Sports360AZ
Blue Ridge linebacker Chans Cox is the real deal, and Sun Devil fans will get to see him up close and personal very soon.
Cox, the No. 1 high school football recruit in the state of Arizona for the 2013 season, recently announced that he’ll be attending Arizona State University once he finishes his senior year at Blue Ridge, and will play under head coach Todd Graham.
Naturally, when you’re the No. 1 guy, everyone wants a crack at you, and Cox was no different.
Among the many schools that vied for his services were USC, Nebraska, Arkansas, Boise State, Notre Dame and Arizona State.
In the end, Cox said it came down to Notre Dame and Arizona State, to which he chose the latter.
Cox said it was a tough decision, but the relative closeness of Tempe, Ariz., and the fact that his family could come see him play in person stacked the deck in the Sun Devils favor.
“My family being able to come down and watch me, that’s something that means a whole lot to me,” Cox said.
Cox also said the numerous trips he made to the Arizona State campus and the meetings he had with Graham and his staff also helped him sway his decision toward the Sun Devils.
“I really love what they’re doing there, the discipline and character they’re installing, it means a lot to me,” Cox said.
Cox said the hardest part in the whole process was calling the recruiting coach at Notre Dame to let him know he’s decided to take a pass on the Irish and stay in Arizona instead.
You have to respect a young man who’s confident in his talents and abilities. That describes Cox to a T.
Cox wasn’t afraid to come out and say that he could play right now for Graham if it came down to it.
“I think I’m going to fit in the program real well,” Cox said. “With my speed and my size, I feel like I could go play linebacker there right now. If I can keep my speed, I think I’ll be able to adapt to the system really fast.”
When asked who he patterns his game after, Cox said Clay Matthews, linebacker for the Green Bay Packers.
“He’s an awesome guy, and he transfers that to the field,” Cox said. “I really look at him as a role model.”
Cox also plays fullback for the Yellow Jackets, and is very good at that position as well.
Cox said he and Graham talked about it and kicked around the idea of “getting down to the five yard line and being able to punch it in.”
“There could be a chance, but it’s mostly for linebacker right now.”
Sun Devil fans should be leaping for the stars, knowing that Cox will be lining up for the crush in a Sun Devil uniform next fall.
