Hamilton’s Toby Mealer Feels “Family Atmosphere” With ASU Commitment

Arizona State will look to hit the recruiting trail after their final game of the season on Saturday against Arizona. 

They’ve already made some progress on their 2025 class on Wednesday.

Class of 2025 Hamilton offensive lineman Toby Mealer announced his commitment to the Sun Devils.

https://twitter.com/MealerToby/status/1727413960847368406

The 6-foot-5, 340-pound Mealer committed to the Devils because of the family atmosphere within the coaching staff. He started to take notice of that emphasis when Shaun Aguano took over the program as interim head coach. That trend has continued with Kenny Dillingham leading the program.

He also likes how the coaching staff is full of young, energetic coaches he can relate to.

“They’re younger, so I’m more connected towards them because they’re closer to my age,” Mealer said. “(I like) how energetic they all are and that (many coaches) are from Arizona.”

Offensive line coach Saga Tuitele was a big factor in Mealer’s decision, and the young offensive lineman is looking forward to getting coached tough at the next level.

“He coaches his butt off and he’s real hard on the players on the field,” Mealer said of Tuitele. “But then he tells me stories how they have family dinners at his house with his wife and kids. I just love how he loves him off the field and coach them hard on.”

The Hamilton offensive lineman sees similarities between “Coach T” and his current offensive line Coach Mark Tucker, a mainstay with the Husky program who played at USC before a professional career in the NFL and AFL.

“Coach Tuck always brings up the point about how he’s preparing us for life and how life’s not going to be easy,” Mealer said. “I really appreciate how tough he is on us.”

Mealer holds offers from the Sun Devils, Arizona and Massachusetts. He was a one-time commit to Arizona this past summer before re-opening his recruitment prior to the fall season starting. Going through the recruitment process a second time meant digging in deeper to get to know the programs recruiting him.

“I really just realized I have to get to know the coaching staff before I make the final decision,” Mealer said. “Throughout the process, I learned how genuine ASU coaching staff was.”

He felt that the time was right with Devils, and that’s why he made his commitment now. 

“I want to go on from here and continue to progress to be able to play in college soon as possible.”

Mealer joins quarterback Michael “Butter” Tollefson and cornerback Joseph Smith as Sun Devil commits in the 2025 class. Mealer said he spoke to Tollefson throughout the recruitment process, and that helped confirm his decision. 

“I started off with why he chose that and he told me that the relationship with his coach was really the main reason,” Mealer said. “He has the confidence that ASU is going to turn into a powerhouse.”

And with his college decision made, he can enter his senior season focued on bringing a trophy back to Hamilton. 

“I want to worry about winning the state championship and just perfecting my craft.”