TEMPE, Ariz. – As we look at all the signees for Arizona State football from National Signing Day, let’s take a deeper dive at the wide receiver group. This is a position group that you’d expect to continue to grow in talent and production in the near future.
Wide receiver coach Hines Ward is in his first season with ASU. Redshirt sophomore Jordyn Tyson is putting up videogame numbers in his first season with ASU and Ward. Tyson leads the team with 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns.
This is Ward’s first full season of recruiting, and he’s ranked No. 4 in the Big 12 with four commits. The two-time Super Bowl Champion and future Hall of Famer has recruits wanting to be in Tempe.
“Other than 10,000 yards and 100 touchdowns, and a Super Bowl MVP, he’s (Hines Ward) just a really humble person,” head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “He’s humble; he’s accomplished everything that these kids want to accomplish. Why would you not want to go play for that?”
ASU’s wide receiver signees
Four of ASU’s 21 recruits that signed Wednesday are receivers. All four players are three-star recruits. However, their mix of speed and size should give Ward plenty to work with.
Three-star Corey Butler
Corey Butler chose ASU over nine other schools including Oregon, Colorado, BYU, Boise State and Utah. Butler is listed at 5-foot-8.5 and 170 pounds. He’s the No. 54 ranked player in California and the No. 90 ranked receiver in the country.
“Being a Sun Devil is a blessing,” Butler said. “Coach Dilly is one of the most genuine coaches I’ve met while having a personal connection with every player.”
Butler is undersized but he has lightning speed. The speedster clocked 21.94 MPH on a Catapult GPS in his junior season. Butler’s speed can be useful on special teams as well. His explosiveness allows him to be a dangerous punt and kick returner.
The dynamic receiver was a starter for three years at Centennial High School in Corona, California. Butler accumulated more than 2,400 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns. He averaged more than 17 yards per catch. Butler added more than 100 yards and a couple of touchdowns on the ground.
Butler is a fast, versatile player that offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo, special teams coordinators Charlie Ragle and Matt Butterfield, and Ward should all look forward to getting involved.
“Overall, the whole staff show true love and connection with everybody. The whole program itself stands for ‘Have more fun working harder than anyone in the country,’” Butler said. “Who doesn’t want to play under coach Dilly, Arroyo and Ward?”
Three-star Chance Ables
Chance Ables chose ASU over nine other schools as well, including Tennessee, TCU, Kentucky, Oklahoma State and Arkansas. Ables has good size listed at 6-foot-3 and 177 pounds.
The three-star receiver is another Texas product keeping the Texas to Tempe pipeline active. Ables is ranked inside the top 150 in Texas and in his position group nationwide.
Ables only played in six games his senior year at Plano East High School. However, he played at the varsity level all four years of high school. He broke out his sophomore year and added on in his junior year at Naaman Forest High School. He caught 53 passes for 783 yards and eight touchdowns.
It’s safe to say the Texas to Tempe movement is creating a second home here in Tempe for Texas products.
“I chose ASU because of the home feel and the program that they’re building,” Ables said.
Three-star Uriah Neloms
Uriah Neloms is a local product that decided to stay home in Arizona. Neloms is from San Tan Charter High School and picked ASU over Arizona. He’s a 6-foot-4 receiver just shy of 200 pounds.
Neloms is the No. 19 ranked player in Arizona. His size and raw talent will give Ward and the Sun Devils a big, possession receiver. Neloms played three seasons at the varsity level at San Tan Charter. He broke out his junior year with 53 catches for 1,118 yards and 13 touchdowns.
In his senior season, he switched to quarterback and threw for nearly 2,000 yards and rushed for 894 yards. Neloms accounted for 41 total touchdowns and just three interceptions. However, Ward recruited Neloms for ASU as a wide receiver, and that’s likely where he’ll move back to.
Neloms is a local product excited to get his chance at ASU with this talented coaching staff.
“I chose ASU because of the relationship coach Kenny built with me,” Neloms said.
Three-star Harry Hassman
Harry Hassman is another Texas product. Hassman went to Canyon High School his junior year and Coppell High School his senior year. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound receiver lit up the stat sheet at both schools.
Hassman collected more than 800 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior and then exploded his senior year. He set career highs with more than 1,300 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns. Hassman is inside the top 30 in Texas in receiving yards.
The breakout receiver was also a track star in high school. Hassman has plenty of speed, and despite ASU being his only Power Four conference offer, he has a lot of potential.
“I chose ASU because of the relationships with the coaches that I have, and how genuine everyone is,” Hassman said. “There’s no fluff, they just want dawgs.”
This wide receiver class is talented, mixed with top-end speed and size. It will be exciting to see what Hines Ward can do with this group.
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