Ralph Amsden
As strange as its been for the last three years to be covering Arizona sports while based out of Charlotte, North Carolina- sometimes opportunities fall into my lap that I’d never have been able to take advantage of on the west coast. Last week, that was the chance to crash the Atlantic Coast Conference’s media day to see if I could get some updates on Arizona connections to the east-coast-based conference that now strangely includes Cal and Stanford as castoffs.
Here’s what I was able to dig up:
Stanford QB Ashton Daniels’ advice to Dylan Raiola
Stanford QB Ashton Daniels prepped at Buford High northeast of Atlanta, and that’s where former Chandler High QB and #1 recruit in all of America, Dylan Raiola, chose to spend his senior year. I asked Ashton Daniels what advice he has for Raiola as he prepares to compete to start at Nebraska as a true freshman”
“That’s my guy. I’ve made sure to keep in contact with him ever since I heard he was coming to Buford. You have to go in there (Nebraska) with the right mindset. There might be a change in the offensive scheme, but the reason they recruited him is because they know that he fits their offense well, and that’s how it is with most colleges. I have no doubt that (Raiola) is going to go in there and do great things for Nebraska this year.”
Stanford LB Tristan Sinclair on Anthony Franklin and Myles Libman
Stanford LB Tristan Sinclair plays on the Cardinal defense alongside Pinnacle High alum Anthony Franklin, and plays on the opposite side of the ball as former Pinnacle WR Myles Libman. Here’s what he had to say:
“Big Frank! He’s a big dude but he can move really well. He makes plays, and he’s strong. It helps that he’s healthy now, because he played through having a bad shoulder all year last year. Anthony Franklin is doing really well and I’m excited to have him back in fall camp. He’s one of the hardest workers and it’s fun to play behind him.”
“Myles is a very good receiver, he definitely belongs at this level. The way he rounds off routes and his hands- if you don’t know about him now, you probably will eventually.”
Cal QB Chandler Rogers on future NFL Hall of Famer and Chandler alum Cam Jordan
Cal QB Chandler Rogers transferred in from University of North Texas, but prior to that he was a two-year starter at University of Louisiana Monroe. Now that he’s set to play for the same University as New Orleans Saint legend Cam Jordan, I asked Rogers how people in Louisiana feel about Jordan as a player and person.
“He’s one of the very favorite players in the state of Louisiana, period. Not only because of his time with the Saints, but because f how involved he is with the community there. It was great to find out he’s a Cal Bear. It was fun to find that out when I started watching the Saints, and you say to yourself ‘oh he went to Cal, so he’s a smart guy.'”
Cal Safety Craig Woodson on Queen Creek alum Hunter Barth and Desert Vista alum Brett Johnson
Craig Woodson has been at Cal since 2019, so he’s seen plenty of Arizona prep football players come and go in Berkeley. I asked him about the progress of playing alongside both Queen Creek’s Hunter Barth, and Desert Vista’s Brett Johnson:
“Hunter is coming along well, he started out as a safety and moved to inside linebacker. But no matter where you put him on the field, he’s going to work as hard as he can to find a way to help the team. I appreciate him. He’s gotten bigger and stronger. Obviously playing inside backer you can’t be 200 pounds and expect to do anything, s he’s made a lot o progress physically, but also mentally when it comes to the playbook.”
“Man, Brett was a guy who could take on any block and shed it immediately. He was probably one of the strongest people I’ve known, and one of the best defensive tackles I’ve ever played with. Although it is unfortunate that he wasn’t able to reach what he could have been on the field (due to injuries), I think God has a plan for everybody. Whatever he does next, he’ll exceed at it.”
…and a bonus Craig Woodson quote directed to former Cal teammate DeCarlos Brooks, a Chandler alum now playing at Arizona State…
“Hey DeCarlos, you know I need that ‘Los Fade.’ You know you’re the best barber out here.”
Boston College QB Thomas Castellanos on former UCF teammate and Chandler alum Mikey Keene
Boston College’s @Tommy_casto once shared a QB room with Fresno State’s @Mikey_Keene at UCF. They both left Orlando, and they both had huge 2023 seasons.
I covered Keene’s high school career at Chandler, so I asked Castellanos to talk about being his teammate. pic.twitter.com/zSox0walVh
— Ralph Amsden (@ralphamsden) July 30, 2024
Duke OL Justin Pickett on Salpointe Alum Bruno Fina
Bruno Fina transferred from UCLA to Duke in the offseason, and veteran Blue Devils OL Justin Pickett is already impressed with what his new teammate has shown:
“He’s been an exceptional talent and an exceptional person. He has a great personality and is a great addition to our locker room. I think he’ll do a lot of special things for us on and off the field. Being around him and seeing his work ethic- it’s second to none. He completes our culture.”
