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The Arizona State Sun Devils added to their impressive list of in-state recruits today as Mountain View High School receiver Curtis Hodges signed and submitted his letter of intent to play in Tempe in 2017.
Hodges gave his verbal commitment in July before his senior season in which the Mesa native increased his national wide receiver ranking from 303rd to 128th.
#forksup #staytrue pic.twitter.com/NyslZbfRMo
— curt.80™ (@CurtisHodges9) July 29, 2016
Boom!!!! We just got better! #ForksUp Great day to be a Sun Devil! pic.twitter.com/UIjLGCnQXx
— Todd Graham (@CoachGrahamASU) July 29, 2016
The 6-foot-8 wide receiver also improved his ranking at 247Sports, upgrading to a three-star recruit from his two-star ranking one year ago.
In ten games last season, Hodges compiled 698 yards and seven touchdowns on 44 receptions.
The receiver unit is one within the program that has quietly arisen as an area of concern for the 2017 season, as few wideouts beyond star sophomore N’Keal Harry provided any sort of production in last year’s campaign.
Seniors Ellis Jefferson and Cameron Smith, alongside junior Jalen Harvey are reasonable candidates for an increased workload at wideout; but, under a new offensive coordinator in Billy Napier, few things are certain. It’s reasonable to assume that Hodges, especially with his dynamic size, could compete for a fourth or fifth spot on the depth chart come Spring.
With his size and decent speed it’s possible that Hodges could also see time at tight-end or on the defensive line, but that transition would most likely only materialize in light of a serious lack of depth at either position.
Below are highlights from Hodges’ senior season in Mesa: