Matt Kartozian – USA TODAY Sports
The Arizona State Sun Devils positioned themselves as a favorite for the Pac 12 South next season when defensive tackle and reigning Pac 12 defensive player of the year Will Sutton announced he would return to Tempe for his senior season. Now, the defense will get another boost with the announced commitment of junior college defensive tackle Marcus Hardison.
Hardison, considered one of the top junior college prospects in college football, picked the Sun Devils over plenty of other options. The 6-foot-4, 275 pound prospect had narrowed his choices down to the Kansas State Wildcats, West Virginia Mountaineers, Washington Huskies, South Florida Bulls and Auburn Tigers before choosing ASU. He had also gotten offers from the Oklahoma Sooners, Texas A&M Aggies, Arkansas Razorbacks, Oklahoma State Cowboys and TCU Horned Frogs.
For the highly sought defensive tackle, it came down to more than just football.
“They have been the top team since Day One. They were the team to beat. But, at the same time, I took my time just to make sure that Arizona State was the school for me.
“The coaches are great. They have a plan for me. The education is great. Their graduation rate with minorities is very high. I can go get a degree. I have high hopes. I feel like I fit the scheme of the defense and coaches have been real with me since Day One.”
The addition of Hardison gives the Sun Devils another formidable presence on the defensive line to pair up with their All-American Sutton. The duo will prove to do a dominant combination that will make Arizona State one of the strongest defensive teams in the Pac 12.
Head coach Todd Graham found plenty of success in his first season in Tempe. With the addition of another powerful defensive tackle in Hardison, year two looks like it will be another winner for the Sun Devils.
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