Another All-American Bowl, another commitment for Arizona State.
Offensive lineman Armon Bethea of Brooklyn announced he has committed to the Sun Devils on Saturday during the the All-American Bowl Declaration Day special on NBC.
While the All-American Bowl was not played this year due to the Coronavirus, there was a broadcast for nine uncomitted players to announce their college decisions.
The 6-foot-6, 310-pound offensive lineman picked the Sun Devils over finalists such as Louisville, Ole Miss and Arkansas. He signed with Arizona State on December 16 and will enroll later this month.
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Big Baby (@D1BoundArmon) is going to be a Sun Devil for @ASUFootball #AAB21 πΊπΈ#ForksUo π΅ #AllAmericanBowl π @GEICO pic.twitter.com/ZP6OrjSZXY
— All-American Bowl (@AABonNBC) January 2, 2021
βI like Arizona State because theyβve been very consistent with me through the recruiting process,” Bethea said on the broadcast. “They made me a top priority since they offered me. Just the NFL pipeline is very impressive.β
During quarantine this past year, Bethea was able to transform his body, dropping 45 pounds in 2020.
“It was really critical to Arizona State wanting to pull him because that told them a lot about Armon as a person, as a player,” 247 Sports director of scouting Barton Simmons said on the broadcast. “A guy that went through a pandemic and cut 45 pounds, that tells you a little about his commitment to things.”
The Sun Devils currently have three offensive linemen signed in Bethea, Austin Barry and Isaia Glass. Ezra Dotson-Oyetade and Isaiah World are verbally committed and former North Carolina offensive lineman Triston Miller transferred into the program and is immediately eligible.
The coaching staff has made it a priority to change the physical makeup of the Sun Devils roster since they touched down in Tempe, and Simmons believes the latest commitment can help that cause.
“As Herm Edwards tries to transform this roster into a physical team in a finesse league like the Pac-12, I think getting a guy like Armon was really huge.”
This is the second consecutive All-American Bowl where ASU has added a commitment. Wide receiver LV Bunkley-Shelton announced his commitment in the 2019 All-American bowl.