Duke QB Maalik Murphy on Salpointe alum and Atlanta Falcons RB Bijan Robinson
Maalik Murphy was a highly touted high school QB out of California, and he spent the last two years at Texas in a crowded QB room before transferring to Duke. I asked him about his year alongside Salpointe Catholic alum Bijan Robinson, who is now with the Atlanta Falcons:
“It was great to be around (Bijan). As a freshman in college you don’t realize how great someone is until you actually see it. Seeing it every day in practice- the moves he made, the way he ran the ball, the way he caught the ball, the way he practiced, the way he worked out- this dude, he’s really like that. I feel like the biggest moment for me at Texas during his last year was his last game in the stadium, when the whole crowd started chanting his name. It gave me chills. Seeing the people that he impacted in his three years there was incredible. Bijan is a Longhorn legend for sure and I’m happy I was there to witness it.”
Syracuse Head Coach Fran Brown on Saguaro alum Kelee Ringo
Fran Brown won a National Championship with Georgia as their defensive backs coach, and was Saguaro alum Kelee Ringo’s position coach that year (the second of two natty’s in Ringo’s Georgia career). Ringo is now with the Philadelphia Eagles, and Brown had this to say about his time as his coach:
“That’s my boy. He just had a son and I’m very happy for him. He’s a chill kid. Kelee’s career is going to continue to get better as he plays. He’s fresh to the corner position, and he only really got to play one year with me. The first year before I got there he got to play half a year, and that’s the year he caugh the pick in the national championship game. He didn’t get to play as much as he could, but he’s going to continue to get better. He’s big and athletic, and a great person.”
Bonus- I asked coach Brown if he thought Kelee Ringo could have made an Olympic podium in track.
“I don’t know, I’ve got a guy at Syracuse that can run a 10.2 (100 yard dash). That’s a different level. They run 10-flats and 9’s now. But if he took it serious, and that’s all he wanted to focus on, and he wasn’t 215 pounds, you never know. He’s fast. He can run as fast as he wants when he wants to.”
Syracuse QB Kyle McCord on whether Lathan Ransom and Bijan Robinson’s Salpointe team could beat St Joseph’s
Syracuse QB Kyle McCord told me that his former Ohio State teammate Lathan Ransom said Tucson Salpointe (with Bijan Robinson) could have beaten McCord’s St Joseph’s squad with Marvin Harrison Jr.
Might have to create this matchup in NCAA 👀 pic.twitter.com/s4DkbmKVqg
— Ralph Amsden (@ralphamsden) July 30, 2024
Louisville Head Coach Brian Brohn on Hamilton alum and Houston Texans RB Jawhar Jordan
I asked Louisville Head Coach Brian Brohm about his time coaching Hamilton alum Jawhar Jordan, who was selected by Houston Texans in the 6th round after starring at Louisville in 2023. Jordan was high school teammates with Louisville QB Tyler Shough:
“Jawhar did a great job for us. In the first six games when he was healthy, he was really good and really effective. He’s quick in the hole, he can make guys miss with a little bit of a quick twitch, he’s got good hands, and he’s slippery when you try to tackle him in a way that’s kind of natural. Then he got injured for us so he wasn’t quite as effective the last half of the year, but he played with an injury that had to have surgery at the end of the season. I give him credit for toughing that out and giving us what he could. Healthy, he definitely can help a football team win, and I think he can help a team at the National Football League level. While his size and stature might not impress you, he’s just really good in the hole and natural with his running style.
We were trying to have Tyler (Shough) convince him to come back and play, but that didn’t work out. But I think we helped (Jawhar) fulfill his goals, and so he said good things and that helped us get Tyler.”
Hamilton alum and Louisville QB Tyler Shough on how his path has intertwined with Gilbert alum Jack Plummer
I had a chance to ask Tyler Shough about playing high school football just 11 miles from current Carolina Pathers QB Jack Plummer in high school, and both of their paths including starts in the Pac-12, middle of the country, and now Shough following Plummer as the starter at Louisville. Here’s what he had to say:
“Yeah, we’ve developed a relationship over the years just through quarterback play, obviously being from Arizona, then transferring as well. He was a big part of my process for me coming here, just knowing about the team, knowing about the coaches. Him and Jawhar Jordan. It’s kind of a full-circle moment being able to come here, and trying to recruit Jawhar back, being able to come play for the same team they were on, with a lot of the same guys.
(Jack Plummer) did such a great job last year putting them in positions to be successful. Obviously they wanted to finish the year stronger. Watching him on tape, what they were able to
do, it’s helped me develop in this offense, see how we can grow and continue to get better. Obviously wish him nothing but the best going forward in his NFL career. He’s going to do really well because of the coaching he’s had and who he is.”
