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ASU Recruiting

Speak Of The Devils Podcast: In-Depth ASU Signing Day Recap And Analysis

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The first National Signing Day in the Todd Graham era is in the books for the Arizona State Sun Devils, and Speak of the Devils was on the front lines all day, and this new episode provides everything a Sun Devil fan needs to know about the 2012 class.

First up is a detailed look at what ASU's Pac-12 competition did on Wednesday. Then it's time for the main event (starting) at the 11:39 mark, where we break down the entire list of the 23-member class of new Sun Devils. We then take a look ahead at the Devils' top needs for 2013.

Stay tuned after the show (starting at 1:19:26) for the complete audio of Todd Graham's Signing Day press conference.

Click here to stream or listen via iTunes

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ASU Signing Day 2012: The Top 5 Immediate Impact Players

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Wow, that was fun.

The first National Signing Day for the Arizona State Sun Devils under head coach Todd Graham is in the books. The job that Graham and his staff have done in the seven weeks since they came on board is nothing short of remarkable.

Inheriting a program in utter disarray and with the ramifications of the coaching search fiasco lingering, they have managed to build a solid class in just 50 days, keeping the key pieces in place from Dennis Erickson's commits and adding their own players into the mix.

Despite missing out on two top recruiting targets--wide receiver Darreus Rogers and cornerback Randall Goforth--there are 23 new Sun Devils in the class of 2012, providing a nice mix of top prospects, depth guys and long-term developmental projects.

Here now are my top five incoming players who will make an impact this season.

1) Steffon Martin - Middle Linebacker

The biggest on-field change for the Sun Devils in 2012 will be on defense. The old 4-3 base defense run by former coordinator Craig Bray is out, replaced by an aggressive and attacking 3-3-5/3-4 scheme. One of the challenges for ASU in moving to a scheme so dependent on athletic linebackers is that their top four at the position from last season--Vontaze Burfict, Shelly Lyons, Colin Parker and Oliver Aaron--are all gone. Brandon Magee comes back from injury, but beyond that there are serious questions.

Enter Martin.

At 6'2" and 240 pounds with 4.5 speed, he is exactly the kind of sideline-to-sideline ballhawk that flourishes in a 3-4 set. This past season at Arizona Western junior college, he made 108 tackles, registered eight sacks and intercepted two passes. Expect him to challenge for a starting job early in spring camp.

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ASU Signing Day 2012: Busy Morning Nets Impressive Players, More To Come

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UPDATED - The Arizona State Sun Devils and head coach Todd Graham are in the midst of a very impressive Signing Day. Despite being hired in late December and having to overcome a number of challenges, Graham is compiling a very impressive class thus far, with a number of other recruits to come as the day progresses.

The big early highlight was the commitment of Marion Grice, a four-star running back from Blinn College. Grice, the top ranked juco running back, chose ASU over a number of other offers, including Tennessee, Arkansas and Houston.

After securing a major prize in D.J. Foster last week, ASU was able to lock down another big local recruit in defensive tackle Jaxon Hood. The Hamilton High School product picked ASU over Boston College.

Other than Grice and Hood, the rest of the morning's official signings were all already committed or were heavily expected to become Sun Devils.

This includes a number of players who should make instant impacts.

On offense, four-star offensive tackle Evan Goodman, the No. 16 tackle in the nation should secure a starting job and lead the way for Foster and Grice. Juco wide receiver Alonzo Agwuenu, a terrific 6'4" prospect, could very well see a starting job in his future as part of a rebuilding wide receiver corps, as will Richard Smith, a speedy receiver who could fill a role in the slot.

The much maligned defense officially added some intriguing pieces. Steffon Martin is a highly productive and talented juco linebacker who could secure a starting middle linebacker spot. Joining him at linebacker is Carlos Mendoza and Salamo Fiso, athletic defenders with talents for making key plays. One very intriguing prospect is safety/linebacker Chris Young, another juco transfer. Young is exactly the type of versatile defender ASU's new 3-3-5 scheme requires, and his range, tackling and overall playmaking skills will make him a factor from Day 1.

The full list of official recruits as of 11:08am Arizona time is as follows:

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Jaxon Hood To ASU: 3-Star DT Selects Sun Devils Over Boston College, According To Report

Jaxon Hood (Photo: David Wallace/The Arizona Republic)

The Arizona State Sun Devils received a big boost to their defensive line, as they reportedly received a commitment from local three-star defensive tackle prospect Jaxon Hood of Hamilton High School, according to Scott Bordow in a tweet from AZ Central.

Hood was a soft verbal commit to Boston College, but after being largely ignored by former ASU head coach Dennis Erickson, new coach Todd Graham made a strong push to secure the talented defender.

At 6'0" and 280 pounds, Hood was an exceedingly disruptive force along the defensive line for Hamilton. He registered 13 sacks and 32.5 quarterback hurries, as well as making 102 total tackles.

ASU will be moving from a base 4-3 scheme to a 3-3-5/3-4 scheme, and will be in need of different types of defensive linemen, most notably a stalwart nose tackle. The Sun Devils already secured a commitment from Mike Pennel, and Hood's commitment helps to solidify a position that ASU's returning roster was lacking.

Click here for highlights of Hood in action.

Follow me on Twitter @BDenny29 for the latest ASU recruiting news.

