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