Shaun Aguano Discusses ASU's In-State Recruiting

One of many major victories taken by Kenny Dillingham since being hired of the head coach of the Arizona State football program two and a half years ago was the decision to retain Shaun Aguano as running backs coach.

Aguano was serving as the interim head coach in relief of Herm Edwards - who was fired early on in the 2022 season, and the Sun Devils responded quite positively to the change, a victory over a ranked Washington Huskies was evidence of that.

Aguano's profile locally has grown significantly in recent years - and he joined Brad Denny's "Speak of the Devils" podcast earlier this week to discuss numerous topics - including recruiting.

Aguano when asked about what could resonate with local recruits moving forward - including the recent 'golden ticket' proposition:

"I think it was a great idea knowing that we want to keep the best kids in Arizona. And we understand that we have to win and consistently win so that our logo and our product is something that they think of first before anybody else. And we understand we got our work cut out for them."

On how the relationships with local high school coaches and players are progressing:

"I think it's going really well and it takes time and again, you know, cultivating those relationships, giving them a place that they understand that in which we want them... we want to make sure that our choice is first and that they see us as their first pick."

The local efforts haven't always succeeded - the most notable recent result was Brophy Prep star WR Devin Fitzgerald committing to play for Notre Dame - but it doesn't mean that the staff won't stop trying.

Noah Roberts, Dontay Tyson, and Jake Hildebrand are just three of the local 2027 recruits that the Sun Devils have made a point to prioritize in recent weeks - time will tell if Arizona can once again become a strong hold for Dillingham's program.

Read more on projecting the 10 best players on Arizona State's roster going into the new season here, and on Sam Leavitt being selected as the Big-12 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year here.