• Slug: Sports-ASU Transfer Aiyuk, 553 words.
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By HARLEY YEAROUT
Cronkite News

TEMPE — Transferring from a junior college program to the bright lights of NCAA Division I football is a big step for an athlete.

And players don’t have much time to make their mark if they hope to make the transition successfully.

Just ask Brandon Aiyuk, a new Arizona State wideout who transferred from Sierra College in Rocklin, California. Unlike players who sign out of high school, junior college transfers are often expected to contribute immediately.

If they’re lucky, they are able to join their NCAA program during spring football to get acclimated. But many, like Aiyuk, don’t have that luxury.

“Coming now, I don’t have a lot of time,” Aiyuk said. “I don’t have the one, maybe two years that these incoming freshmen have to figure themselves out.”

Aiyuk accumulated 2,499 all-purpose yards in his two years at Sierra College, where he was named to the California Community College Football Coaches Association All-American first team as an all-purpose athlete in 2017.

Aiyuk said one of the challenges he has faced since coming to Arizona State is adjusting to the speed of the game at the NCAA level.

“Junior college, high school, you might catch a pass and it takes a lot of time for (defensive) guys to get down there,” he said. “Or like, if you catch a screen pass, you have time to turn around, think and look and see the field.

“But now, it’s a lot of instinct. You have to catch the ball and make a decision.”

That ability to learn quickly and adjust is a big part of the recruiting process for junior college players and the coaches evaluating them.

“You recruit a high school kid completely different than you recruit a (four-year) kid,” Arizona State offensive coordinator Rob Likens said. “You recruit a junior college kid, it’s a business decision. If he has aspirations to play at the next level, he’s got two years. Done.”

Aiyuk decided to play at Arizona State in early February without a campus visit.

“I committed before I even came out here,” he said. “I just felt it was a good fit.”

With names like preseason All-American junior wide receiver N’Keal Harry and junior wide receiver Kyle Williams in place, Aiyuk also faces the task of finding a role on the team.

“We have a lot of great receivers,” Aiyuk said.

That was a sentiment echoed by junior redshirt wide receiver Ryan Newsome.

“It’s as deep as it’s ever been,” Newsome said.

Newsome also added that Aiyuk brings more than just depth to the team. He can get his hands on passes many receivers can’t reach.

“He just brings a different dynamic as far as his athleticism,” Newsome said. “His catch radius is really big.”

Aiyuk may have stepped into a deep wide receiver group, but he said it’s about making plays when he has the chance in whatever role he is in. Aiyuk is expected to start as a kick returner alongside fellow junior college transfer Isaiah Floyd when the Sun Devils open the season Saturday against the University of Texas at San Antonio.

“If I’m the punt returner, I’m going to be back there returning punts. If I’m the kick returner, I’ll be back there returning kicks, doing the best I can whenever I get on the field,” Aiyuk said.

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