. Plenty of programs are already testing the waters. When the offers arrive, the paradigm may shift.

Football recruiting so rarely follows the obvious path.

"Notre Dame has been hitting me up pretty hard," Rand said. "Michigan State is hitting me up. Alabama has sent me a few letters. Stanford is sort of interested. Oklahoma and Oregon are interested. We'll see."

As a sophomore, Rand helped lead Hamilton to an 11-3 record and an appearance in the state title game. He started for the Huskies as a freshman the year before, which is a rare occurrence at his school, a regional football power.

Rand was a standout at the Southern California stop of the Rivals Camp Series presented by Under Armour, where he soundly defeated a handful of touted 2015 prospects during one-on-one drills.