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Laiu Moeakiola To ASU: 3-Star Safety Selects ASU Over UCLA

Laiu Moeakiola (Photo: Scout.com)

The much maligned Arizona State secondary received a boost this Signing Day with the commitment of three-star safety Laiu Moeakiola from Trinity High School in Euless, Texas, according to ASUDevils.com. The Sun Devils beat out division rival UCLA for the talented safety's services.

While many of the recruits' final destinations were still in question coming into Signing Day, Moeakiola's arrival in Tempe was relatively certain. Having committed to the Bruins when Rick Neuheisel was the head coach, Moeakiola de-committed from UCLA and heavily favored the Sun Devils since his official visit to ASU. His cousin, David Moala, is on ASU's roster to further cement his decision.

Standing at an even 6'0" and weighing 195 pounds, Moeakiola brings good size to the safety position, as well as some much needed solid tackling. His quickness allows him to cover a lot of ground to deliver crushing hits, making him ideal for a roving safety spot in ASU's new 3-3-5 scheme. He will need to work on his coverage skills at the next level. With both of ASU's starting safeties from last season--Eddie Elder and Clint Floyd--having departed, there is opportunity in the secondary.

Click here for video of Moeakiola in action.

Follow me on Twitter @BDenny29 for the latest on ASU recruiting

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Marion Grice To ASU: 4-Star RB Selects Sun Devils

Marion Grice (Photo: NJCAA.org)

The Arizona State Sun Devils picked up another major weapon for their backfield when the top-rated junior college running back, Marion Grice of Blinn College, chose to sign with ASU, according to Brian Perroni of RIvals.com. Grice spurned offers from Mississippi, Houston and several other schools.

Grice spent two years at Blinn, and topped 1,000 yards in each season. This past year, he ran for 1,052 yards and 16 touchdowns, elevating his stock enough to be the only four-star running back prospect from the juco ranks.

The signing of Grice is another nice accomplishment by coach Todd Graham. Grice was pursued by a number of prominent programs, such as Tennessee, Arkansas, TCU and Baylor. By being able to pluck the top juco running back from a recruiting hotbed like Texas should help Graham and ASU in the future.

At 6'0", 210 pounds, Grice has ideal size for the position, and he also reportedly runs a 4.5 time in the 40. That blend of power and speed makes him a valuable all-purpose back, something that ASU's depleted backfield could use. Returning starter Cameron Marshall is a dynamic every down threat, but Deantre Lewis, Kyle Middlebrooks and incoming top recruit D.J. Foster are all speedy backs that aren't suited for continuous between-the-tackles running. Grice's addition helps even out the team's skillset in the backfield.

Click here to see Grice in action.

Follow me on Twitter @BDenny29 for the latest on ASU recruiting

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Steffon Martin To ASU: 3-Star MLB To Sign With Sun Devils Over Indiana, According to Reports

The Arizona State Sun Devil defense received a major pre-Signing Day boost as three-star junior college middle linebacker Steffon Martin of Arizona Western reportedly chose ASU over Indiana, according to ASUDevils.com.

Martin earned a spot on the All-ACCAC first team last season at Arizona Western College in Yuma. He was an all-around force, as he made 108 tackles, including 17 for loss, notched eight sacks and intercepted two passes.

With Vontaze Burfict, Shelly Lyons, Colin Parker and Oliver Aaron all departing, ASU is losing it's top four linebackers from a season ago. Even with the return of Brandon Magee from injury, there will be plenty of opportunity for Martin to contribute immediately.

At 6'2", 235 pounds with a reported 4.54 time in the 40, Martin possesses good size and speed to play middle linebacker in the new 3-3-5/3-4 scheme that ASU is installing. Given his skill set, he should see playing time and perhaps challenge for a starting job this season.

Click here to see Martin in action.

Follow me on Twitter @BDenny29 for the latest ASU recruiting news

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ASU Football Recruiting: Signing Day Preview For The Sun Devils

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Today is the day. With the fax machines whirring, the 2012 recruiting class becomes official as recruits become commits with their signed and returned Letters of Intent.

The evolution of Arizona State's 2012 class has been an absolute roller coaster. A previously impressive class compiled by Dennis Erickson began to crumble after he was fired, and ASU's prolonged coaching search ended with the hiring of Todd Graham on December 14th. Such a late hire put Graham and the program in a tight spot, with little time to salvage the current recruits and target their own players.

Yet, Graham and his staff have done a remarkable job given such difficult circumstances. The first major victory occurred on Friday, when prized four-star running back D.J. Foster chose to become a Sun Devil. His signing represents a tremendous win not only on the recruiting front, but also in reversing ASU's recent trend in failing to secure top local talent.

With just days to go, here is a position-by-position primer on where ASU stands. Rating used are from DevilsDigest.com, the excellent ASU site of the Scout.com network.

Quarterback

Current Commits: None

Even with the early departure of Brock Osweiler to the NFL Draft, quarterback is not a huge need for the Devils and it doesn't appear they will target one by Signing Day. With three young and talented players--Michael Eubank, Mike Bercovici and Taylor Kelly--set to fight for the starting spot, this position will likely be targeted in the 2013 class.

ASU previously had a commitment from three-star quarterback T.J. Millweard, but after some waffling following the departures of Erickson and previous offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone, he opted for UCLA. ASU was going to take a look at Nate Sudfield, but he opted for Indiana before coming for a visit.

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