What Could Have Been if Arizona State Recruited Brock Purdy

The Arizona State Sun Devils football program has started fresh under head coach Kenny Dillingham - having reached the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history in 2024.

It unfortunately wasn't always this way.

There was a period of uncertainty that shrouded Tempe during the tenure of Herm Edwards from 2017-2022.

While there was hope going into two different seasons - particularly the 2019 and 2021 renditions - the amount of blunders made by Edwards and his staff nearly took the program down a dark path.

One of the most unheralded errors of the Edwards years?

Opting not to recruit a Perry high school quarterback by the name of Brock Purdy.

Purdy - who threw for 107 touchdowns and ran for 20 in two-plus seasons as the starter at Perry - was a three star recruit who was considered the 10th best recruit in Arizona for the class of 2018.

He fielded offers from programs such as Texas A&M, UCF, Boise State, and even Alabama.

Arizona State?

Nowhere to be seen.

It was no secret at that time that Edwards and staff were not focused on retaining in-state talent just two years after Todd Graham's staff secured blue-chip prospect N'Keal Harry.

One may point to hindsight, but those who watched Purdy play during his high school years knew that he had the potential to be great at the college level at the very least.

Purdy eventually signed with Iowa State, became a four-year starter, broke program records, and took a long suffering school to heights that had never been seen before.

Now, Purdy is famously the starting quarterback for the San Fransisco 49ers - having taken the organization to a Super Bowl.

While it is unclear what would have happened with Purdy at the helm in Tempe due to the presence of questionable coaches - it is a fascinating thought to have that Edwards' staff pursuing the talented Arizona native could have changed the trajectory of many different programs - Jayden Daniels would have never signed with the Sun Devils as well in all likelihood.

Staying on the topic of recruiting, take a minute to read the current state of recruiting within the Sun Devils program here and here.

Please let us know your thoughts on what could have been between Purdy and Arizona State when you like our Facebook page when you click right here.